Translation quality assessment practices of faculty members of colleges of languages and translation in Arab countries: an exploratory study

Abstract

The investigation and understanding of the process of assessing translation quality in translation courses have attracted some attention. However, only a few studies have explored general assessment (GA) and specialised Translation Quality Assessment (TQA) practices used by different translation instructors. This study explores the assessment practices of 98 faculty members of the translation departments of various universities in Arab countries. In this exploratory study, data were collected using an adapted version of the Approaches to Classroom Assessment Inventory instrument. In addition, the authors designed a Translation Quality Assessment Practices Inventory aimed specifically for the investigation of TQA practices adopted by the faculty members. Data collected from the three-part survey were subjected to descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, one-way analysis of variance, an independent samples t-test, and the chi-square test. The study reveals that the participants highly endorsed GA and TQA practices equally. The results indicate that three major TQA themes are particularly prioritised: the significance of errors; the use of particular assessment methods; and the primacy of objectivity. This research shows that there is an urgent need for more training aimed at improving TQA literacy among faculty members teaching translation courses. It contributes to the efforts to improve translation training and to design more effective curricula.