Translation Errors among Third-Level English Students at the University of Kordofan: Lecturers’ Perceptions
Translation competence involves more than knowledge of two languages. It requires the ability to understand meaning, recognize cultural and contextual differences, select appropriate equivalents, and produce an accurate and acceptable target text. This study investigates lecturers’ perceptions of the major types and causes of translation errors among third-level English language students at the Faculty of Education, University of Kordofan, Sudan, as well as their perceived effects and possible pedagogical responses. A descriptive survey design was employed. Data were collected through a 25-item questionnaire administered to 50 English language lecturers, teachers, and translation specialists. The responses were analyzed using frequencies and percentages. The findings indicate that respondents strongly perceived translation errors as affecting translation quality and communication. Ninety-four percent agreed that translation errors affect the overall quality of translated texts, while 90% indicated that such errors may lead to misunderstanding of the source message. Linguistic differences between English and Arabic and weak grammatical knowledge were identified by 92% of respondents as important contributing factors. Limited vocabulary and time pressure were each reported by 88%, while cultural differences, literal translation, and lack of subject knowledge were reported by 86%, 84%, and 82%, respectively. Semantic errors received the highest agreement among the perceived error types (94%), followed by lexical and terminology errors (90% each) and grammatical errors (88%). Regarding pedagogical responses, proofreading was highly endorsed (96%), followed by translation-skills training (94%), dictionary use (92%), and peer review (88%). Although 70% of respondents considered machine translation potentially useful, 92% agreed that it can produce inaccurate translations. The findings suggest that translation instruction should integrate linguistic development, cultural and pragmatic awareness, strategic competence, systematic revision, authentic translation practice, and critical use of translation technologies. Since the findings are based on educators’ perceptions rather than direct analysis of students’ translation products, further research should examine actual student translations to determine the nature and frequency of translation errors.
Keywords: translation errors; error analysis; translation competence; English-Arabic translation; translator training; Sudanese higher education; machine translation.
