Improving EFL majors’ critical reading skills and political awareness: A proposed translation program

Abstract

Surveying the existing situation and considering the pilot study conducted by the researcher, it was clear that there is a problem concerning weaknesses in critical reading and translation skills aside from the lack of political awareness on the part of fourth year EFL majors at the Faculty of Education, Helwan University. The majority of students’ problems laid in the fact that they do not approach critical reading and translation in a systematic, strategic way. Therefore, this study examined the effectiveness of a task-based translation program with a group of fourth-year TEFL majors. Being rooted in theoretical foundations such as Decker theory of literary instruction, and Crismore's input hypotheses, the proposed program aimed at improving students’ critical reading and translation skills of expository and argumentative political texts and raising their political awareness. The results of pre- and post-intervention tests and review of written reflections by students and instructor reveal that this study project was successful in achieving its aim. Based on the results, certain recommendations are provided e.g. the relationship between translation and critical thinking/reading should be the focus in language learning. Implications and recommendations are made for similar EFL contexts.