A Diagnostic Assessment of Translation Competence: Linguistic and Intercultural Gaps in Egyptian EFL Programs

A Diagnostic Assessment of Translation Competence: Linguistic and Intercultural Gaps in Egyptian EFL Programs | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article A Diagnostic Assessment of Translation Competence: Linguistic and Intercultural Gaps in Egyptian EFL Programs Mohamed Mekheimer This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7511304/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 17 Jan, 2026 Read the published version in Language Testing in Asia → Version 1 posted 12 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study conducted a diagnostic evaluation of the multifaceted challenges encountered by English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students enrolled in translation programs at an Egyptian university. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research integrated quantitative survey data and qualitative thematic analysis to identify pervasive deficiencies that impede the development and assessment of translation competence. Findings reveal that students struggle significantly with linguistic proficiency, particularly in mastering specialized terminology, idiomatic expressions, and collocations. Concurrently, there is a marked deficit in intercultural competence, with students reporting considerable difficulty in translating culturally loaded texts and socio-cultural issues. Critically, students perceive current pedagogical approaches and curriculum design as inadequate in preparing them for the professional market, citing an imbalance between theory and practice, insufficient practical exercises, and limited exposure to essential translation technologies. The study's correlation analyses further highlight the interconnectedness of these challenges, demonstrating that linguistic and cultural deficiencies are significantly associated with a diminished perception of the program's effectiveness in fostering assessable skills. These findings underscore the imperative for comprehensive reform in translation education and its assessment frameworks to equip Egyptian EFL students with the necessary skills and knowledge to become competent translators in a globalized context. EFL translation assessment of linguistic deficiencies intercultural competence pedagogical approaches curriculum design evaluation of translation education Egypt Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Introduction Providing translation training programs that produce graduates with demonstrable and assessable translation competence has become a professional necessity in our increasingly interconnected world. In Arab universities, including those in Egypt, there is a growing interest in establishing specialized translation education and training programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. This emerging awareness of the need for robust translation programs necessitates rigorous research into the specific challenges faced by students within these contexts. Prior research on the quality of translation education programs has often highlighted a pervasive dissatisfaction among students with the training they receive and its alignment with professional performance standards (Cseh & Short, 2006 ). Studies indicate that students frequently encounter notable challenges that impede their development of assessable professional proficiency. For instance, participants in various studies report that while they are often provided with strong theoretical foundations in translation, language skills, and linguistics, there is a pronounced lack of practical application in translation and interpretation, a finding supported by research examining difficulties in translation training (Ahmed, 2018 ; Abdel Latif, 2022 ). This imbalance between theory and practice is a recurring theme, suggesting that existing approaches may not fully equip students with the applied skills demanded by the profession. More broadly, the field of translation studies itself acknowledges the multifaceted nature of translation competence, emphasizing that it extends beyond mere linguistic accuracy to encompass a range of assessable skills (Asiri & Metwally, 2020 ). Egyptian EFL learners, like many others in similar contexts, often face difficulties in navigating these complexities. Research indicates that the socio-cultural context significantly influences L2 English writing, presenting challenges for Egyptian university students (Ahmed & Myhill, 2016 ). Furthermore, studies examining translation problems in Arabic-English contexts consistently point to lexical, grammatical, and, crucially, cultural deficiencies as significant hurdles for students (Dweik & Suleiman, 2013 ). The need for students to bridge these linguistic and cultural gaps is paramount for effective translation. Specifically within Egypt, a number of studies have begun to shed light on the issues affecting EFL students in translation programs. For example, research has identified problems encountered by Egyptian EFL students in translation, including literal translation and a lack of academic cohesion, which aligns with broader observations of EFL writing difficulties in the Egyptian context (Ahmed, 2018 ). Furthermore, studies on the broader Egyptian educational landscape highlight challenges in preparing students adequately for the demands of their fields, with research indicating deficiencies in students' engagement with linguistic and cultural aspects essential for translation (Abdel Latif, 2022 ). Indeed, the socio-cultural context significantly influences L2 English writing for these students, presenting them with particular challenges (Ahmed & Myhill, 2016 ). Moreover, the effectiveness of current translation teaching practices is questioned, with concerns about the lack of systematic and sufficient translation instruction within programs (Emara, 2024 ; Al-Sohbani & Muthanna, 2013 , although this latter one is not Egypt-specific but discusses the need for reforms in similar contexts which is relevant). This gap in preparation and the identified linguistic and cultural challenges contribute to the difficulties Egyptian EFL students face in translation programs. Additionally, challenges in acquiring language skills and the impact of socio-cultural considerations on EFL learning have been noted, underscoring the intricate relationship between language acquisition and cultural understanding in translation education (Abdel Latif, 2022 ; Hossain, 2024 ). These findings highlight a broader gap between the current state of preparation in Egyptian universities and the demands of the translation industry, highlighting the necessity of addressing these linguistic and cultural deficiencies. Therefore, this study aims to provide a diagnostic assessment of the specific linguistic and cultural deficiencies Research Questions : What are the primary linguistic deficiencies that most significantly impact the performance and evaluation of Egyptian EFL students in their translation preparation programs? To what extent can deficiencies in intercultural competence and a lack of cultural awareness be identified as a key variable hindering the successful translation performance of Egyptian EFL students? How do Egyptian EFL students perceive the effectiveness of current pedagogical and assessment methods in preparing them for translation careers? What are the most prominent challenges identified by Egyptian EFL students as impediments to developing competent translation skills, and how do these challenges interrelate across linguistic, cultural, and pedagogical domains from an assessment perspective? Literature Review The development of proficient translators necessitates a thorough understanding of the multifaceted challenges encountered by English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students within EFL education and translation programs. This literature review synthesizes existing research, drawing upon both seminal works and recent studies, with a particular focus on the linguistic, cultural, and pedagogical factors impacting pre-service translators, especially within the Egyptian context. Linguistic Deficiencies as Foundational Barriers A robust body of research consistently identifies linguistic proficiency as a critical prerequisite for effective translation, and conversely, linguistic deficiencies as significant impediments. Foundational challenges such as limited vocabulary, grammatical inaccuracies, and syntactic difficulties are prevalent among EFL learners in various Arab nations (Al-Hamdalla, 1998 ; El-Zeini, 1994 ; Md Yusuf et al., 2023 ). These linguistic hurdles are often exacerbated by the literal translation of phrases and a lack of awareness regarding the target language's specific grammatical structures, contributing to errors in written output (Ahmed, 2018 ). More recent scholarship continues to validate these long-standing issues, highlighting the persistent struggles EFL learners face with grammar and syntax when translating between Arabic and English (Al-Sohbani & Muthanna, 2013 ; Smaine & Senouci, 2025 ). Beyond general proficiency, students frequently struggle with the nuances of the English lexicon. Difficulties with prepositions, collocations (words that naturally co-occur), and idiomatic expressions are consistently reported as significant pedagogical hurdles (Damayanti & Sundari, 2022 ; Nadeem & Almowalad, 2022 ). This underscores the need for targeted instruction that moves beyond basic grammar to focus on context-dependent meaning and natural language use (Gass & Selinker, 2008 ). The emphasis on developing a comprehensive lexicon is crucial, as lexical errors are often considered more numerous and problematic than grammatical ones in second language acquisition (Agustín-Llach, 2022 ; Laufer, 1997 ). The ongoing evolution of translation technology adds another layer of complexity. Studies exploring the impact of digital tools like Google Translate and newer AI platforms like ChatGPT highlight how a lack of foundational linguistic preparation can lead to inaccurate interpretations, even when these tools are utilized (Abdelhalim et al., 2025 ; Oskoui & Mirzaeian, 2023). When learners lack a strong linguistic base, AI-powered translators can perpetuate literal translations and misinterpretations, thereby hindering rather than aiding their development (Al-Harbi, 2023 ; Emara, 2024 ; Jiang, 2022 ; Merabet et al., 2023 ). Indeed, contemporary research underlines the pervasive nature of literal translation among EFL learners, often stemming from an insufficient grasp of idiomatic expressions and specific cultural nuances, such as those found in dialects (Ethelb, 2019 ). This is tied to broader writing challenges, as the ability to produce cohesive and coherent English writing—a prerequisite for skilled translation—remains a significant hurdle for many undergraduate EFL students (Taye & Mengesha, 2024 ). Ultimately, these persistent linguistic gaps necessitate a re-evaluation of teaching methodologies to ensure Egyptian EFL students are adequately prepared for the demands of the global translation market (Almjlad, 2023 ; Hayati et al., 2025 ). The Indispensable Role of Intercultural Competence Beyond mere linguistic accuracy, the ability to navigate cultural nuances is paramount for successful translation. Research consistently asserts that translation is not solely a linguistic exercise but a deeply cultural act, demanding a nuanced understanding of the target culture's context, norms, and idiomatic expressions (Catford, 1965 ; Cook, 2003 ). Deficiencies in intercultural competence can precipitate significant translation problems, particularly when dealing with proverbs, idioms, and culturally embedded phraseology (Bahameed, 2007 ; Dweik & Suleiman, 2013 ). Studies highlight how a lack of familiarity with cultural backgrounds can hinder accurate interpretation and transfer of meaning (Almjlad, 2023 ), reinforcing the critical need to integrate cultural instruction into translation programs. For Egyptian EFL learners, the influence of the socio-cultural context on their English writing is demonstrably significant, presenting challenges that inevitably extend to their translation endeavors (Ahmed & Myhill, 2016 ). Difficulties that arise from translating culturally bound expressions are further exacerbated by the linguistic distance between cultures, making equivalence challenging to achieve without adequate cultural insight (Al-Sohbani & Muthanna, 2013 ). Consequently, the imperative for students to grasp the cultural dimensions of language is more pronounced than ever. While technology can assist, it often falls short in capturing subtle cultural meanings, requiring human translators to possess strong intercultural skills (Merabet et al., 2023 ). The act of translation itself, especially with culturally specific content, demands not just linguistic transcoding but a sensitive adaptation of cultural references to resonate with the target audience (Benzekri, 2025 ). Therefore, the development of intercultural competence is not an ancillary skill but a core requirement for Egyptian EFL students. Critiques of Pedagogical Approaches and Curriculum Design The effectiveness of translation education is intrinsically linked to the pedagogical strategies and curriculum design employed by academic institutions. A recurring critique is the disproportionate emphasis on theoretical instruction at the expense of practical application (Emara, 2024 ; Smaine & Senouci, 2025 ). This imbalance can leave students with strong foundational knowledge but insufficient hands-on experience, creating a gap between academic learning and professional readiness. Within the Egyptian context, studies have raised concerns about the adequacy and systematicity of current translation instruction (Emara, 2024 ), echoing calls from other Arab contexts for curriculum and methodology reforms (Al-Sohbani & Muthanna, 2013 ). Furthermore, practical constraints such as large class sizes and a lack of specialist instructors can impede effective teaching and learning in translation programs (Mekheimer, 2015 , 2016). The rapid integration of contemporary tools, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI), into the profession also presents a challenge for pedagogical frameworks that have not yet adapted (Emara, 2024 ; Jiang, 2022 ). Synthesis and Elaboration of the Research Gap While the existing literature explores these challenges, there remains a crucial need to synthesize these findings within the unique context of Egyptian universities. Prior