Students’ Perception of Using the Literal Translation Method to Translate Descriptive Text

Abstract

Literal translation is commonly used by student translators because it helps them retain the words and sentence structures of the source text. However, its use in translating descriptive texts can become problematic when closely following the original structure leads to unnatural or inappropriate expressions in the target language. Drawing on Newmark’s concept of literal translation, this study explores university students’ perceptions of the effectiveness, challenges, and pedagogical value of literal translation. A qualitative approach was employed involving students from the English Department of a state university. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and open-ended questionnaires and analyzed thematically. The analysis focused on source-text fidelity, structural accuracy, naturalness, contextual appropriateness, and communicative purpose. The findings show that students find literal translation helpful for maintaining accuracy, understanding sentence structures, and learning vocabulary. However, they also experience difficulties in producing natural and effective translations. These findings suggest that literal translation is most useful when applied selectively, balancing fidelity to the source text with the communicative purpose of the target text.