The paper titled "The Relationship between Critical Thinking and Translation Ability of EFL Undergraduate Students" focuses on exploring the connection between critical thinking skills and translation performance among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) undergraduates at King Khalid University in Saudi Arabia. The study's primary research questions investigate the critical thinking levels of these students and whether there is a significant correlation between their critical thinking abilities and translation skills.
The study aims to assess the critical thinking levels of Saudi EFL undergraduates and to determine the extent to which critical thinking contributes to their ability to perform translation tasks effectively. The research is set within the broader context of modern education, which increasingly emphasizes the importance of higher-order thinking skills, such as critical thinking, in various academic disciplines, including translation studies.
The research methodology involves a quantitative approach, where 72 undergraduate students majoring in English at King Khalid University participated. The students were non-randomly selected from three sections of a translation course. The study utilized the Cornell Critical Thinking Test, Level Z, and an English-Arabic translation test to measure the students' critical thinking skills and their translation abilities. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics via SPSS.
The key findings indicate that the students exhibited a low overall level of critical thinking skills, with deduction and induction (judging conclusions) being the most frequently used strategies. However, there was a significant positive correlation between the students' critical thinking skills and their translation performance. Specifically, higher critical thinking scores were associated with better translation test results, particularly in the areas of deductive and inductive reasoning.
The study concludes that critical thinking is a crucial predictor of translation ability among EFL undergraduates. The findings suggest that enhancing critical thinking skills can lead to improved translation performance. The study recommends that more emphasis be placed on developing these skills within the educational curriculum, particularly in translation courses, to better prepare students for academic success and future professional challenges. Further research is suggested to replicate the study in different contexts and to explore additional factors that may influence the relationship between critical thinking and translation ability.