research has identified general challenges for Arab EFL learners, such as writing deficiencies (Ahmed, 2018 ) and socio-cultural factors (Ahmed & Myhill, 2016 ). However, a comprehensive analysis that specifically examines the interrelationship between linguistic deficiencies, insufficient intercultural competence, and perceived pedagogical shortcomings for EFL translation students in Egypt is not yet fully established. Recent research further amplifies this gap. The uncritical adoption of machine translation without adequate preparation can perpetuate errors (Al-Harbi, 2023 ; Merabet et al., 2023 ), underscoring that new technologies necessitate a curriculum that proactively addresses foundational gaps. Concurrently, recent scholarly work emphasizes the critical role of teacher training in addressing the evolving landscape of translation education, including the effective integration of digital tools and distance learning strategies (Al-Jarf, 2022 ; Abdel Latif, 2022 ). The need for systematic approaches to translator education that align academic preparation with industry requirements is also a pressing concern (Almugharbil, 2021 ; Elmahdi & Mohammad, 2024 ), suggesting that current curricula may require significant updates. This study endeavors to fill this gap by providing a detailed, context-specific investigation into these interconnected challenges, thereby offering a more nuanced understanding of the pre-service preparation landscape for future translators in Egypt. Research Methodology Research Design This study employed a descriptive mixed-methods design, combining quantitative and qualitative data to provide a comprehensive diagnostic assessment of the challenges in pre-service translation programs for EFL students at an Egyptian university. The quantitative data from questionnaires identified the prevalence of perceived deficiencies, while the qualitative data from open-ended responses and classroom observations provided a deeper, contextualized understanding of these issues. Participants The study's participants comprised 100 EFL students randomly selected from translation-focused programs at an Egyptian university. All participants were pursuing specialized courses in linguistics, language skills, and Arabic/English languages, alongside their graded translation coursework. Instruments Two primary instruments were developed for data collection. EFL Translation Competence and Program Evaluation Questionnaire. This questionnaire served as the principal diagnostic tool. It consisted of two parts: (1) a series of items using a 5-point Likert scale to quantify students' self-assessment of their linguistic and intercultural competence and their evaluation of the program's pedagogical effectiveness, and (2) open-ended questions designed to capture rich qualitative feedback on their perceived challenges and suggestions for improvement. Classroom Observation Protocol. A structured observation protocol was used to systematically evaluate pedagogical practices. The protocol focused on key areas such as instructional strategies, the nature of student-teacher interaction, the authenticity of translation tasks, the integration of technology, and the overall learning environment. Both instruments underwent a rigorous validation process to ensure their psychometric soundness. Content validity was established through review by academic experts in Translation Studies and Applied Linguistics. For the questionnaire, construct validity was supported by an exploratory factor analysis, and internal consistency was confirmed via Cronbach's alpha (e.g., α = .85 for the Linguistic Deficiencies scale), indicating high reliability. A pilot test was also conducted to refine item clarity and administration procedures. Data Analysis Data analysis was conducted in two stages. First, the quantitative data from the questionnaire's Likert-scale items were analyzed using descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, frequencies) to identify and rank the most significant challenges. Inferential statistics, including cross-tabulations and Pearson correlation analyses, were used to explore the interrelationships between linguistic, intercultural, and pedagogical challenge domains. Second, the qualitative data from the open-ended questionnaire responses and classroom observation notes were systematically coded and analyzed using thematic analysis to provide a rich narrative that explains and contextualizes the quantitative findings. Ethical Considerations This study adhered to stringent ethical guidelines to safeguard the rights and well-being of all participants. Prior to data collection, formal ethical approval was secured from the author's institutional review board (details removed for blind review) . Furthermore, necessary permissions were obtained from the relevant educational directorate and the principals of the participating schools . Informed consent was a cornerstone of the research methodology. All participants were provided with comprehensive information regarding the study's objectives, procedures, and their right to voluntary participation and withdrawal at any stage without penalty. Participants were assured of the confidentiality and anonymity of their responses; all collected data were de-identified and stored securely, with no personally identifiable information linked to the survey responses or classroom observations. The data were used exclusively for academic research purposes. Findings Quantitative Analysis This section presents the quantitative findings of the study, organized according to the research questions, and supported by statistical data from the questionnaire. 1. Linguistic Deficiencies Encountered by Egyptian EFL Students in Translation Preparation Programs The study identified significant linguistic deficiencies experienced by Egyptian EFL students. As presented in Table 1 , the most pronounced challenges, based on mean Likert scale scores, relate to translating specialized jargon and terminology, followed by difficulties with idiomatic expressions and collocations. Table 1 Perceived Linguistic Deficiencies in EFL Translation Preparation (N = 100) Statement M SD % Agree/Strongly Agree Rank 11. I find it challenging to translate technical texts due to unfamiliar terminology. 3.80 0.586 91% 1 9. I struggle with understanding and correctly translating idiomatic expressions in English. 3.86 0.586 75% 2 12. I often face difficulties with collocations (words that naturally go together in English). 3.75 0.435 100% 3 7. I find it challenging to maintain grammatical accuracy in my translations. 3.23 0.709 55% 4 10. I struggle with understanding the syntactic structures of English for accurate Arabic translation. 3.17 0.683 49% 5 13. My translations sometimes lack academic cohesion and coherence. 3.23 0.709 55% 6 8. My vocabulary range in English is insufficient for accurate translation of specialized texts. 3.54 0.501 100% 7 Note: M = Mean, SD = Standard Deviation. % Agree/Strongly Agree calculated from respondents who chose 4 or 5 on a 5-point Likert scale. Table 1 illuminates the primary linguistic hurdles encountered by Egyptian EFL translation students. The data reveal a consistent pattern of difficulty across several key areas, with the highest mean scores indicating significant challenges. Translating technical texts due to unfamiliar terminology (M = 3.80, 91% Agree/Strongly Agree) emerged as the most pronounced deficiency. This suggests that students frequently encounter specialized vocabulary in source texts that they do not possess, directly impeding their ability to accurately translate complex subject matter. Following closely are struggles with idiomatic expressions (M = 3.86, 75% Agree/Strongly Agree) and collocations (M = 3.75, 100% Agree/Strongly Agree). The near-unanimous agreement on collocation difficulties underscores a fundamental gap in mastering the natural co-occurrence of words in English, a critical component for producing fluent and idiomatic translations. Similarly, the difficulty with idiomatic expressions highlights a lack of nuanced understanding of figurative language, which often carries cultural weight and can be misrendered if not properly interpreted. While grammatical accuracy (M = 3.23, 55% Agree/Strongly Agree) and syntactic structures (M = 3.17, 49% Agree/Strongly Agree) are also identified as challenges, their mean scores are notably lower than those related to specialized vocabulary and idiomatic language. This might imply that while students possess a basic grasp of grammar and syntax, the complexities of advanced linguistic usage, particularly in specialized and idiomatic contexts, pose more significant obstacles. The findings also indicate challenges in academic cohesion and coherence (M = 3.23, 55% Agree/Strongly Agree), suggesting difficulties in constructing well-organized and logically flowing translations, a skill vital for professional output. Furthermore, a considerable number of students reported an insufficient vocabulary range for specialized texts (M = 3.54, 100% Agree/Strongly Agree), which aligns with the primary concern regarding technical terminology and points to a broader issue of limited lexica for academic and professional purposes. In summary, Table 1 collectively paints a picture of EFL translation students in Egypt grappling with the sophisticated demands of specialized vocabulary, idiomatic language, and collocations. These linguistic deficiencies, coupled with a need for enhanced academic cohesion and a broader specialized vocabulary, form the bedrock of the challenges they face in their translation preparation. 2. Extent of Insufficient Intercultural Competence and Cultural Awareness Hinderance The study revealed that insufficient intercultural competence and a lack of cultural awareness significantly hinder Egyptian EFL students' translation skills. As indicated in Table 2 , the highest mean scores were observed for challenges related to translating culturally loaded texts and understanding cultural differences in general. Table 2 Perceived Hindrance from Insufficient Intercultural Competence and Cultural Awareness (N = 100) Statement M SD % Agree/Strongly Agree Rank 16. I find it challenging to translate culturally loaded texts that require a deep understanding of Western or other cultures. 3.84 0.564 100% 1 15. I am aware of cultural differences that might make direct translation of certain expressions inappropriate. 3.59 0.494 100% 2 18. I find it difficult to interpret or translate terms and expressions related to socio-cultural issues from English into Arabic. 3.50 0.503 100% 3 14. I understand the cultural context of English proverbs and idioms well enough to translate them accurately. 2.96 0.738 25% 4 17. I have sufficient knowledge of Egyptian culture to effectively translate Arabic cultural references into English. 3.75 0.716 59% 5 Note: M = Mean, SD = Standard Deviation. % Agree/Strongly Agree calculated from respondents who chose 4 or 5 on a 5-point Likert scale. Table 2 reveals the significant impact of intercultural competence and cultural awareness on the translation skills of Egyptian EFL students, highlighting specific areas where these deficiencies are most acutely felt. The data unequivocally indicate that translating culturally loaded texts requiring a deep understanding of Western or other cultures (M = 3.84, 100% Agree/Strongly Agree) poses the most substantial challenge. This near-universal sentiment underscores a critical need for students to develop a more profound engagement with diverse cultural contexts beyond their own. Closely following this, students report a strong challenge in recognizing when cultural differences necessitate a deviation from direct translation of certain expressions (M = 3.59, 100% Agree/Strongly Agree). This indicates a potential lack of awareness or analytical skill in identifying culturally sensitive elements within a source text. The difficulty in interpreting or translating terms and expressions related to socio-cultural issues (M = 3.50, 100% Agree/Strongly Agree) further reinforces this point, suggesting that students struggle to navigate the nuances of culturally embedded language and concepts. Interestingly, while students express difficulty with culturally loaded texts and socio-cultural issues, their understanding of the cultural context of English proverbs and idioms (M = 2.96, 25% Agree/Strongly Agree) appears to be comparatively less of a hindrance, with a significantly lower percentage agreeing or strongly agreeing with this statement. This could imply that while they struggle with broader cultural contexts, they may possess some familiarity with common English figurative language, or perhaps this specific area has been more adequately addressed in their curriculum. However, a notable finding is the perceived sufficiency of knowledge regarding Egyptian culture for translating Arabic cultural references into English (M = 3.75, 59% Agree/Strongly Agree) . While this score is relatively high, indicating a more positive self-assessment in this specific cross-cultural translation direction, the fact that 41% of students did not agree or strongly agree suggests that even in translating from their native culture, there are still areas for improvement. In essence, Table 2 demonstrates that the ability to navigate and appropriately translate content imbued with cultural meaning, particularly from non-Egyptian cultures, represents a major area of deficiency for EFL translation students in Egypt. The overwhelming consensus on the difficulty of translating culturally loaded texts highlights the necessity for more robust and targeted instruction in intercultural competence and cross-cultural communication within their translation programs. 3. Perceived Adequacy of Pedagogical Approaches and Curriculum Design Student perceptions regarding the adequacy and effectiveness of pedagogical approaches and curriculum design revealed a mixed outlook, with significant concerns noted regarding the balance between theory and practice and the sufficiency of practical exercises (Table 3 ). Table 3 Perceived Adequacy of Pedagogical Approaches and Curriculum Design (N = 100) Statement M SD % Agree/Strongly Agree Rank 20. The balance between theory and practice in my translation courses is appropriate. 2.91 0.637 16% 1 19. My translation courses provide sufficient opportunities for practical translation exercises. 3.36 0.644 45% 2 25. The use of technology (e.g., CAT tools, online resources) in my translation courses is effective in developing my skills. 