Analyzing the Translations of Some English Circumstantial and Modal Adverbs into Turkish

Abstract

Error analysis (EA) has attracted a great deal of attention in the ELT literature. However, little research has been conducted as to what the translation trainees' errors reveal about the efficiency of their educational background. This study aims to analyze the students' errors in their translations of adverbs from English into Turkish in order to explore translation accuracy by type and length of selected adverbs. Students at the English Translation and Interpreting Department at a private university in Izmir (n=30) participated in the study. The statistical analysis focused on translations of nine adverbs, three for each of three different types which appeared in students' assignments. The results showed no difference in students' success in translating adverbs correctly across types and length of adverbs; however, modal adverbs were more often misused or omitted than those of time and place adverbs. These findings were interpreted in the light of the relevant theories. (C) Association of Applied Linguistics. All rights reserved