Students' Perceptions of Teaching Translation at University of Duhok

Abstract

This study maintains that learners' perspective and reactions towards learning any subject including Translation is of a vital importance to achieve the objectives and outcomes of that subject. This study aims at drawing a picture of translation teaching from students' point of view and exploring students' skills in translating to assess the existing methods and to reconsider objectives behind teaching this or that translation course. In order to achieve the aims of the study a questionnaire consisting of 22 items was given to 49 students; 40 (20 boys and 20 girls) from the English Department; and nine students (five boys and four girls) from the Translation Department, College of Humanities, University of Duhok, Iraq to find out their reactions on different issues related to the teaching and learning of translation at their departments. The items of the questionnaire tried to explore issues related to culture, courses, texts, exams, teachers and students' reactions and strategies used in translation. Accordingly, it has been found out that students gain benefits from the assigned course as it seems to develop their language and translation skills through their focus on cultural factors and proper equivalents in the process of translation. Translation courses might be considered as a resource for students' vocabulary enrichment, style improving in addition to text type knowledge with reference to strategies adopted for each as well as improving students' skills in both language and translation. Focusing on the daily language is also of vital importance in acquiring language and translation competency.