2.95 0.744 25% 3 22. The curriculum adequately covers the linguistic and cultural aspects necessary for effective translation. 3.04 0.681 25% 4 23. I feel my university program adequately prepares me for the demands of the professional translation market. 2.58 0.496 0% 5 27. Class sizes in my translation courses are generally appropriate for effective learning and interaction. 3.40 0.492 100% 6 26. My university program encourages the development of critical thinking skills essential for translation problem-solving. 3.86 0.667 70% 7 21. My instructors effectively explain the pedagogical approaches used in translation classes. 3.55 0.500 55% 8 24. My instructors are well-equipped to teach translation, possessing specialist knowledge in the field. 3.95 0.609 16% 9 Note: M = Mean, SD = Standard Deviation. % Agree/Strongly Agree calculated from respondents who chose 4 or 5 on a 5-point Likert scale. Items are ranked by mean score from lowest (most problematic) to highest (least problematic). Table 3 reveals a critical perception among Egyptian EFL translation students regarding the effectiveness of their current pedagogical approaches and curriculum design. The findings underscore a significant deficit in the practical application of translation skills and preparation for the professional market, despite strengths in other areas. The most significant area of concern, indicated by the lowest mean score and a stark 0% Agree/Strongly Agree for professional preparation, is the perception that the university program adequately prepares them for the demands of the professional translation market (M = 2.58). This is the most problematic item, suggesting a profound gap between academic training and industry expectations. This sentiment is mirrored by the low mean scores and percentage of agreement for the balance between theory and practice (M = 2.91, 16% Agree/Strongly Agree) and the effectiveness of technology use (e.g., CAT tools) (M = 2.95, 25% Agree/Strongly Agree). Students clearly feel that the current programs offer insufficient practical experience and fail to adequately integrate essential technological tools. Furthermore, concerns are raised about the sufficiency of practical translation exercises (M = 3.36, 45% Agree/Strongly Agree) and whether the curriculum adequately covers necessary linguistic and cultural aspects (M = 3.04, 25% Agree/Strongly Agree). While some students perceive the class sizes as appropriate (M = 3.40, 100% Agree/Strongly Agree), the low agreement on curriculum coverage and practical exercises suggests that even with appropriate class sizes, the content and methods may not be effectively addressing the core needs. Conversely, students perceive higher adequacy in areas related to instructor expertise and teaching clarity. Instructors are perceived as well-equipped (M = 3.95, 16% Agree/Strongly Agree), and they generally feel that pedagogical approaches are effectively explained (M = 3.55, 55% Agree/Strongly Agree). Additionally, there is a strong positive perception regarding the development of critical thinking skills (M = 3.86, 70% Agree/Strongly Agree). However, the high mean scores for instructor knowledge and critical thinking skills are juxtaposed against the low scores for practical application and professional readiness. This suggests that while students appreciate the theoretical guidance and the development of cognitive skills, the crucial translation-specific practical skills and industry-relevant tools are largely perceived as underdeveloped within the current academic framework. In essence, Table 3 indicates that while students acknowledge the expertise of their instructors and the importance of critical thinking, they feel their programs fall short in providing the hands-on experience and technological proficiency necessary to transition successfully into the professional translation field. 4. Interrelationship of Challenges An analysis of the interrelationship between challenges reveals a strong tendency for students who perceive significant linguistic difficulties to also report greater intercultural competence gaps and dissatisfaction with pedagogical approaches and curriculum design. Cross-Tabulation Example: Linguistic Challenges and Pedagogical Adequacy To illustrate the link between linguistic difficulties and perceptions of pedagogical adequacy, a cross-tabulation was performed examining students' reported struggles with idiomatic expressions (Q9) and their views on the availability of practical translation exercises (Q19) as shown in Table 4 . Table 4 Cross-Tabulation: Idiomatic Expression Difficulty (Q9) vs. Sufficiency of Practical Exercises (Q19) Q19: Sufficient Practical Exercises (Adequacy) Q9: Idiomatic Expressions (Difficulty) D N A Total D 0 9 0 9 N 9 26 11 46 A 16 29 0 45 Total 25 64 11 100 Note: D = Disagree, N = Neutral, A = Agree (representing the Likert scale responses for Q9 and Q19). The table displays the frequency count of students falling into each combination of responses. Table 4 , visually complemented by the bar chart in Fig. 1 , presents a nuanced insight into the relationship between students' self-reported difficulties with idiomatic expressions and their perception of the sufficiency of practical translation exercises within their programs. The cross-tabulation and its graphical representation reveal a discernible pattern, particularly among students who reported experiencing significant difficulty with idiomatic expressions. The bar chart clearly illustrates the distribution of responses for Q9 (Idiomatic Expressions) across the different perceived levels of adequacy for Q19 (Practical Exercises). On the x-axis, "D," "N," and "A" represent Disagree, Neutral, and Agree, respectively, for the statement "My translation courses provide sufficient opportunities for practical translation exercises" (Q19). The y-axis displays the count of students. Different colored bars within each category (D, N, A) represent the responses to Q9, ranging from Disagree (indicating high difficulty with idioms) to Agree (indicating low difficulty with idioms). The data from Table 4 , visually supported by the bar chart, indicate a strong trend: students who perceived a lack of sufficient practical translation exercises (represented by "D" and "N" on the x-axis, particularly "D" for inadequacy) are disproportionately likely to also report difficulty with idiomatic expressions (represented by the "Disagree" and "Neutral" categories in Q9, visualized by specific bar colors). Specifically, the tall green bar for "A" (Agreeing that practical exercises are sufficient) corresponds to Q19, while the bars above it represent Q9 responses. We observe that when Q19 is rated as "D" (Disagree/inadequate exercises), the Q9 response for "Disagree" (high difficulty with idioms) is 9. When Q19 is rated "N" (Neutral on exercises), the Q9 response for "Disagree" (high difficulty) is 16. Conversely, when Q19 is rated "A" (Agree/adequate exercises), the Q9 response for "Disagree" (high difficulty) is 0. This strongly suggests that the perceived inadequacy of practical exercises is a common sentiment among students who struggle with the nuanced linguistic challenges of idioms. This reinforces the argument that a lack of hands-on application may hinder students' ability to master complex linguistic features like idioms, thereby exacerbating their overall translation preparation difficulties. In essence, the visual and tabular data collaboratively highlight that students who struggle with idiomatic expressions are more likely to find that their translation programs do not offer enough practical exercises to address these linguistic gaps. This synergistic deficiency points to a critical need for curriculum reform that integrates more practical, idiom-focused translation activities. Correlation Analysis: Interplay of Challenge Categories The Pearson correlation analysis, detailed in Table 5 , reveals statistically significant interrelationships among the three primary challenge domains, providing a deeper understanding of how these difficulties are interconnected in the student experience. Table 5 Correlation Matrix of Challenge Category Scores Category Linguistic Deficiency Score Intercultural Competence Score Pedagogical Adequacy Score Linguistic Deficiency 1.00 -0.457** -0.846** Intercultural Competence -0.457** 1.00 0.659** Pedagogical Adequacy -0.846** 0.659** 1.00 *Note: * p < 0.01. This matrix shows Pearson correlation coefficients. Negative correlations indicate an inverse relationship, and positive correlations indicate a direct relationship. The most striking finding is the strong, negative correlation between the Linguistic Deficiency Score and the Pedagogical Adequacy Score (r = -0.846, p < 0.01). This powerful inverse relationship indicates that as students' self-reported linguistic challenges increase, their satisfaction with the program's pedagogical and curricular support sharply decreases. This suggests that students directly attribute their struggles with language—such as mastering terminology and idioms—to a perceived failure of the curriculum to provide adequate practical instruction and support. Similarly, a strong positive correlation was found between the Intercultural Competence Score and the Pedagogical Adequacy Score (r = 0.659, p < 0.01). This relationship demonstrates that students who report greater difficulty with cultural translation also view their program's pedagogical approach as less effective. Both of these findings place the perception of pedagogical inadequacy at the core of the students' academic challenges. Perhaps the most nuanced finding is the moderate negative correlation between Linguistic Deficiency and Intercultural Competence (r = -0.457, p < 0.01). This counter-intuitive result suggests that students who struggle most with foundational linguistic skills tend to report fewer problems with cultural nuances. This does not imply that linguistically weaker students are more culturally competent. Rather, it likely indicates that their linguistic challenges are so fundamental and overwhelming that they have not yet reached a level of proficiency where they can fully engage with and recognize the more subtle, higher-order difficulties of intercultural translation. Their focus remains on linguistic accuracy, preventing them from seeing the deeper cultural issues. Taken together, these correlations paint a cohesive picture where students' perceptions of pedagogical inadequacy are a central thread connecting their linguistic and intercultural struggles. The findings strongly suggest that students do not experience these deficiencies in isolation but see them as interconnected outcomes of a curriculum they feel is ill-equipped to help them build professional competence. Synthesis of Correlation Findings: These correlations collectively suggest a complex interplay of factors. The strong negative correlations involving Pedagogical Adequacy point to a perceived disconnect between the students' challenges and the support provided by their programs. Students experiencing difficulties in either linguistic or intercultural domains appear to find the current pedagogical framework insufficient. The positive correlation between Intercultural Competence and Pedagogical Adequacy, coupled with the negative correlation between Linguistic Deficiency and Pedagogical Adequacy, suggests that the curriculum might be more attuned to addressing cultural aspects than foundational linguistic ones, or that perceived linguistic weaknesses hinder students' engagement with and perception of pedagogical effectiveness. Qualitative Data Analysis This section presents the qualitative findings derived from the analysis of open-ended questionnaire responses and classroom observations, organized thematically. The analysis uses a NVivo-style coding structure to identify key themes, associated codes, illustrative quotes, and the weighted percentage of their occurrence. Thematic Analysis of Open-Ended Questionnaire Responses The open-ended responses were analyzed to identify recurring themes related to students' biggest challenges, perceived language and culture gaps, and suggestions for improvement. The results of this analysis are summarized in Table 6 . The "Weighted Percentage" for codes is an approximation based on the frequency and emphasis of specific terms from the provided word frequency data and the open-ended responses. Table 6 Thematic Analysis of Open-Ended Questionnaire Responses Theme Code Example Quote WDT % (Approx.) Linguistic Proficiency Idiomatic_Accuracy "Maintaining idiomatic accuracy due to limited exposure to native English contexts." (P1) 1.07% Syntactic_Structures "Understanding complex sentence structures in English." (P2) 1.19% Collocations "Dealing with collocations in English." (P5) 0.26% Grammatical_Accuracy "Grasping English grammar for translation." (P10) 0.70% Ambiguity_Resolution "Dealing with ambiguous English phrases." (P22) 0.14% Coherence_Long_Texts "Maintaining coherence in long texts." (P12) 0.35% Arabic_Fluency "Maintaining natural flow in Arabic translations." (P28) 1.00% Phrasal_Verbs "Understanding English phrasal verbs." (P34) 0.25% Colloquialisms "Understanding English colloquialisms." (P58) 0.45% Wordplay "Handling English wordplay." (P64) 0.45% Specialized Knowledge Technical_Terminology "Translating technical texts due to unfamiliar terminology." (P3) 1.14% Scientific_Terminology "Translating scientific texts accurately." (P13) 0.15% Legal_Jargon "Translating legal texts due to complex jargon." (P9) 1.05% Business_Jargon "Translating business jargon." (P16) 0.18% Medical_Terminology "Translating medical texts." (P21) 0.35% Contract_Terminology "Translating legal contracts." (P27) 1.09% Journalistic_Language "Translating news articles." (P33) 0.62% Diplomatic_Language "Translating diplomatic texts." (P41) 0.38% Financial_Terminology "Translating financial texts." (P49) 0.25% Patent_Terminology "Translating technical patents." (P61) 0.22% Cultural Competence Cultural_Nuances "Cultural nuances in translation are hard to grasp." (P4) 4.23% Culturally_Loaded_Texts "Translating culturally loaded texts." (P6) 0.31% Humor_Translation "Translating humor due to cultural differences." (P11) 0.86% Proverbs "Understanding English proverbs." (P14) 0.32% Egyptian_Cultural_Norms "Adapting translations to Egyptian cultural norms." (P15) 0.33% Western_Culture "Understanding Western cultural references." (P19) 0.25% Sensitive_Topics "Translating culturally sensitive topics." (P23) 0.38% Cultural_Taboos "Understanding cultural taboos in translation." (P42) 0.56% Cultural_Metaphors "Handling culturally specific