Translation at Private Universities in Yemen: Arabic-English Interference Revisited

Abstract

The influence of the first language on second language acquisition has received wide recognition in second language acquisition (SLA) and has been an attractive area of research worldwide. This study revisits the topic to integrate more evidence collected in a private university in Yemen to shed more light on the possible intricacies of first language transfer when it comes to translating from Arabic into English and vice-versa. The study employed a qualitative descriptive research design. Using purposive sampling, five senior students in a translation program at the University of Science and Technology were selected to answer a translation test during the second semester of the academic year 2021-2022. The study showed that Arabic has some adverse effects on students' translation and put forward an explanation for students, when translating into and from English, to be influenced by their native language (Arabic). Although this is not a new idea in SLA, the study implies that the transfer theory has nothing to do with private or public universities’ programs, implying rethinking the current teaching and learning programs. Some important suggestions are provided at the end of the study.