Translating into the first language: textual competence, disposition and monitoring as indicators of translation competence

This thesis reports on an empirical study which attempts to answer basic questions about translation competence as a key issue in translation studies, through the conceptual replication of Campbell’s (1998) model to test the applicability of the model on translating into L1. It is a process-oriented study which presents a methodology for the testing of the model through the quantitative statistical analysis of the translator’s output. The primary aim is pedagogical and it is carried out in the framework of applied
linguistics, translation studies in general and translator training in particular. The study is focused on the investigation of the three components of Campbell’s model: textual competence, disposition and monitoring. Theoretically, the model assumes that the interrelation among these components constitutes the function of the translator’s competence.
The study investigates questions regarding the ways in which translators into L1 vary in regard of the three components. The central question, which represents the ultimate aim, is about the extent to which these aspects are helpful in characterizing the competence of student-translators as revealed by their individual profiles. The profiles are based on the results of an experiment in which translations of two texts were
undertaken by a group of twenty-five participants (L1 Arabic MA translation students translating from English into Arabic). The findings of the study show that translators into the first language markedly vary in their output in respect to the three components of the model, which confirms its applicability.
The current study claims that it has successfully sharpened Campbell’s measure by transforming the behavioural statements of characterizing translation competence into numerical values for each component to make the individual’s competence more easily interpretable. Certainly, numerical values have easily recognizable discrimination ability which makes them suitable to rank translators in a dependable and justifiable way.