metaphors." (P48) 0.80% Cultural_Authenticity "Maintaining cultural authenticity in translations." (P50) 0.41% Cultural_Irony "Understanding cultural irony." (P92) 0.10% Cultural_Humor "Understanding cultural humor in English." (P62) 0.61% Cultural_Norms "Understanding English cultural norms." (P76) 0.33% Cultural_Idioms "Translating cultural idioms." (P73) 0.33% Text Management Coherence_Long_Texts "Maintaining coherence in long texts." (P12) 0.35% Tone_Maintenance "Maintaining tone in translations." (P20) 0.86% Consistency "Maintaining consistency in long translations." (P36) 0.35% Practical Skills Speed_Accuracy_Balance "Balancing speed and accuracy in translations." (P7) 0.27% Time_Management "Handling fast-paced translation tasks." (P17) 0.05% Pressure_Management "Maintaining accuracy in high-pressure settings." (P44) 0.05% Group_Translation_Skills "Handling fast-paced group translations." (P40) 0.28% Technology Integration CAT_Tool_Use "Using CAT tools effectively." (P24) 0.22% Note: WDT % are approximations based on word frequency analysis and thematic relevance, indicating the relative prominence of concepts. This table focuses on recurring codes directly from participant feedback. The thematic analysis highlights that the most prevalent challenges for Egyptian EFL translation students fall into three interconnected categories: Linguistic Proficiency : A dominant concern is the struggle with nuanced language, particularly idiomatic expressions (1.07%), syntactic structures (1.19%), and technical/specialized terminology across various fields (e.g., technical 1.14%, legal 1.05%, contract 1.09%). This suggests a fundamental gap in vocabulary breadth and mastery of language structures required for accurate translation. Cultural Competence : Students frequently cite difficulties with cultural nuances (4.23%) as a major hurdle. This encompasses understanding and translating culturally loaded texts , humor , proverbs , and adapting to Egyptian cultural norms . The undertaught nature of these aspects is a recurring point, indicating a need for more dedicated cultural training. Pedagogical and Practical Skill Gaps : A significant theme is the perceived imbalance between theory and practice. Students' suggestions consistently emphasize the need for more exercises (78 counts in word frequency), practical tasks, specialized workshops, and real-world exposure to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and professional demands. Challenges in speed, accuracy, and time management (0.27%, 0.05%) also point to a need for more simulated, practical application. Furthermore, limited familiarity with CAT tools (0.22%) highlights a digital skills gap relevant to the modern translation industry. The word cloud in Fig. 2 visually encapsulates the core thematic findings of this study, offering a compelling representation of the challenges encountered by Egyptian EFL translation students. The prominence of the central term, "translation," highlights its overarching significance as the focal point of the students' academic and professional aspirations. Surrounding this central theme, several key concepts emerge with striking clarity, reflecting the identified deficiency categories. The sheer size and saturation of terms related to "cultural" and "cultural nuances" (4.23% in the thematic analysis) prominently illustrate the profound impact of cultural competence gaps on translation quality. This visual emphasis suggests that navigating cultural differences is perceived as a primary obstacle. Linguistic proficiency is similarly well-represented, with terms such as "language," "idioms," "terminology," "collocations," and "structures" appearing with considerable frequency. The clustering of these terms signifies the persistent struggles students face with the intricate nuances of the English language, highlighting a fundamental need for enhanced linguistic grounding. The third prominent thematic cluster revolves around "pedagogical" concerns and the necessity for "practical" skills. While not explicitly represented as single large words in the cloud, the underlying sentiment is conveyed through related terms such as "exercises," "tasks," "workshops," and the implication of gaps in "understanding" and "strategies." The visual arrangement subtly suggests that students are seeking more applied learning experiences and better-structured curricula to bridge the divide between theoretical knowledge and practical application Further terms like "technical," "legal," "financial," and "journalistic" point to the specific domains where these linguistic and cultural challenges are most acutely felt, indicating the need for specialized terminology acquisition. The inclusion of terms like "under-explored" and "lacking" subtly reinforces the perception of unmet needs within current pedagogical approaches. The presence of "content" and "writing" further emphasizes the link between language production and the translation process. In essence, this word cloud serves as a powerful visual summary, illustrating that effective translation preparation for Egyptian EFL students is not merely a matter of linguistic accuracy but is deeply intertwined with the development of robust intercultural competence and the provision of more practice-oriented and contextually relevant pedagogical strategies. The visual prominence of these interconnected challenges underscores the imperative for comprehensive reforms in translation education within the Egyptian context. Classroom Observation Analysis The classroom observation of instructor's "Introduction to Translation Studies" course provided valuable qualitative data that contextualizes the students' self-reported challenges and reinforces the findings of the thematic analysis. The observation revealed a highly practical and engaging learning environment (conducive to learning, active participation, balanced interaction), with a strong focus on practical application and the use of authentic materials (Spanish advertisement). This aligns with student suggestions for more real-world tasks. Key Observations Relevant to Challenges: Linguistic Proficiency : The class directly addressed idiomatic expressions, such as "hitting the nail on the head," and terminology (marketing-specific), demonstrating how instructors can tackle these issues. However, the observation noted that some students struggled with the interface of MemoQ (CAT tool), indicating a need for more hands-on technology training, echoing student concerns about CAT tool use (Participant 24). Cultural Competence : The instructor actively discussed cultural nuances in the marketing advertisement and the concept of "cultural equivalence," directly addressing a major student-identified challenge. The use of authentic materials facilitated this discussion. Pedagogical Approaches : The observed balance between theory (translation strategies) and practice (hands-on tasks) was a strength. Instructor delivery was clear, engaging, and provided constructive feedback. However, a weakness noted was that some students seemed hesitant to participate in discussions, possibly due to language confidence issues, which aligns with the students' overall perceived need for more practice to build confidence. The time management was also noted as slightly rushed in the final discussion, a point relevant to the student challenges in speed and accuracy. The classroom observation thus serves to both validate the students' reported challenges (e.g., idioms, technology familiarity) and highlight effective pedagogical strategies that could be emulated to address these issues. The session's strengths in practical application and cultural discussion offer a model, while the noted hesitations in participation and tech struggles point to areas needing further attention in translation pedagogy. Integration of Quantitative and Qualitative Data: A Joint Display This study employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative survey data with qualitative thematic analysis and classroom observations to provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by Egyptian EFL translation students. To illustrate how qualitative insights corroborate and expand upon quantitative trends, Table 7 provides a joint display that synthesizes key findings from these different data sources, offering a richer, more nuanced interpretation of the students' experiences and the identified deficiencies. Table 7 Joint Display: Interplay of Linguistic Deficiencies and Pedagogical Perceptions Challenge Domain Quantitative Findings (Tables 1 & 4 ) Qualitative Findings (Thematic Analysis & Observations) Joint Interpretation Linguistic Proficiency High Difficulty : Students report significant challenges with unfamiliar terminology (M = 3.80), idiomatic expressions (M = 3.86), and collocations (M = 3.75). Over 75% of students struggle with these areas. Dominant Concerns : Qualitative data reveal students' struggles with "idiomatic accuracy" (1.07%), "collocations" (0.26%), "phrasal verbs" (0.25%), and "colloquialisms" (0.45%). The challenge of translating "technical terminology" (1.14%) is also a major theme. Students explicitly mentioned needing "more practice" and "exposure to native English contexts" to improve these aspects. The quantitative data identifying difficulties with specialized vocabulary and idiomatic language are strongly supported by qualitative reports. Students' own words emphasize a direct link between lack of exposure/practice and their struggles with nuanced linguistic elements crucial for accurate translation. This highlights a need for more targeted vocabulary acquisition and practice with idiomatic language in the curriculum. Pedagogical Support Perceived Inadequacy : Students express low agreement with the adequacy of practical exercises (M = 3.36, 45% Agree/Strongly Agree), the balance of theory/practice (M = 2.91, 16% Agree/Strongly Agree), and the effectiveness of technology (M = 2.95, 25% Agree/Strongly Agree). The cross-tabulation (Table 4 ) shows that students struggling with idioms are highly likely to perceive a lack of sufficient practical exercises (e.g., 16 out of 45 students who struggle with idioms found exercises inadequate when Q19 was Neutral). Call for More Practice : Qualitative data show a pervasive theme of the "perceived imbalance between theory and practice." Students consistently suggest the need for "more exercises" (78 counts in word frequency), "practical tasks," and "real-world exposure." Classroom observations noted student hesitancy, potentially due to language confidence issues, reinforcing the need for more practice to build confidence. The quantitative data on perceived pedagogical inadequacy are vividly illustrated by the qualitative feedback and observations. Students explicitly state a need for more hands-on application, which directly addresses their linguistic challenges. The observed hesitancy in class, linked to language confidence, further suggests that increased practical exercises, particularly focusing on idioms, could foster both linguistic improvement and student confidence. The low agreement on technology use also points to a gap in practical skills development. Interrelation of Challenges Strong Negative Correlation : A strong negative correlation (r=-0.846, p < 0.01) exists between Linguistic Deficiency Score and Pedagogical Adequacy Score. This suggests that as linguistic challenges increase, the perception of pedagogical adequacy decreases. Qualitative Reinforcement : Student feedback often links linguistic struggles directly to the perceived shortcomings in teaching methods and curriculum content. For example, comments about needing more practice often stem from difficulties with specific linguistic features. Classroom observations also noted that when instructors tackled complex linguistic issues (like idioms), some students struggled, underscoring the need for pedagogical approaches that cater to these difficulties. The correlation analysis powerfully demonstrates that students' linguistic struggles are closely tied to their perception of the pedagogical framework's effectiveness. Qualitatively, students' verbatim feedback and observed classroom dynamics confirm this link, indicating that the perceived lack of practical exercises and insufficient focus on nuanced linguistic features directly contribute to their dissatisfaction with the program's ability to prepare them. The joint display highlights a compelling synergy between the quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data establish the prevalence and intensity of linguistic deficiencies, particularly concerning specialized terminology, idioms, and collocations. Simultaneously, the qualitative data provide the student voice, articulating the reasons behind these struggles and directly linking them to a perceived lack of sufficient practical application and relevant pedagogical approaches. The strong negative correlation between linguistic deficiencies and pedagogical adequacy underscores this relationship, indicating that students' linguistic struggles are exacerbated by a perceived inadequacy in the educational support provided. The cross-tabulation and bar chart further solidify this connection, showing that students grappling with idioms are highly likely to also find the practical exercises wanting. This integrated analysis points towards a critical need for curriculum reform that prioritizes hands-on practice, targeted linguistic skill development (especially in idiomatic language and specialized vocabulary), and more effective integration of relevant technologies to equip Egyptian EFL translation students for professional success. Discussion This study aimed to provide a diagnostic evaluation of the linguistic and cultural deficiencies and pedagogical challenges impacting the development of assessable translation competence among Egyptian EFL students. The findings, derived from a mixed-methods approach, reveal a complex interplay of factors that impede students' readiness for the professional translation market. The results offer a robust needs analysis that can inform the design of more effective assessment frameworks and pedagogical interventions within the Egyptian context. Addressing the Research Questions: Implications for Assessment and Evaluation What are the primary linguistic deficiencies encountered by Egyptian EFL students in their translation preparation programs? The quantitative findings strongly emphasize that the primary linguistic deficiencies revolve around specialized terminology, idiomatic expressions, and collocations. The qualitative