Pedagogical translation: Recognition versus production skills

At varios stages of their lives, (prospective) learners of foreign language need to take such foreign language examinations as the university extrance examination (YGS) and/or the foreign language examination (YDS), which also include translation sections. Applicants are mostly asked to recognize and select the most accurate and appropriate option from among a series of five alternatives offered. There may be other occasions where the applicants themselves are expected to translate a SL text. Such translation acitivities are usually employed as a tool to measure and evaluate student performances at foreign language and/or translation departments or as part of job applications and interviews after graduation. Empirical data suggest that students oftentimes display a better performance in recognition skill rather than production skill. The researcher decided to carry out this mixed-method study in order to ascertain students' level of recognizing the correct option in a multiple-choice test and of producing acceptable renderings in translation classes. The statistical data obtained revealed that the two groups were more successful in displaying their recognition skills compared to production skills. Another finding was that, despite its brevity, the training offered between the first and the second sessions did lead to betterment in the both groups' recognition and production skills. Consequent to the training period, the participants displayed a two-tier improvement by obtaining a higher average of correct, acceptable responses and at the same time decreasing the number of incorrect, unacceptable answers.