A Quantitative Study of the Relationship between Vocabulary and Grammar Mastery and English-to-Indonesian Translation Ability
Abstract
This quantitative study investigates the extent to which vocabulary and grammar mastery contribute to students' ability to translate English texts into Indonesian. Using a predictive correlational design, the research involved 30 English Education students who had completed a translation course. Data were collected through three instruments: a vocabulary test, a grammar test (each comprising 20 multiple-choice items), and a translation task. Translation outputs were evaluated using an analytic scoring rubric focusing on semantic accuracy. The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. Results indicated that vocabulary mastery had a significant positive impact on translation performance (β = 0.705, p < .001), whereas grammar mastery showed a weaker and non-significant effect (β = 0.226, p = .070). The regression model accounted for 68.6% of the variance in translation outcomes (R² = 0.686), suggesting that both vocabulary and grammar are important, with vocabulary emerging as the stronger predictor. These findings highlight the crucial role of vocabulary knowledge in achieving accurate translations. While grammar remains relevant, its contribution was not statistically significant in this study. The results provide useful insights for language instruction, underscoring the need to prioritize vocabulary development in translation training to enhance students’ competence in transferring meaning accurately between languages.
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