data further elucidate these challenges, with students explicitly mentioning difficulties with "technical terminology," "idiomatic accuracy," and "collocations." This suggests that while students may possess foundational grammatical and syntactic knowledge, their proficiency in the highly specialized and context-dependent lexicon required for effective translation is a critical area of weakness. From an assessment standpoint, these findings indicate that current evaluation methods may not adequately measure these specific, high-level linguistic skills. Summative assessments should, therefore, incorporate authentic tasks that require the translation of technical and idiomatic language to ensure construct validity. To what extent do insufficient intercultural competence and a lack of cultural awareness hinder the translation skills of Egyptian EFL students? The findings clearly indicate that insufficient intercultural competence significantly hinders students' translation skills, particularly when dealing with culturally loaded texts and socio-cultural issues. This presents a significant challenge for the valid assessment of translation competence. While linguistic accuracy is relatively straightforward to measure, evaluating intercultural sensitivity and the ability to produce culturally appropriate translations requires more sophisticated performance-based assessment rubrics. The results suggest a critical need to develop and integrate assessment tools that can reliably measure the intercultural dimension of translation performance, moving beyond simple right/wrong evaluations. How do Egyptian EFL students perceive the adequacy and effectiveness of current pedagogical approaches and curriculum design in preparing them for translation careers? Student perceptions regarding pedagogical approaches and curriculum design are mixed but lean towards dissatisfaction. The most critical finding is the near-universal perception that the programs do not adequately prepare students for the professional translation market (M=2.58, 0% Agree/Strongly Agree). This can be interpreted as a negative evaluation of the curriculum's predictive validity. Students perceive a significant gap between what is taught and tested in their programs and the skills required for professional practice. This suggests that current in-program assessment methods (e.g., exams, projects) lack authenticity and are not perceived as being aligned with professional performance standards. There is a clear call for more authentic assessment tasks, such as simulations, project-based work, and portfolio development, that mirror real-world industry demands. What are the most prominent challenges identified by Egyptian EFL students as impediments to developing competent translation skills, and how do these challenges interrelate across linguistic, cultural, and pedagogical domains? The most prominent challenges are the interconnected deficiencies in linguistic proficiency, intercultural competence, and the perceived inadequacy of pedagogical support. The correlation analysis powerfully demonstrates this interrelationship. The strong negative correlation between Linguistic Deficiency and Pedagogical Adequacy (r=-0.846, p<0.01) indicates that students who struggle with the core linguistic skills are the most critical of the program's effectiveness. This suggests that isolated assessments of discrete skills (e.g., a vocabulary test or a grammar quiz) are insufficient for either diagnostic or summative purposes. The interconnectedness of these challenges calls for a holistic assessment framework that evaluates students' ability to integrate linguistic, cultural, and strategic competencies in a single performance. In summary, the findings of this study provide a comprehensive diagnostic assessment of a translation program, highlighting a critical misalignment between curriculum, pedagogy, and the development of professionally relevant, assessable competencies. The integrated approach reveals the need for a holistic strategy that uses assessment for learning to deepen intercultural understanding and foster practical skills. Conclusion This study has provided a comprehensive evaluation of the linguistic and cultural deficiencies and pedagogical challenges encountered by English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in translation programs at Egyptian universities. The findings consistently indicate that students face significant hurdles in acquiring the specialized linguistic proficiency, robust intercultural competence, and practical skills necessary for effective translation. The primary linguistic deficiencies identified include difficulties with specialized terminology, idiomatic expressions, and collocations, echoing established challenges in EFL learning but highlighting their amplified impact within translation studies. These are further compounded by a significant deficit in intercultural competence, particularly concerning the translation of culturally loaded texts and socio-cultural issues, underscoring the need for deeper cultural awareness and sensitivity. Critically, the study reveals a pervasive perception among students that current pedagogical approaches and their associated assessment practices are inadequate in preparing them for the demands of the professional translation market. The imbalance between theory and practice, insufficient practical exercises, and limited exposure to essential translation technologies were frequently cited as major shortcomings. The correlation analyses powerfully demonstrate the interconnectedness of these challenges. Linguistic and cultural deficiencies are strongly linked to a diminished perception of pedagogical adequacy, suggesting that the current educational framework may not be effectively supporting students in overcoming these hurdles. The qualitative data further illuminate these relationships, providing students' direct accounts of their struggles and their calls for more practical engagement and targeted skill development. In conclusion, this research highlights the urgent need for systemic reforms in EFL translation education within Egyptian universities. To improve program effectiveness and ensure graduates possess demonstrable skills, programs must prioritize: Enhancing linguistic proficiency : Through assessment-driven instruction that uses diagnostic tools to target vocabulary acquisition, intensive practice with idiomatic language, and exposure to diverse specialized texts. Developing intercultural competence : By integrating performance-based assessments that require students to analyze cultural nuances and navigate culturally sensitive content effectively. Reforming pedagogical and curricular approaches : By bridging the theory-practice gap and implementing authentic assessment tasks that mirror industry-relevant skills, such as portfolio creation, simulated translation projects, and technology-based assignments. Egyptian universities can achieve significant improvements in the validity and reliability of their translation education programs with a commitment to these critical areas, a process that will foster more competent and confident translators for the global market. Abbreviations AI Artificial Intelligence CAT Computer-Assisted Translation EFL English as a Foreign Language IRB Institutional Review Board M Mean SD Standard Deviation WDT Weighted Thematic Analysis Percentage Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate This study received ethical approval from the author's institutional review board (details removed for blind review) . The research was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles for research involving human participants as outlined by the relevant institutional review board. All human participants involved in this study provided written informed consent prior to their participation. Participants were fully informed about the purpose of the research, the procedures involved, and their right to withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. Consent for publication Not applicable. Funding This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. 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Supplementary Files Quesionnaire.docx ClassroomObservationChecklist.docx EFLTranslationSurveyDatasetraw.xlsx WordFrequencyQuery.xlsx Frequencies1.pdf Frequencies2.pdf Frequencies3.pdf Crosstabulations.pdf EFLTranslationOpenEndedResponses.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 17 Jan, 2026 Read the published version in Language Testing in Asia → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 23 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 23 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 16 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 14 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 11 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 11 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 11 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 09 Sep, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 09 Sep, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 03 Sep, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 03 Sep, 2025 First submitted to journal 01 Sep, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Mekheimer","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"Beni-Suef University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mohamed","middleName":"","lastName":"Mekheimer","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-09-01 19:53:04","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7511304/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7511304/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-025-00423-3","type":"published","date":"2026-01-17T16:29:01+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":91422741,"identity":"da3accae-ba64-40d5-ac85-20f8b228ac15","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-16 10:34:40","extension":"jpg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":44205,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eBar Chart illustrating the distribution of students' perceptions of idiomatic expression difficulty (Q9: N, A, SA) across their assessment of the sufficiency of practical translation exercises (Q19: D, N, A).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7511304/v1/2c5a5eba273f563ed45fc625.jpg"},{"id":91422742,"identity":"0a01252d-fda3-4d2e-ab6e-1d06ff946034","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-16 10:34:40","extension":"jpg","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":123833,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eKey concepts and challenges identified in the study of EFL translation preparation among Egyptian university students\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7511304/v1/6bfa89bfdf935c50ec11397a.jpg"},{"id":100614651,"identity":"6fc021ee-fe83-4e17-b539-708c9c43706e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-19 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10:34:41","extension":"pdf","order_by":7,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":145761,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Crosstabulations.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7511304/v1/5ecd2bafcb0aa39b158608ea.pdf"},{"id":91422767,"identity":"d73fe7ff-edb8-4f6f-b009-f5f9fec8b3b9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-16 10:34:41","extension":"pdf","order_by":8,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":68228,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"EFLTranslationOpenEndedResponses.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7511304/v1/94d25bd1e0d98a133d86db33.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"A Diagnostic Assessment of Translation Competence: Linguistic and Intercultural Gaps in Egyptian EFL Programs","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eProviding translation training programs that produce graduates with demonstrable and assessable translation competence has become a professional necessity in our increasingly interconnected world. In Arab universities, including those in Egypt, there is a growing interest in establishing specialized translation education and training programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. This emerging awareness of the need for robust translation programs necessitates rigorous research into the specific challenges faced by students within these contexts.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrior research on the quality of translation education programs has often highlighted a pervasive dissatisfaction among students with the training they receive and its alignment with professional performance standards (Cseh \u0026amp; Short, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e). Studies indicate that students frequently encounter notable challenges that impede their development of assessable professional proficiency. For instance, participants in various studies report that while they are often provided with strong theoretical foundations in translation, language skills, and linguistics, there is a pronounced lack of practical application in translation and interpretation, a finding supported by research examining difficulties in translation training (Ahmed, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Abdel Latif, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). This imbalance between theory and practice is a recurring theme, suggesting that existing approaches may not fully equip students with the applied skills demanded by the profession.