Abstract:

Translating as a process-oriented approach is recognized as an important tenant to integrate in L1 and L2 language courses. Research in the area of translation has shown that commenting on the student translations rather than giving them an appropriate solution, makes students aware of the translation problems and focuses them on applying good translation principles, methods, and procedures [1]. This mixed method longitudinal study aims to examine the change in perceptions of Spanish language learners in an introductory course on Spanish-English translation (Spanish 351). Over the years, Spanish 351 has been offered in different formats (face-to-face CALL, flipped and online) by adapting the tasks to different environments. Benefits and challenges of delivering this course with different formats are discussed in the context of performance expectations. The study considers the interactions of students in peer-review translation exercises using discussion forums. Data was also collected using a mid-semester survey, instructor’s field notes, and students' evaluations at the end of the semester. In this study, design-based research was adopted to better understand the teaching and learning experience in the translation course as it allows instructors to refine the design of tasks and improve language pedagogy by helping them to identify potential constraints a priori. Results of the study offer design principles for the design of an introductory on English-Spanish translation course and the use of digital media in cooperative translation assignments.

Keywords:

design-based research, translation course, face-to-face CALL, flipped, online