Enhancing Translation Skills in Biotechnological Education: An Empirical Analysis of Continuation Tasks in Higher Vocational Colleges

Abstract

This empirical investigation assesses the impact of translation continuation tasks on translation quality among learners at higher vocational colleges, focusing specifically on the integration of Chinese-English parallel texts. A cohort of 34 students was segregated into two groups for the study: the experimental group engaged with parallel texts while the control group was exposed only to Chinese texts. Subsequent tasks required both groups to translate an extended Chinese text into English. The study yielded several key findings: 1) Engagement with parallel texts enhanced the accuracy of word and phrase translations, attributed to the alignment effect inherent in continuation tasks. 2) Although there was an improvement in the syntactic structure and coherence of the translations produced by the experimental group, the differences were statistically insignificant. 3) A majority of the participants acknowledged the benefits of translation continuation tasks in refining their translation skills. However, a notable limitation was identified concerning the learners’ discourse knowledge, which affected the successful alignment of discourse in continuation tasks. Conclusively, the study advocates for the enrichment of discourse knowledge and the strategic construction of coherent discourse frameworks as essential factors in augmenting translation quality. Such educational strategies are particularly pertinent in biotechnological education, where precise translation and interpretation of technical texts are crucial for academic and professional success.