The paper titled "Saudi MA Translators: An Evaluation Issue" by Adel Salem Bahameed focuses on the evaluation of translation quality among MA students in Saudi Arabia, particularly at King Khalid University. The primary research question investigates the applicability of the holistic method as an evaluation tool for students' final year translation projects.
The purpose of the study is to identify the most appropriate method for evaluating translation projects, with a specific focus on the holistic assessment method. The study seeks to explore whether this method can effectively measure the translation competence of MA students and determine its suitability for improving the quality of translation assessment in the future.
The study employs a qualitative approach, focusing on a sample of five female MA students from King Khalid University. These students, all in their final year of the postgraduate translation program, were evaluated based on their translation of a 50-page project. The holistic method was chosen for its ability to assess translation as a whole, rather than in parts, and to allow for some flexibility in the evaluator's judgment.
Key findings of the study reveal that while the holistic method is effective in certain respects, it may be too lenient to provide an impartial assessment of translation quality. The method resulted in high success rates, with 80% of students achieving top marks, which may not accurately reflect the individual differences in translation competence. The study also found that the direction of translation, whether from English to Arabic or vice versa, did not significantly impact the students' performance.
In conclusion, the study suggests that while the holistic method is a dependable and practical tool for translation assessment, it may not be rigorous enough to distinguish between varying levels of student competence. The findings indicate that the method's leniency could lead to inflated success rates, which might undermine the overall quality of the translation assessment process. The study implies that alternative methods, such as error analysis, could provide a more precise evaluation, although they may result in higher failure rates.
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