An Investigation into English Majored Students' Perception of Difficulties Facing Them in Sight Translation in Basic Consecutive Interpreting Courses

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the difficulties faced by ETI majors at CTU when undertaking sight translation from English to Vietnamese, and the extent of these difficulties. This study used a mixed-method research design to investigate the perceived difficulties of sight translation activities among ETI students at Can Tho University. A questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale was used to collect quantitative data from 120 participants, while an open-ended question was used for qualitative data. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 26. The study identified six main categories of difficulties: lexis, syntax, subject domain, source text availability, cognitive competency, and expression. The research found that students encountered significant challenges in understanding terminologies, polysemy words, phrasal verbs, long sentences, embedded clauses, rhetorical devices, and inversion. The study also highlighted the need for targeted training and strategies to overcome these difficulties, focusing on areas such as terminology, grammar, subject domain, and cognitive skills. The study's limitations include its focus on only one directionality of a language pair and the potential for bias in the translation of open-ended responses. The study recommends future research in the Vietnamese-English sight translation direction and the use of a qualitative approach with interviewer follow-up. Overall, the findings suggest a need for additional support and training to improve students' sight translation skills in the ETI program at CTU.