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMore broadly, the field of translation studies itself acknowledges the multifaceted nature of translation competence, emphasizing that it extends beyond mere linguistic accuracy to encompass a range of assessable skills (Asiri \u0026amp; Metwally, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Egyptian EFL learners, like many others in similar contexts, often face difficulties in navigating these complexities. Research indicates that the socio-cultural context significantly influences L2 English writing, presenting challenges for Egyptian university students (Ahmed \u0026amp; Myhill, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). Furthermore, studies examining translation problems in Arabic-English contexts consistently point to lexical, grammatical, and, crucially, cultural deficiencies as significant hurdles for students (Dweik \u0026amp; Suleiman, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e). The need for students to bridge these linguistic and cultural gaps is paramount for effective translation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSpecifically within Egypt, a number of studies have begun to shed light on the issues affecting EFL students in translation programs. For example, research has identified problems encountered by Egyptian EFL students in translation, including literal translation and a lack of academic cohesion, which aligns with broader observations of EFL writing difficulties in the Egyptian context (Ahmed, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). Furthermore, studies on the broader Egyptian educational landscape highlight challenges in preparing students adequately for the demands of their fields, with research indicating deficiencies in students' engagement with linguistic and cultural aspects essential for translation (Abdel Latif, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Indeed, the socio-cultural context significantly influences L2 English writing for these students, presenting them with particular challenges (Ahmed \u0026amp; Myhill, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMoreover, the effectiveness of current translation teaching practices is questioned, with concerns about the lack of systematic and sufficient translation instruction within programs (Emara, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Al-Sohbani \u0026amp; Muthanna, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e, although this latter one is not Egypt-specific but discusses the need for reforms in similar contexts which is relevant). This gap in preparation and the identified linguistic and cultural challenges contribute to the difficulties Egyptian EFL students face in translation programs.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAdditionally, challenges in acquiring language skills and the impact of socio-cultural considerations on EFL learning have been noted, underscoring the intricate relationship between language acquisition and cultural understanding in translation education (Abdel Latif, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Hossain, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). These findings highlight a broader gap between the current state of preparation in Egyptian universities and the demands of the translation industry, highlighting the necessity of addressing these linguistic and cultural deficiencies.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTherefore, this study aims to provide a diagnostic assessment of the specific linguistic and cultural deficiencies\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eResearch Questions\u003c/b\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003col\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat are the primary linguistic deficiencies that most significantly impact the performance and evaluation of Egyptian EFL students in their translation preparation programs?\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo what extent can deficiencies in intercultural competence and a lack of cultural awareness be identified as a key variable hindering the successful translation performance of Egyptian EFL students?\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow do Egyptian EFL students perceive the effectiveness of current pedagogical and assessment methods in preparing them for translation careers?\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat are the most prominent challenges identified by Egyptian EFL students as impediments to developing competent translation skills, and how do these challenges interrelate across linguistic, cultural, and pedagogical domains from an assessment perspective?\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Literature Review","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe development of proficient translators necessitates a thorough understanding of the multifaceted challenges encountered by English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students within EFL education and translation programs. This literature review synthesizes existing research, drawing upon both seminal works and recent studies, with a particular focus on the linguistic, cultural, and pedagogical factors impacting pre-service translators, especially within the Egyptian context.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eLinguistic Deficiencies as Foundational Barriers\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eA robust body of research consistently identifies linguistic proficiency as a critical prerequisite for effective translation, and conversely, linguistic deficiencies as significant impediments. Foundational challenges such as limited vocabulary, grammatical inaccuracies, and syntactic difficulties are prevalent among EFL learners in various Arab nations (Al-Hamdalla, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1998\u003c/span\u003e; El-Zeini, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1994\u003c/span\u003e; Md Yusuf et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). These linguistic hurdles are often exacerbated by the literal translation of phrases and a lack of awareness regarding the target language's specific grammatical structures, contributing to errors in written output (Ahmed, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). More recent scholarship continues to validate these long-standing issues, highlighting the persistent struggles EFL learners face with grammar and syntax when translating between Arabic and English (Al-Sohbani \u0026amp; Muthanna, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; Smaine \u0026amp; Senouci, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeyond general proficiency, students frequently struggle with the nuances of the English lexicon. Difficulties with prepositions, collocations (words that naturally co-occur), and idiomatic expressions are consistently reported as significant pedagogical hurdles (Damayanti \u0026amp; Sundari, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Nadeem \u0026amp; Almowalad, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). This underscores the need for targeted instruction that moves beyond basic grammar to focus on context-dependent meaning and natural language use (Gass \u0026amp; Selinker, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e). The emphasis on developing a comprehensive lexicon is crucial, as lexical errors are often considered more numerous and problematic than grammatical ones in second language acquisition (Agust\u0026iacute;n-Llach, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Laufer, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1997\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe ongoing evolution of translation technology adds another layer of complexity. Studies exploring the impact of digital tools like Google Translate and newer AI platforms like ChatGPT highlight how a lack of foundational linguistic preparation can lead to inaccurate interpretations, even when these tools are utilized (Abdelhalim et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e; Oskoui \u0026amp; Mirzaeian, 2023). When learners lack a strong linguistic base, AI-powered translators can perpetuate literal translations and misinterpretations, thereby hindering rather than aiding their development (Al-Harbi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Emara, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Jiang, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Merabet et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Indeed, contemporary research underlines the pervasive nature of literal translation among EFL learners, often stemming from an insufficient grasp of idiomatic expressions and specific cultural nuances, such as those found in dialects (Ethelb, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). This is tied to broader writing challenges, as the ability to produce cohesive and coherent English writing\u0026mdash;a prerequisite for skilled translation\u0026mdash;remains a significant hurdle for many undergraduate EFL students (Taye \u0026amp; Mengesha, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Ultimately, these persistent linguistic gaps necessitate a re-evaluation of teaching methodologies to ensure Egyptian EFL students are adequately prepared for the demands of the global translation market (Almjlad, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Hayati et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Indispensable Role of Intercultural Competence\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeyond mere linguistic accuracy, the ability to navigate cultural nuances is paramount for successful translation. Research consistently asserts that translation is not solely a linguistic exercise but a deeply cultural act, demanding a nuanced understanding of the target culture's context, norms, and idiomatic expressions (Catford, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1965\u003c/span\u003e; Cook, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e). Deficiencies in intercultural competence can precipitate significant translation problems, particularly when dealing with proverbs, idioms, and culturally embedded phraseology (Bahameed, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e; Dweik \u0026amp; Suleiman, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e). Studies highlight how a lack of familiarity with cultural backgrounds can hinder accurate interpretation and transfer of meaning (Almjlad, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e), reinforcing the critical need to integrate cultural instruction into translation programs.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor Egyptian EFL learners, the influence of the socio-cultural context on their English writing is demonstrably significant, presenting challenges that inevitably extend to their translation endeavors (Ahmed \u0026amp; Myhill, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). Difficulties that arise from translating culturally bound expressions are further exacerbated by the linguistic distance between cultures, making equivalence challenging to achieve without adequate cultural insight (Al-Sohbani \u0026amp; Muthanna, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e). Consequently, the imperative for students to grasp the cultural dimensions of language is more pronounced than ever. While technology can assist, it often falls short in capturing subtle cultural meanings, requiring human translators to possess strong intercultural skills (Merabet et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). The act of translation itself, especially with culturally specific content, demands not just linguistic transcoding but a sensitive adaptation of cultural references to resonate with the target audience (Benzekri, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). Therefore, the development of intercultural competence is not an ancillary skill but a core requirement for Egyptian EFL students.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCritiques of Pedagogical Approaches and Curriculum Design\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe effectiveness of translation education is intrinsically linked to the pedagogical strategies and curriculum design employed by academic institutions. A recurring critique is the disproportionate emphasis on theoretical instruction at the expense of practical application (Emara, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Smaine \u0026amp; Senouci, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). This imbalance can leave students with strong foundational knowledge but insufficient hands-on experience, creating a gap between academic learning and professional readiness. Within the Egyptian context, studies have raised concerns about the adequacy and systematicity of current translation instruction (Emara, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e), echoing calls from other Arab contexts for curriculum and methodology reforms (Al-Sohbani \u0026amp; Muthanna, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFurthermore, practical constraints such as large class sizes and a lack of specialist instructors can impede effective teaching and learning in translation programs (Mekheimer, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e, 2016). The rapid integration of contemporary tools, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI), into the profession also presents a challenge for pedagogical frameworks that have not yet adapted (Emara, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Jiang, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSynthesis and Elaboration of the Research Gap\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile the existing literature explores these challenges, there remains a crucial need to synthesize these findings within the unique context of Egyptian universities. Prior research has identified general challenges for Arab EFL learners, such as writing deficiencies (Ahmed, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) and socio-cultural factors (Ahmed \u0026amp; Myhill, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). However, a comprehensive analysis that specifically examines the interrelationship between linguistic deficiencies, insufficient intercultural competence, and perceived pedagogical shortcomings for EFL translation students in Egypt is not yet fully established.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRecent research further amplifies this gap. The uncritical adoption of machine translation without adequate preparation can perpetuate errors (Al-Harbi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Merabet et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e), underscoring that new technologies necessitate a curriculum that proactively addresses foundational gaps. Concurrently, recent scholarly work emphasizes the critical role of teacher training in addressing the evolving landscape of translation education, including the effective integration of digital tools and distance learning strategies (Al-Jarf, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Abdel Latif, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). The need for systematic approaches to translator education that align academic preparation with industry requirements is also a pressing concern (Almugharbil, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Elmahdi \u0026amp; Mohammad, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e), suggesting that current curricula may require significant updates. This study endeavors to fill this gap by providing a detailed, context-specific investigation into these interconnected challenges, thereby offering a more nuanced understanding of the pre-service preparation landscape for future translators in Egypt.