A study on the link between the four aspects of L2 word knowledge of meaning and translation proficiency

This study used structural equation modeling analyses to ascertain the contribution of four aspects of L2 word knowledge of meaning to second language translation proficiency among 358 Chinese University students with advanced English as foreign language learners. Vocabulary knowledge was measured in four form-meaning item formats: active recall, passive recall, active recognition, and passive recognition. The translation ability test includes sentence and paragraph translation from English to Chinese and Chinese to English. The study revealed a significant correlation between the four aspects of vocabulary knowledge of meaning and L2 translation proficiency based on Pearson correlation coefficients. Furthermore, the study found that active recall is crucial in L2 translation proficiency, passive recall ranks second, then followed by active recognition and passive recognition, as per the linear multiple regression analyses of AMOS-SEM. This highlights the importance of four aspects of L2 vocabulary knowledge of meaning, especially active recall, in improving L2 translation proficiency. It suggests that learners should focus on this aspect of vocabulary knowledge to enhance their performance. The findings of this study could be valuable for educators and learners in the vocabulary learning and translation field.