A Comparative Study of Translation Errors Made by Odia ESL Learners

The study investigates the types of errors made by the Odia ESL learners while performing the task of both direct translation i.e., from Odia (L1) to English (L2) and inverse translation, i.e. from English (L2) to Odia (L1). It will also make an attempt to find out whether the medium of instruction has to play a significant role in committing these errors or not. The data were gathered from 30 Odia ESL learners studying in Class X and who were divided into two groups of the equal number on the basis of the medium of instruction they had in their school. The participants were assigned the task of translating two passages (one from L1 to L2 & the other from L2 to L1). The study was conducted at two different educational institutions in Odisha. Participants had to write down the translation directly on th e paper. The written data were analyzed thereafter by the researcher herself. The result of the analysis revealed that the medium of instruction has no role to play in committing the types of translation errors by the Odia ESL learners.