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The Relationship between English Language Proficiency and EFL Learners’ Use of Translation Strategies

Received: 13 August 2015     Accepted: 17 September 2015     Published: 24 September 2015
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Abstract

EFL(English as a Foreign Language) learners tend to choose translation strategies in their English learning process. This study aims to examine the potential relationship between English language proficiency and EFL learners’ use of translation strategies, displaying the differences in the use of translation strategies between students at higher level of English language proficiency and those at lower level of English language proficiency. An ITLS questionnaire (The Inventory for Translation as a Learning Strategy) designed by Liao Posen (Liao, 2002:159-161)was distributed to 190 students in Southwest Jiaotong University who had taken the national English language proficiency assessment—CET-4(College English Test Band 4). Based on Independent Sample T-test, the results show that significant differences were found between the proficient EFL learners and the limited English proficient learners in some of the uses of translation strategies, and lower achievers were more likely to adopt translation strategies in English learning. According to Pearson Correlation Analysis and Multiple Regression Analysis, this research also found out that the use of translation to enhance English-language abilities was negatively correlated with English language proficiency and could best predict the negative performance of English language proficiency assessment. Implications for the role of translation strategies in EFL learning are discussed.

Published in International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation (Volume 1, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijalt.20150104.11
Page(s) 55-60
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

English Language Proficiency, Learning Strategies, Translation Strategies, English Learning, EFL Learners

References
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[20] Oxford, R.L. (1990).Language Learning Strategies: What Every Teacher Should Know. New York: Newbury House
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[22] Park. G. (1997).Language learning strategies and English proficiency in Korean university students. Foreign Language Annals, 30(2).pp.211-221
[23] Perkins, C. (1985).Sensitizing advanced learners to problems of L1-L2 translation. Translation in Foreign Language Teaching and Testing(Tubingen: Narr).pp.51-72
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    Sheng Tan. (2015). The Relationship between English Language Proficiency and EFL Learners’ Use of Translation Strategies. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation, 1(4), 55-60. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20150104.11

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    ACS Style

    Sheng Tan. The Relationship between English Language Proficiency and EFL Learners’ Use of Translation Strategies. Int. J. Appl. Linguist. Transl. 2015, 1(4), 55-60. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20150104.11

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    AMA Style

    Sheng Tan. The Relationship between English Language Proficiency and EFL Learners’ Use of Translation Strategies. Int J Appl Linguist Transl. 2015;1(4):55-60. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20150104.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijalt.20150104.11,
      author = {Sheng Tan},
      title = {The Relationship between English Language Proficiency and EFL Learners’ Use of Translation Strategies},
      journal = {International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation},
      volume = {1},
      number = {4},
      pages = {55-60},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijalt.20150104.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20150104.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijalt.20150104.11},
      abstract = {EFL(English as a Foreign Language) learners tend to choose translation strategies in their English learning process. This study aims to examine the potential relationship between English language proficiency and EFL learners’ use of translation strategies, displaying the differences in the use of translation strategies between students at higher level of English language proficiency and those at lower level of English language proficiency. An ITLS questionnaire (The Inventory for Translation as a Learning Strategy) designed by Liao Posen (Liao, 2002:159-161)was distributed to 190 students in Southwest Jiaotong University who had taken the national English language proficiency assessment—CET-4(College English Test Band 4). Based on Independent Sample T-test, the results show that significant differences were found between the proficient EFL learners and the limited English proficient learners in some of the uses of translation strategies, and lower achievers were more likely to adopt translation strategies in English learning. According to Pearson Correlation Analysis and Multiple Regression Analysis, this research also found out that the use of translation to enhance English-language abilities was negatively correlated with English language proficiency and could best predict the negative performance of English language proficiency assessment. Implications for the role of translation strategies in EFL learning are discussed.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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    T1  - The Relationship between English Language Proficiency and EFL Learners’ Use of Translation Strategies
    AU  - Sheng Tan
    Y1  - 2015/09/24
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    JF  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
    JO  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
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    AB  - EFL(English as a Foreign Language) learners tend to choose translation strategies in their English learning process. This study aims to examine the potential relationship between English language proficiency and EFL learners’ use of translation strategies, displaying the differences in the use of translation strategies between students at higher level of English language proficiency and those at lower level of English language proficiency. An ITLS questionnaire (The Inventory for Translation as a Learning Strategy) designed by Liao Posen (Liao, 2002:159-161)was distributed to 190 students in Southwest Jiaotong University who had taken the national English language proficiency assessment—CET-4(College English Test Band 4). Based on Independent Sample T-test, the results show that significant differences were found between the proficient EFL learners and the limited English proficient learners in some of the uses of translation strategies, and lower achievers were more likely to adopt translation strategies in English learning. According to Pearson Correlation Analysis and Multiple Regression Analysis, this research also found out that the use of translation to enhance English-language abilities was negatively correlated with English language proficiency and could best predict the negative performance of English language proficiency assessment. Implications for the role of translation strategies in EFL learning are discussed.
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Author Information
  • Department of English Language and Literature, School of Foreign Languages, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China

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