Chapter Two
METHODOLOGY DESIGN
Introduction
This chapter exposes the methods and the procedures used in
this study. It is divided into two sections. The first describes the
quantitative part of the study, namely the ex post facto experiment;
and the second, the qualitative one.
2.1. The Ex Post Facto Study
This section describes the quantitative part of the study.
First, a reminder of the research questions and hypotheses is presented.
Second, operational definitions of variables are provided. Third, choice of
methods is justified. Fourth, sampling and data collection procedures are
explained. Finally, data analysis is described.
2.1.1. Research Questions
This part of the study investigates the following questions:
· Are linguistic and cultural knowledge prerequisites
to learning translation? More specifically:
o Could the quality of translation competence acquisition be
explained by prior linguistic and cultural knowledge?
o Is there a positive relationship between prior linguistic and
cultural knowledge, and better translation learning9
o What is the strength of this relationship? In other words: Is
it systematic?
2.1.2. Operational Definitions of Variables
2.1.2.1. D ep endent variable
As the study's title suggests, the dependent variable is
learning translation. It is also referred to as
Translation Competence Acquisition (Orozco and
Hurtado Albir, 2002). In this study, this variable is measured through the
subjects' grades on translation examinations. Therefore, the measurement scale
of this variable is the interval scale.
2.1.2.2. Independent variables
The first independent variable is prior linguistic
competence. It is measured through the subjects' means of scores in
English and Arabic Baccalaureate examinations. It is, hence, measured at the
interval scale as well.
The second independent variable is prior cultural
knowledge. It is
Philosophy scores in the Baccalaureate examinations, in
addition to the general mean. This measure is represented at the interval
scale, too.
2.1.3. Choice of Method
This study investigates the relationship between prior
linguistic and cultural knowledge, on the one hand, and subsequent translation
competence acquisition on the other. Two characteristics of this issue
determined the choice of the appropriate method. First, observing this
relationship implies a relatively long period of time. Learning should be given
sufficient time before considering that it could be clearly observable. Second,
the independent variables are not susceptible to be manipulated; they have
already occurred.
The experimental method was, therefore, ruled out in this
case. On the other hand, data gathered through a survey seemed to be less
useful if we could think of a way to observe facts rather than
opinions. A differential experiment, hence, appeared to fit the study
before time constraints were realised. In a differential experiment, two groups
that differ on the basis of a pre-existing variable are chosen and observed.
The variable differentiating them is the independent variable. In the case of
this study, it is linguistic and cultural knowledge. The groups are then
compared according to the research question and its dependent variable.
In the case of this study, two different groups could well be
chosen. One would possess significantly more prior knowledge than the other.
Then the groups would be observed and compared according to the quality of
their translation learning. The constraint is that this experiment would entail
a long observation time before any observable translation competence
acquisition could occur. Thus, lack of time led us to eliminate the choice of
this design.
The method we found most appropriate is the ex post facto
study. The meaning of this phrase in the context of social and educational
research is "after the fact" or "retrospectively" (Cohen & Manion, 1980, p.
143). This method is used to investigate the issues in which the independent
variable has already occurred and, hence, could not be manipulated. The
researcher then:
" studies the independent variable or variables in retrospect
for their possible relationship to, or effects on, the dependent variable or
variables. The researcher is thus examining retrospectively the effects of a
naturally occurring event on a subsequent outcome with view to establishing a
causal link between them."
(Cohen & Manion, 1980, p. 143-4).
Adopting this method, then, solved the problems of time and
lack of manipulation, and suited the type of variables investigated.
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