Challenges in Interpreting English Formulaic Expressions for Arabic-speaking English Language Students: A Study

This study aims to investigate the challenges faced by undergraduate and graduate students of English language and translation in interpreting and translating English idiomatic expressions (IEs) into Arabic. The significance of this research lies in the fact that while native speakers frequently use IEs in social interactions, there is insufficient emphasis on developing students' pragmatic competence in undergraduate education. IEs are language-specific and may or may not have equivalents in other languages, making their study crucial for speakers of other languages to acquire adequate pragmatic competence in English.

The study employed an interpretation/translation task consisting of three English formulaic expressions to assess the semantic and pragmatic competence of 83 undergraduate English language students and 13 graduate students of Applied Linguistics and Translation. The results, based on their written interpretations/translations and informal responses, confirmed that 'inter-lingual transfer' occurs when foreign students translate from their mother tongue to a foreign language. The findings revealed that graduate students significantly outperformed their undergraduate counterparts, likely due to their ongoing training in translating material to and from the target language and culture.

The study emphasizes the difficulty non-native English speakers experience in encountering IEs, as comprehending some expressions requires both semantic and pragmatic competence. It also highlights the discrepancies between undergraduate and graduate students at An-Najah National University.

In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of providing students with sufficient training in pragmatics, intercultural communication, and translation to enhance their ability to interpret and translate idiomatic expressions accurately. It recommends that educators allocate more effort to developing students' pragmatic competence in undergraduate education to facilitate effective cross-cultural communication.