The psycholinguistics of translation: Lexical and syntactic processes in Turkish-English context
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29038/Keywords:
Translation, psycholinguistics, syntactic restructuring, metacognitive strategiesAbstract
This study examines the cognitive processes underlying Turkish-English translation among 41 upper-intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners (B2 CEFR) enrolled in an English Language Teaching program. Using a within-subjects design, participants completed lexical (cognates, false friends, low-frequency items) and syntactic (SOV→SVO restructuring) translation tasks while employing think-aloud protocols. Quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed: (1) cognate facilitation (92% accuracy) driven by orthographic-semantic overlap, countered by false friend interference (64% accuracy) requiring inhibitory control; (2) syntactic complexity in restructuring (e.g., relative clauses: 52% accuracy), with prolonged processing times (+40%) reflecting cognitive load; and (3) metacognitive strategies (conceptual monitoring, L1 suppression) as key predictors of success. Findings highlight the interplay of declarative and procedural knowledge in translation, emphasizing pedagogical implications for metacognitive training and corpus-based error analysis in Turkish-English contexts.
Disclosure Statement
The authors reported no potential conflicts of interest.
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Appendix A
Lexical Task (15 Turkish Sentences)
Objective: Test lexical access by targeting cognates, false friends, and semantically dense vocabulary.
1. Orijinal fikrini paylaştı. (Cognate: "orijinal" → "original")
2. Aktüel haberleri izliyorum. (False friend: "aktüel" ≠ "actual" [→ "current"])
3. Kontrolü kaybetti. (Cognate: "kontrol" → "control")
4. Randevumu iptal ettim. (Semantically dense: "iptal" → "cancel")
5. Doktor reçete yazdı. (Low-frequency: "reçete" → "prescription")
6. Fabrika üretimi durdurdu. (Cognate: "fabrika" → "factory")
7. Ambivalans hissettim. (False friend: "ambivalans" ≠ "ambulance" [→ "ambivalence"])
8. Tramvay durağı nerede? (Culture-specific: "tramvay" → "tram")
9. Global sorunlar hakkında konuştuk. (Cognate: "global" → "global")
10. Realist bir yaklaşım sergiledi. (False friend: "realist" ≠ "realistic")
11. Parfüm kokusu çok keskin. (Non-cognate: "keskin" → "sharp")
12. Dijital platformları kullanıyor. (Cognate: "dijital" → "digital")
13. İzolasyon beni yordu. (False friend: "izolasyon" ≠ "isolation" [→ "loneliness"])
14. Analiz sonuçları açıklandı. (Cognate: "analiz" → "analysis")
15. Kritik bir hataydı. (False friend: "kritik" ≠ "critic" [→ "critical"])
Rationale:
• Sentences 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 14 test cognate facilitation (Kroll & Stewart, 1994).
• Sentences 2, 7, 10, 13, 15 elicit false friend interference (Aitchison, 2012).
• Sentences 4, 5, 8, 11 assess semantic depth (Levelt, 1989).
Appendix B
Syntactic Task (15 Turkish Sentences)
Objective: Test syntactic processing by requiring SOV→SVO restructuring and clause embedding.
1. Elmaları yıkadım. (SOV → SVO: "I washed the apples.")
2. Öğretmen ödevleri kontrol etti. (SOV → SVO + definite article: "The teacher checked the homework.")
3. Bana verdiğin kitap ilginçti. (Embedded clause → relative clause: "The book you gave me was interesting.")
4. Parkta koşan çocuk düştü. (Subject-modifying clause: "The child running in the park fell.")
5. Arabasını satan adam üzgündü. (Object-modifying clause: "The man who sold his car was sad.")
6. Yemek yaparken telefon çaldı. (Adverbial clause: "While cooking, the phone rang.")
7. Hediye aldığım arkadaşım geldi. (Possessive + embedded clause: "The friend I bought a gift for arrived.")
8. Şarkı söyleyen kızı dinledik. (Direct object clause: "We listened to the girl singing.")
9. Kapıyı açan kişiyi tanımıyorum. (Relative clause with object focus: "I don’t know the person who opened the door.")
10. Yağmur yağınca şemsiyemi aldım. (Adverbial causality: "When it rained, I took my umbrella.")
11. Bilgisayarını tamir eden teknisyen burada. (Subject-modifying clause with possession: "The technician who fixed your computer is here.")
12. Annemin pişirdiği yemeği yedim. (Double embedding: "I ate the meal my mother cooked.")
13. Sınavı geçen öğrenciler kutladı. (Subject-verb agreement: "The students who passed the exam celebrated.")
14. Söylediklerini duydun mu? (Object-fronted clause: "Did you hear what they said?")
15. Gitmeden önce ışıkları kapat. (Adverbial + imperative: "Turn off the lights before leaving.")
Rationale:
• Sentences 1–2 test basic word order restructuring.
• Sentences 3–9 target embedded clause processing (Bock & Levelt, 1994).
• Sentences 10–15 examine complex syntax integration (Juffs & Harrington, 1995
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