The Development of Reading Comprehension and Information Transfer through Translation Writing among Japanese Major Students
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Abstract
This research aims to investigate the development of reading comprehension, interpretation, and information transfer through Japanese translation writing among Japanese major students. Two translation writing tasks based on socio-cultural reading texts were used as the data for analysis. The participants were Japanese major students in their second and third years, with 41 students in each year level, representing the same cohort enrolled in consecutive Japanese reading courses. The research instrument was a three-domain analytic rubric assessing reading comprehension, interpretation, and information transfer through translation writing, using a five-point rating scale. Multiple regression analysis revealed that reading comprehension scores in the second year significantly predicted the quality of information transfer through translation writing in the third year. In addition, students’ scores in all three domains were significantly higher in the third year than in the second year. These findings reflect a developmental process in Japanese reading skills that extends into translation writing as a means of information transfer. This process is consistent with the Reading-to-Write Model, which conceptualizes meaning-based reading as a fundamental foundation for higher-level language production. From a pedagogical perspective, the findings indicate that systematically designed reading activities and assessments focusing on reading comprehension and interpretation in the classroom can significantly enhance the quality of students’ translation writing. The findings indicate that designing reading activities and assessments that systematically emphasize reading for main ideas and interpretation in the classroom can significantly enhance the quality of students’ translation writing, support learner development, and contribute to the improvement of Japanese language teaching at the higher education level.
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