ANALYZING THE TRANSLATION OF ENGLISH SENTENCES CONTAINING MODAL VERBS BY UNDERGRADUATE WHO ARE NOT ENGLISH MAJORS AT A UNIVERSITY

Abstract

This research article analyzes the translation of English sentences containing modal verbs into Thai by undergraduates who are not English majors at a university, employing a qualitative research methodology through textual analysis. The findings reveal that the majority of students encountered difficulties in translating English sentences with modal verbs. The primary causes may stem from their failure to select context-appropriate translation principles, as well as their limited understanding of the multiple meanings and intended meaning of modal verbs within sentences. The recommendations arising from this study suggest that teachers should raise students' awareness of context-appropriate translation principles and accurate understanding of meaning units, including grammatical knowledge of both the source and target languages. In this study, this refers to the diverse meanings of each modal verb across various situations, so that students develop accurate comprehension before attempting to translate sentences containing such modal verbs. Consequently, grammatical knowledge is considered a crucial factor in conveying meaning accurately in translation to prevent translation errors, particularly with regard to grammatical structures that are complex or differ significantly from the students' native language, such as modal verbs.