Analyzing Undergraduates’ Needs for an Improvement in Translation Training Curriculum in Vietnam

• Main Authors: Nhat Quang Nguyen, Dr. Wah Kean Lee, Dung Ngoc Phuong Nguyen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lasting Impressions Press 2018-08-01
• Series: International Journal of English Language and Translation Studies
• Subjects: Needs Analysis; Quality Improvement; Translation; Teaching & Learning; Curriculum
• Online Access: http://www.eltsjournal.org/archive/value6%20issue3/6-6-3-18.pdf
• ISSN: 2308-5460; 2308-5460

Quality improvement in translation training programs to meet social needs in the context of international integration is an objective necessity, and needs analysis has proved itself a potent device for planning, developing and evaluating programs since it equips the course designers with valuable information to align the course content with learners' needs. Hence, this paper aims to analyze students’ needs for an improvement in translation curriculum design, administered among 96 seniors from the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City (BUH), Vietnam. It used a questionnaire on learning objectives, course planning, teaching contents, teaching methods, testing and evaluation. The results indicated that the students would like to get good marks in the final exams as well as acquire necessary knowledge and skills of a translator. The findings also revealed that there should be more authentic practice, group-work learning activities, and useful collaborative evaluation. The topic selection and teaching methods need to take learners’ interests and effective formal class time into account. Finally, the results showed that the students lacked a confidence in their translation ability; therefore, translation teachers should spend more time on practice and practical implications should be considered for subsequent course curriculum updates.