Metacognition and Performances of Literary Translation Students per Language Combination at the Advanced School of Translators and Interpreters

Abstract

This study investigatedthemetacognition and performance of French A and English Aliterary translation learners. The objectives were to investigate the degree of metacognitive awareness of the class of literary translation learners in general; and to find out if there are significant differences in metacognition and performance among the subjects based on language combination. It was hypothesised that there is a high degree of metacognitive awareness in the class of literary translation learners in general; and that French A literary translation learners do not demonstrate a significant difference in metacognitive awareness and performance than their English A counterparts.TheLearning Theory (Constructivism) underpinned this research. It explained how subjects processed and retainedinformation differently during learning. The research design was a non-intervention case study, which involved an intensive, systematic investigation without manipulating behaviour. Non-probability sampling was used to select 50 subjects, out of which outliers were eliminated and a homogenous group of 32 subjects who scored from 15 to 17 on 20 in a pre-test was retained. Qualitative data were culled through non-participant observation andShraw & Denison’s (1994) Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) to investigate respondents’ metacognitive knowledge and regulation. However, instead of declarations of true or false questions, the MAI was adapted and rephrased as close-ended questions to elicit responses designed on a 7-point Likert scale for frequency. Through this psychometric rating scale, responders specified the frequency with which they regulated cognition (by planning, managing information, monitoring understanding, correcting performance errors or evaluating their own learning) or demonstrated that they possess knowledge about cognition (by establishing that they possess declarative, procedural or conditional knowledge). In addition, a formative assessment test was administered to gauge performance in literary translation by the two groups. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation and inferential statistics (Independent Sample T-Test). The T-test was used to compare the metacognition test score of the students by language combination for significant difference. The results were presented on frequency distribution tables and on figures. The findings revealed that the metacognitive awareness French A learners is not significantly higher than that of English A learners and both groups performed the same in literary translation learning. The study recommended that English A learners should adopt some strategies to enhance their metacognitive abilities to be on the par with French A learners. It also recommended that both groups should adopt innovative learning strategies that will work in favour of their ability to predict how well they can perform literary translation tasks. Moreover, it was recommended to teachers that they should consider the inherent differences between learners in the literary translation classroom to ensure that their methods accommodate the less metacognitively aware group in the class. The implication of this study to literary translation teaching is that it will lay greater emphasis on enhancing students’ metacognitive competence to boost learners’ confidence about their learning.