Developing Chinese college EFL teachers’ translation competence: an integrated instructional design

Abstract

This thesis is centered on enhancing the translation competence of Chinese college EFL teachers, especially their inverse translation competence for academic writing. It commences by highlighting China's shortage of proficient translators and the inefficiencies of current training programs, suggesting Chinese college EFL teachers as viable candidates.

The research critically assesses Kiraly's social constructivist approach and revises its key principles. An integrated instructional design, centered around an authentic translation project, is developed, with details of its theoretical basis, training objectives, and content.

A case study using Action Research validates the effectiveness of the training design. Questionnaire and interview results indicate high trainee satisfaction and significant improvement in various translation sub - competences. Based on these findings, two sets of strategies for inverse translation and trainer training are provided.

Finally, the thesis points out limitations and offers suggestions for future research.