The Application of Group Dynamic Assessment to the Translation of Phrasal Verbs

Abstract

Dynamic assessment (DA), as the integration of assessment and instruction, and applied translation studies, the applications of translation theories to the practice of translation, are within the same domain of applied linguistics. An important strand of research that will solidify a central place for DA is group dynamic assessment (G-DA) through which a group of students co-construct their development with the help of the teacher who mediates the students’ performance. The present study aimed at examining the applicability of G-DA in the translation of phrasal verbs through mediation. In so doing, 30 students participated in this study based on convenient sampling. The materials used in the assessment sessions entailed 100 Phrasal Verbs taken from the Mosaic Series. The students worked on translation activities with the help the mediator providing them with hints and prompts instead of offering the accurate translation forthwith. The students were evaluated based on a test-intervene-retest format with respect to translations of phrasal verbs. The results obtained from Independent-sample t-test and One-way repeated measures ANOVA confirmed statistically significant effect of mediation in the translations of phrasal verbs. The inventory of meditational strategies helped to reveal the learners’ common mistakes while translating the PVs. An implication of the study is for teachers to employ G-DA in the translation of proverbs, idioms, collocations and fixed expressions.