A Study on the Correlation between Reading Comprehension and Translation Skills of ELT Students

In this study, an experimental research was conducted to find out the correlation between the learners’ translation skills and reading comprehension. The reading skills and translation skills were compared in the translation course in which form and meaning focused translation instruction treatment was given. The correlations between these two skills were investigated. The translation test was prepared by three experts in the field of English Language Teaching in evaluating the students’ translation levels. The Reading Test was taken from the KPDS (State Staff Foreign Language Proficiency Exam) is a language examination administered in Turkey in order to evaluate the foreign-language skills, especially of governmental officials) which was prepared by the ÖSYM (Öğrenci Seçme ve Yerleştirme merkezi - Student Selection and Placement Centre). The treatment was done in the 2009-2010 fall semester and the reading and translation levels were scored before and after the treatment. Also, the translation skills were measured according to their reading levels which were graded as good, average and poor. The meaning focused translation instruction showed that it had improved the reading and the translation scores of the students better than form focused translation instruction