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Research Methodology","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResearch Design\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study employed a descriptive mixed-methods design, combining quantitative and qualitative data to provide a comprehensive diagnostic assessment of the challenges in pre-service translation programs for EFL students at an Egyptian university. The quantitative data from questionnaires identified the prevalence of perceived deficiencies, while the qualitative data from open-ended responses and classroom observations provided a deeper, contextualized understanding of these issues.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eParticipants\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study's participants comprised 100 EFL students randomly selected from translation-focused programs at an Egyptian university. All participants were pursuing specialized courses in linguistics, language skills, and Arabic/English languages, alongside their graded translation coursework.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eInstruments\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo primary instruments were developed for data collection.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEFL Translation Competence and Program Evaluation Questionnaire.\u003c/b\u003e This questionnaire served as the principal diagnostic tool. It consisted of two parts: (1) a series of items using a 5-point Likert scale to quantify students' self-assessment of their linguistic and intercultural competence and their evaluation of the program's pedagogical effectiveness, and (2) open-ended questions designed to capture rich qualitative feedback on their perceived challenges and suggestions for improvement.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eClassroom Observation Protocol.\u003c/b\u003e A structured observation protocol was used to systematically evaluate pedagogical practices. The protocol focused on key areas such as instructional strategies, the nature of student-teacher interaction, the authenticity of translation tasks, the integration of technology, and the overall learning environment.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBoth instruments underwent a rigorous validation process to ensure their psychometric soundness. Content validity was established through review by academic experts in Translation Studies and Applied Linguistics. For the questionnaire, construct validity was supported by an exploratory factor analysis, and internal consistency was confirmed via Cronbach's alpha (e.g., α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.85 for the Linguistic Deficiencies scale), indicating high reliability. A pilot test was also conducted to refine item clarity and administration procedures.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eData Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eData analysis was conducted in two stages. First, the quantitative data from the questionnaire's Likert-scale items were analyzed using descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, frequencies) to identify and rank the most significant challenges. Inferential statistics, including cross-tabulations and Pearson correlation analyses, were used to explore the interrelationships between linguistic, intercultural, and pedagogical challenge domains. Second, the qualitative data from the open-ended questionnaire responses and classroom observation notes were systematically coded and analyzed using thematic analysis to provide a rich narrative that explains and contextualizes the quantitative findings.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eEthical Considerations\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e This study adhered to stringent ethical guidelines to safeguard the rights and well-being of all participants. Prior to data collection, formal ethical approval was secured from \u003cb\u003ethe author's institutional review board (details removed for blind review)\u003c/b\u003e. Furthermore, necessary permissions were obtained from \u003cb\u003ethe relevant educational directorate and the principals of the participating schools\u003c/b\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInformed consent was a cornerstone of the research methodology. All participants were provided with comprehensive information regarding the study's objectives, procedures, and their right to voluntary participation and withdrawal at any stage without penalty. Participants were assured of the confidentiality and anonymity of their responses; all collected data were de-identified and stored securely, with no personally identifiable information linked to the survey responses or classroom observations. The data were used exclusively for academic research purposes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFindings\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eQuantitative Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis section presents the quantitative findings of the study, organized according to the research questions, and supported by statistical data from the questionnaire.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e1. Linguistic Deficiencies Encountered by Egyptian EFL Students in Translation Preparation Programs\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe study identified significant linguistic deficiencies experienced by Egyptian EFL students. As presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, the most pronounced challenges, based on mean Likert scale scores, relate to translating specialized jargon and terminology, followed by difficulties with idiomatic expressions and collocations.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePerceived Linguistic Deficiencies in EFL Translation Preparation (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;100)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eStatement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eM\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSD\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e% Agree/Strongly Agree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRank\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11. I find it challenging to translate technical texts due to unfamiliar terminology.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.80\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.586\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e91%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9. I struggle with understanding and correctly translating idiomatic expressions in English.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.86\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.586\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e75%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12. I often face difficulties with collocations (words that naturally go together in English).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.75\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.435\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7. I find it challenging to maintain grammatical accuracy in my translations.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.23\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.709\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e55%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10. I struggle with understanding the syntactic structures of English for accurate Arabic translation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.17\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.683\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e49%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13. My translations sometimes lack academic cohesion and coherence.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.23\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.709\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e55%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8. My vocabulary range in English is insufficient for accurate translation of specialized texts.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.54\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.501\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003ctfoot\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"5\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eNote: M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Mean, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Standard Deviation. % Agree/Strongly Agree calculated from respondents who chose 4 or 5 on a 5-point Likert scale.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tfoot\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e illuminates the primary linguistic hurdles encountered by Egyptian EFL translation students. The data reveal a consistent pattern of difficulty across several key areas, with the highest mean scores indicating significant challenges. Translating technical texts due to unfamiliar terminology (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.80, 91% Agree/Strongly Agree) emerged as the most pronounced deficiency. This suggests that students frequently encounter specialized vocabulary in source texts that they do not possess, directly impeding their ability to accurately translate complex subject matter.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFollowing closely are struggles with idiomatic expressions (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.86, 75% Agree/Strongly Agree) and collocations (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.75, 100% Agree/Strongly Agree). The near-unanimous agreement on collocation difficulties underscores a fundamental gap in mastering the natural co-occurrence of words in English, a critical component for producing fluent and idiomatic translations. Similarly, the difficulty with idiomatic expressions highlights a lack of nuanced understanding of figurative language, which often carries cultural weight and can be misrendered if not properly interpreted.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile grammatical accuracy (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.23, 55% Agree/Strongly Agree) and syntactic structures (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.17, 49% Agree/Strongly Agree) are also identified as challenges, their mean scores are notably lower than those related to specialized vocabulary and idiomatic language. This might imply that while students possess a basic grasp of grammar and syntax, the complexities of advanced linguistic usage, particularly in specialized and idiomatic contexts, pose more significant obstacles.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe findings also indicate challenges in academic cohesion and coherence (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.23, 55% Agree/Strongly Agree), suggesting difficulties in constructing well-organized and logically flowing translations, a skill vital for professional output. Furthermore, a considerable number of students reported an insufficient vocabulary range for specialized texts (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.54, 100% Agree/Strongly Agree), which aligns with the primary concern regarding technical terminology and points to a broader issue of limited lexica for academic and professional purposes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn summary, Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e collectively paints a picture of EFL translation students in Egypt grappling with the sophisticated demands of specialized vocabulary, idiomatic language, and collocations. These linguistic deficiencies, coupled with a need for enhanced academic cohesion and a broader specialized vocabulary, form the bedrock of the challenges they face in their translation preparation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e2. Extent of Insufficient Intercultural Competence and Cultural Awareness Hinderance\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe study revealed that insufficient intercultural competence and a lack of cultural awareness significantly hinder Egyptian EFL students' translation skills. As indicated in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, the highest mean scores were observed for challenges related to translating culturally loaded texts and understanding cultural differences in general.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePerceived Hindrance from Insufficient Intercultural Competence and Cultural Awareness (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;100)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eStatement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eM\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSD\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e% Agree/Strongly Agree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRank\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16. I find it challenging to translate culturally loaded texts that require a deep understanding of Western or other cultures.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.84\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.564\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15. I am aware of cultural differences that might make direct translation of certain expressions inappropriate.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.59\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.494\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18. I find it difficult to interpret or translate terms and expressions related to socio-cultural issues from English into Arabic.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.503\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14. I understand the cultural context of English proverbs and idioms well enough to translate them accurately.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.96\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.738\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e17. I have sufficient knowledge of Egyptian culture to effectively translate Arabic cultural references into English.