ENHANCING LEARNING OF NON-TRANSLATION MAJOR STUDENTS THROUGH DEVELOPING TRANSLATION COMPETENCE

Abstract

Linguistic competence is crucial to developing a deep understanding of the contents of Islamic texts, which are typically written in Arabic. Linguistic competence varies, particularly among non-native speakers of Arabic, and mastering the language can be challenging at times. The present study uses an online survey to investigate students' perceptions of the effectiveness of learning translation skills in enhancing students learning process. This study also assesses the students' performance in various tasks to support their statements. This study involves third-year undergraduate students majoring in different fields of Islamic Studies at Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA). They took a translation module as part of their respective programme structure. Results revealed that some students expressed their difficulties in finding equivalent terms. However, they solved the problems by applying translation techniques and strategies they learned in the course. Learning translation skills did not only help them understand religious texts easily. However, it also helped them improve other language skills through various translation exercises. They also mentioned that translation skills, such as analytical, research, technological and teamwork skills, are beneficial when writing assignments for other modules.