An investigation into common errors in Vietnamese-English translation made by college freshmen: A case study at Foreign Trade University - Ho Chi Minh Campus

Abstract

This study aims to investigate students’ common errors in Vietnamese-English translation. For the objectives, 70 first-year students at Foreign Trade University – Ho Chi Minh campus, were invited to participate in this study. To identify students’ errors in Vietnamese-English translation, the participants were asked to complete five weekly assignments. The results revealed that students made grammatical, lexical, and spelling errors. The causes of these observed errors were also indicated, which included the difference between English and Vietnamese, inadequate culture background, students’ insufficient linguistic competence in English language and Vietnamese language, lack of cultural background knowledge, students’ inappropriate translation strategies, interference of Vietnamese, misunderstanding, and students’ carelessness. In addition, some suggestions were offered in the light of the findings identified in the study to help students improve their translation ability.