Earlier translation studies focused more on translation as the final product. Later, theoretical model and methodological framework of process-oriented translation studies have extended the goal of translation research area. Process-oriented translation research seeks to investigate translators during a defined period. The studies on translation process have shown the benefits of studying translators at work which may assist translation education and training as well as curriculum design in the future. However, most experiments of the cognitive process have focused more on comparing (semi-)professional translator groups and student translator groups rather than on student translators alone. Also, there is a small number of empirical investigations on student translators’ actions during each stage of phases while translating. Therefore, in response to these matters, this dissertation is an empirical investigation of student translators’ cognitive behaviors on the translation process. The process itself comprises four translation stages, such as comprehending stage, transferring stage, restructuring stage, and editing stage. As a point of departure, this research adopts conceptual and empirical translation theories to identify and describe the cognitive behaviors during translating. A qualitative descriptive case study was employed in this research to identify and describe the cognitive behaviors occurred during translation processes. Four student translators completing their postgraduate program in Translation Studies were the respondents. They were bi- and multi-linguals with Indonesian as their mother tongue. The methods used for collecting data are as follows: direct observations, such as screen recording, room observation, and keyboard logging; questionnaire on personal background; observation checklist on predicted behaviors employed during the experiment; interview – conducted aided in providing evidence about the way they perceived their actions during the process. They were asked to translate a selected English text into Indonesian text. The respondents answered questions based on the observation checklists. The study found that (1) the students’ cognitive behaviors at the comprehending stage include Planning Behavior, Analyzing Behavior, and Executing Behavior. Comprehending stage was a planning phase for gathering information on the source text, i.e. able to see and establish the relationship between words and the combination of words in the whole text; (2) the cognitive behaviors at transferring stage are Decision-Making Behavior and Referencing Behavior. Transferring stage was a phase where the respondents made decisions on how the message explicitly and implicitly conveyed in the source text can be said in the target text; (3) Producing Behavior and Decision-Making Behavior are the cognitive behaviors that occurred at restructuring stage. New thoughts also occurred during translation production. The students’ cognitive behaviors at restructuring stage were mostly influenced by the respondents’
knowledge structure previously planned and outlined while at the comprehending and transferring stages; (4) at the editing stage, Adjusting Behavior and Comparing Behavior occurred. Stylistic and linguistic features of the target text were necessary at the editing stage. Issues such as accuracy and consistency in vocabulary items became the focal points for the student translators. The student translators’ competence influences their cognitive behaviors occurring in the process of TLT production: knowledge on using any necessary tools/instruments to complete the task, mastery of the two languages used in the task, awareness of their roles as translators, and cognitive components, i.e. memory, attention, and intellectual. The findings of this current research can provide implications to translation teachers/trainers and may extend to translation students who wish to understand
translation process research. The identification of cognitive behaviors in translation process can improve teachers/trainers’ ability to develop effective treatment/maintenance/classroom activity program. The current studies also provide evidence for taxonomy of human translation style. Although verification needs to be done in further research, this study found that more categories can be generated from particular cognitive behaviors. |