The Concept and Instruction of Metacognition in Translation Competence Development

IntroductionBeing a complex, multifaceted concept that involves a number of factors, translation competence (TC) has become one of the most widely discussed issues in translator education. However, scholars have not reached an agreement on a lucid definition and constitution of TC. Reviewing the development of TC and metacognition, this study aims to explore the following questions: (1) What comprises TC? What is the role of metacognition in TC? (2) How is metacognition-strategic competence developed to enhance TC and cultivate metacognitive-conscious, autonomous, self-directed, competent translators? The Concept and Constitution of Translation CompetenceTC models have been discussed by scholars from different perspectives for the past four decades. Harris (1973) considers translating as an innate skill of bilinguals that does not differentiate TC from bilingualism. The following researchers develop translation competence with various foci. Delise (1980), Campbell (1991), Presas (1997), Yang (2002), and Wang (2013) interpret TC from the linguistic-oriented perspective, holding that the language competence is the central competence. Wilss (1976), Robert (1984), Hurtado (1996), Neubert (2000), and Jiang and Quan (2002) offer TC models from a transferoriented perspective, considering the transfer of two languages the core competence without pointing out the contextual, dynamic feature of translation. Nord (1991), Bell (1991), Hatim and Mason (1997), Schaffner (2000), Beeby (2000), PACTE (2000), and Davies (2004) present models from the perspective of transfer concerning the dynamic context, believing that transfer ability, which involves contextual, functional and communicative factors, is the core. Gile (1992), Kiraly (1995), Nord (1996), Campbell (1998), Pym (2003), Kelly (2005), and Ma (2013) put forward TC models from a communicative perspective, considering the ability to produce effective target texts as achieving the functional and communicative purpose as the core. Honig (1988), Cao (1996), Vienne (1998), Fox (2000), PACTE (2003), Gopferich (2009), and Wen and Li (2010) propose TC models with strategic competence as the core sub-competence in the communicative, functional context, believing that translation is to realize the communicative and functional purposes with a number of sub-competences, among which strategic competence is the decisive factor that dominates and optimizes the other sub-competences. With the development of the past four decades, most scholars "agree that translation competence consists of several different sub-competences which integrate declarative and procedural knowledge" (Alves, 2005, p.1). From a comprehensive survey of the TC models in the 1970s, we have seen the understanding of TC developing from linguistic-oriented, transfer-oriented models to strategy-oriented ones, from fundamental, partial models with basic sub-competences to comprehensive, profound, and systematic models with well-defined core sub-competences and peripheral factors, from static models in linguistic perspective to dynamic models in functional and communicative perspective, which is great progress. Since the world we are facing today is developing unceasingly with varying requirements, updating information, advancing technologies, and multiplying subjects and disciplines, translation, as a result, experiences consequent changes; the purpose of translation, functions of text, target readers, the time, places, and media of target texts in translation are becoming diversified, and the contextual, communicative, functional, and dynamic features of translation are more and more conspicuous and highlighted. Thus, translators are expected to be observant of the development of society, see the whole picture, and try to adjust to the changes of requirements.Considering the current context of translation, the author regards the TC model proposed by PACTE the most comprehensive and elaborate model with profound understanding of the central competences specific to translation; it defines TC as the underlying knowledge system needed to translate with five sub-competencies: bilingual sub-competence, extra-linguistic sub-competence, translation knowledge sub-competence, instrumental sub-competence, strategic sub-competence, and psycho-physiological components, among which the strategic sub-competence is the most important, as it is responsible for solving problems and comprises the efficiency of the process (PACTE, 2003). …