Márta Lesznyák: A longitudinal investigation of translation trainees’ translation and post-editing competence development I
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3 Results and Discussion
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3.5 Changes between the beginning and the end of the training period
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3.5.1 Language competence

3.5.1 Language competence

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As language competence seems to be a key variable in translation performance, the question of whether language competence had developed during the four semesters of the training program is an essential one. To find out whether there was a development in students’ reading and grammar competence, paired samples t-tests were performed between students’ first-year and second-year reading and use of English test scores, respectively. The results indicated that there was no significant development in grammar competence, but reading test scores were significantly higher at the end of the second year, suggesting a significant growth in reading competence (Table 26). This holds true both for human translators and post-editors (work-mode defined on the basis of the second data collection wave), and for the total sample, too. Nevertheless, it must be noted that the difference for human translators is only marginally significant. Note that values in Table 26 and Table 9/Table 17 diverge slightly because of re-grouping some students due to non-compliance.
 

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Table 26 Differences Between First- and Second-Year Reading and Use of English Test Scores. Results of the Paired Samples T-Tests
 
 
First year
Second year
 
 
 
 
M
SD
M
SD
t-test
p
Reading
Human translators (n = 9)
3.33
2.83
5.44
2.30
–2.10
.069
Post editors (n = 13)
3.69
1.97
5.31
2.29
–2.24
< .05
Total sample (n = 22)
3.55
2.30
5.36
2.24
–3.14
< .01
Use of English
Human translators (n = 8)
13.50
5.71
13.88
5.79
–0.27
.79
Post editors (n = 11)
11.82
6.89
11.00
5.73
1.03
.33
Total sample (n = 19)
12.53
6.30
12.21
5.78
0.43
.67
Note. M = mean, SD = standard deviation, n = number of respondents
 

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Another interesting question that arises is whether students profit from translation and training in an equal manner. To answer this question, B and C English translation trainees’ first- and second-year language test scores were compared with the help of paired samples t-tests, and the figures show that neither groups has shown significant growth in terms of grammar competence (B students (7): M1 = 16.43, SD1= 4.39, M2 = 15.57, SD2 = 4.65, t(6) = 0.80, p =.457; C students (12) M1 = 10.25, SD1 = 6.25, M2 = 10.25, SD2 = 5.61 t(11) = 0, p = 1). However, C English translation trainees’ (n=15) reading competence test scores were significantly higher at the end of the training than at the beginning of the training (M1 = 3.07, SD1 = 2.22, M2 = 5.20, SD2 = 2.24, t(14) = –3.01, p < .01). However, no such significant development could be observed for B English students (n = 7), although tests scores tended to be higher at the end of the second year (M1 = 4.57, SD1 = 2.30, M2 = 5.71, SD2 = 2.36, t(6) = –1.11, p = .311).

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The last finding in the previous paragraph led to the question of whether the size of the changes differed significantly between the two groups. To formulate it in another way, whether C English students had a significantly larger reading test score gain than B English students. To establish whether there were significant differences in changes in language test scores, both independent samples t-tests and one-way ANCOVAs were performed, but neither of them showed significant differences between B and C English students.

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To carry out the independent samples t-test, two new variables, “reading difference” and “use difference”, were computed for each individual by subtracting the first reading/use score from the second reading/use score, respectively. The results of the independent samples t-tests indicated that there were no significant differences between either the “reading difference” (B Mean = 1.14, B SD = 2.73, C Mean = 2.13, C SD = 2.75, t(20)= –0.79, p = .440) or the “use differences” values (B Mean = –0.86, B SD = 2.85, C Mean = 0, C SD = 3.44, t(17) = –0,56, p = .586) of B and C English students.

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Another statistical method, one-way ANCOVA, was also used to check whether change differences in language test scores were significant. After controlling for first-year reading test scores, no significant effect of working language (B or C English) was found on second-year reading test scores (F(1,19) = 0.011, p = .919). In the same way, no significant effect of working language (B or C English) was found on second-year use of English (grammar) test scores after controlling for first-year grammar test scores (F(1,16) = 0.109, p = .746).
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