The impact of writing training on transediting in translation, analyzed from a product and process perspective

This paper reports on a quasi-experimental study of the effect of writing training on transediting in the translation product and process of undergraduate translation students. A classical pretest-posttest experimental design was used, in which the experimental group was trained in writing instructive texts in their mother tongue (Dutch) and the control group received a placebo training. Over the course of the experiment, both groups translated four Spanish instruction manuals into Dutch. The source texts contained a number of rich points that could not be translated literally into the target language and consequently required transediting. The product data indicated that writing training led to a higher amount and quality of transediting, specifically of macro-textual features. The process data showed that the participants of the experimental group based their decision to transedit on more diverse and precise criteria than the control group. Writing training also yielded a more detailed understanding of the acceptability norms of instruction manuals and led to a more critical stance towards the source text. Writing training did not influence the moment of transediting, which was mostly carried out as a first translation solution.

Publication year:2016

Keywords:A1 Journal article

BOF-keylabel:yes

Authors from:Government

Accessibility:Open