Difficulties and Challenges of EFL Simultaneous Interpretation Among Saudi Undergraduates.

Many Saudi interpretation students have challenges and difficulties during the study of simultaneous interpreting courses. Most Saudi students encounter interpretation difficulties due to inadequate training and the adoption of traditional teaching methods. This study aimed to investigate the challenges and difficulties that undergraduate simultaneous interpretation students in Saudi Arabia encountered and suggested the best solutions to address this issue. The study followed a mixed-method research design of quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods to answer the research questions. The study sample was randomly selected from two Saudi universities (Najran University and King Abdul-Aziz University). Two research tools were used: a close-ended questionnaire for interpretation students and a semi-structured interview for translation professors. Responses to the questionnaire indicated that interpretation students face diverse challenges in language, curriculum, methodology, and training. Language difficulties encompassed struggles with interpreting terminology, handling long sentences, and keeping up with fast speech. Challenges related to curricula included issues of density, lack of clarity, and outdated simultaneous interpretation textbooks. Teaching method challenges were characterized by insufficient intensive training and a lack of technology-based interactive strategies. Interviews with professors highlighted additional challenges perceived by students, such as low proficiency and lack of motivation, expertise, background knowledge, equipment and labs. Professors recommended the following solutions: incorporating more practical and interactive interpretation activities, updating curricular content, offering skill-based training, and adopting modern interpretation techniques, equipment, and labs.

Problems of Translating Oil Contracts of Multinational Companies from English into Arabic.

This study investigated challenges that Saudi undergraduate learners face in translating oil contracts from English into Arabic. The study used a quantitative approach of data collection. The sample of this study consisted of 18 Saudi undergraduate learners of transaction departments at some Saudi universities. To achieve the objectives of this study, a test was designed and administered. Additionally, the relevant theoretical framework of legal translation and features of oil contracts were analysed to pinpoint the problematic areas and the gaps. The results of the study indicated that undergraduate learners provided unacceptable translation based on lexical and textual features. On the other hand, they provided poor translation based on syntactic features. The study suggests some practical solutions to overcome the difficulties of legal texts for translators.

The impact of automated writing evaluation (AWE) on EFL learners' peer and self-editing.

Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) is one of the machine techniques used for assessing learners' writing. Recently, this technique has been widely implemented for improving learners' editing strategies. Several studies have been conducted to compare self-editing with peer editing. However, only a few studies have compared automated peer and self-editing. To fill this research gap, the present study implements AWE software, WRITER, for peer and self-editing. For this purpose, a pre-post quasi-experimental research design with convenience sampling is done for automated and non-automated editing of cause-effect essay writing. Arab, EFL learners of English, 44 in number, have been assigned to four groups: two peer and self-editing control groups and two automated peer and self-editing experimental groups. There is a triangulation of the quasi-experimental design with qualitative data from retrospective notes and questionnaire responses of the participants during and after automated editing. The quantitative data have been analyzed using non-parametric tests. The qualitative data have undergone thematic and content analysis. The results reveal that the AWE software has positively affected both the peer and self-editing experimental groups. However, no significant difference is detected between them. The analysis of the qualitative data reflects participants' positive evaluation of both the software and the automated peer and self-editing experience.