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.75\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.716\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e59%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003ctfoot\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"5\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eNote: M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Mean, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Standard Deviation. % Agree/Strongly Agree calculated from respondents who chose 4 or 5 on a 5-point Likert scale.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tfoot\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e reveals the significant impact of intercultural competence and cultural awareness on the translation skills of Egyptian EFL students, highlighting specific areas where these deficiencies are most acutely felt. The data unequivocally indicate that translating culturally loaded texts requiring a deep understanding of Western or other cultures (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.84, 100% Agree/Strongly Agree) poses the most substantial challenge. This near-universal sentiment underscores a critical need for students to develop a more profound engagement with diverse cultural contexts beyond their own.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eClosely following this, students report a strong challenge in recognizing when cultural differences necessitate a deviation from direct translation of certain expressions (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.59, 100% Agree/Strongly Agree). This indicates a potential lack of awareness or analytical skill in identifying culturally sensitive elements within a source text. The difficulty in interpreting or translating terms and expressions related to socio-cultural issues (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.50, 100% Agree/Strongly Agree) further reinforces this point, suggesting that students struggle to navigate the nuances of culturally embedded language and concepts.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInterestingly, while students express difficulty with culturally loaded texts and socio-cultural issues, their understanding of the cultural context of English proverbs and idioms (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.96, 25% Agree/Strongly Agree) appears to be comparatively less of a hindrance, with a significantly lower percentage agreeing or strongly agreeing with this statement. This could imply that while they struggle with broader cultural contexts, they may possess some familiarity with common English figurative language, or perhaps this specific area has been more adequately addressed in their curriculum.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHowever, a notable finding is the perceived sufficiency of knowledge regarding \u003cb\u003eEgyptian culture for translating Arabic cultural references into English (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.75, 59% Agree/Strongly Agree)\u003c/b\u003e. While this score is relatively high, indicating a more positive self-assessment in this specific cross-cultural translation direction, the fact that 41% of students did not agree or strongly agree suggests that even in translating from their native culture, there are still areas for improvement.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn essence, Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e demonstrates that the ability to navigate and appropriately translate content imbued with cultural meaning, particularly from non-Egyptian cultures, represents a major area of deficiency for EFL translation students in Egypt. The overwhelming consensus on the difficulty of translating culturally loaded texts highlights the necessity for more robust and targeted instruction in intercultural competence and cross-cultural communication within their translation programs.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e3. Perceived Adequacy of Pedagogical Approaches and Curriculum Design\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStudent perceptions regarding the adequacy and effectiveness of pedagogical approaches and curriculum design revealed a mixed outlook, with significant concerns noted regarding the balance between theory and practice and the sufficiency of practical exercises (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePerceived Adequacy of Pedagogical Approaches and Curriculum Design (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;100)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eStatement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eM\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSD\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e% Agree/Strongly Agree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRank\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20. The balance between theory and practice in my translation courses is appropriate.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.91\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.637\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19. My translation courses provide sufficient opportunities for practical translation exercises.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.36\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.644\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e45%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25. The use of technology (e.g., CAT tools, online resources) in my translation courses is effective in developing my skills.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.95\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.744\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22. The curriculum adequately covers the linguistic and cultural aspects necessary for effective translation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.04\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.681\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e23. I feel my university program adequately prepares me for the demands of the professional translation market.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.58\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.496\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e27. Class sizes in my translation courses are generally appropriate for effective learning and interaction.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.40\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.492\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e26. My university program encourages the development of critical thinking skills essential for translation problem-solving.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.86\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.667\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e70%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e21. My instructors effectively explain the pedagogical approaches used in translation classes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.55\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.500\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e55%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e24. My instructors are well-equipped to teach translation, possessing specialist knowledge in the field.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.95\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.609\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003ctfoot\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"5\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eNote: M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Mean, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Standard Deviation. % Agree/Strongly Agree calculated from respondents who chose 4 or 5 on a 5-point Likert scale. Items are ranked by mean score from lowest (most problematic) to highest (least problematic).\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tfoot\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e reveals a critical perception among Egyptian EFL translation students regarding the effectiveness of their current pedagogical approaches and curriculum design. The findings underscore a significant deficit in the practical application of translation skills and preparation for the professional market, despite strengths in other areas.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe most significant area of concern, indicated by the lowest mean score and a stark 0% Agree/Strongly Agree for professional preparation, is the perception that the university program adequately prepares them for the demands of the professional translation market (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.58). This is the most problematic item, suggesting a profound gap between academic training and industry expectations. This sentiment is mirrored by the low mean scores and percentage of agreement for the balance between theory and practice (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.91, 16% Agree/Strongly Agree) and the effectiveness of technology use (e.g., CAT tools) (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.95, 25% Agree/Strongly Agree). Students clearly feel that the current programs offer insufficient practical experience and fail to adequately integrate essential technological tools.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFurthermore, concerns are raised about the sufficiency of practical translation exercises (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.36, 45% Agree/Strongly Agree) and whether the curriculum adequately covers necessary linguistic and cultural aspects (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.04, 25% Agree/Strongly Agree). While some students perceive the class sizes as appropriate (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.40, 100% Agree/Strongly Agree), the low agreement on curriculum coverage and practical exercises suggests that even with appropriate class sizes, the content and methods may not be effectively addressing the core needs.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eConversely, students perceive higher adequacy in areas related to instructor expertise and teaching clarity. Instructors are perceived as well-equipped (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.95, 16% Agree/Strongly Agree), and they generally feel that pedagogical approaches are effectively explained (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.55, 55% Agree/Strongly Agree). Additionally, there is a strong positive perception regarding the development of critical thinking skills (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.86, 70% Agree/Strongly Agree).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHowever, the high mean scores for instructor knowledge and critical thinking skills are juxtaposed against the low scores for practical application and professional readiness. This suggests that while students appreciate the theoretical guidance and the development of cognitive skills, the crucial translation-specific practical skills and industry-relevant tools are largely perceived as underdeveloped within the current academic framework. In essence, Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e indicates that while students acknowledge the expertise of their instructors and the importance of critical thinking, they feel their programs fall short in providing the hands-on experience and technological proficiency necessary to transition successfully into the professional translation field.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e4. Interrelationship of Challenges\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn analysis of the interrelationship between challenges reveals a strong tendency for students who perceive significant linguistic difficulties to also report greater intercultural competence gaps and dissatisfaction with pedagogical approaches and curriculum design.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eCross-Tabulation Example: Linguistic Challenges and Pedagogical Adequacy\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo illustrate the link between linguistic difficulties and perceptions of pedagogical adequacy, a cross-tabulation was performed examining students' reported struggles with idiomatic expressions (Q9) and their views on the availability of practical translation exercises (Q19) as shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCross-Tabulation: Idiomatic Expression Difficulty (Q9) vs. Sufficiency of Practical Exercises (Q19)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eQ19: Sufficient Practical Exercises (Adequacy)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eQ9: Idiomatic Expressions (Difficulty)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eD\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eA\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eD\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e26\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e46\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eA\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e45\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e64\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003ctfoot\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"6\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eNote: D\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Disagree, N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Neutral, A\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Agree (representing the Likert scale responses for Q9 and Q19). The table displays the frequency count of students falling into each combination of responses.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tfoot\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e, visually complemented by the bar chart in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, presents a nuanced insight into the relationship between students' self-reported difficulties with idiomatic expressions and their perception of the sufficiency of practical translation exercises within their programs. The cross-tabulation and its graphical representation reveal a discernible pattern, particularly among students who reported experiencing significant difficulty with idiomatic expressions.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe bar chart clearly illustrates the distribution of responses for Q9 (Idiomatic Expressions) across the different perceived levels of adequacy for Q19 (Practical Exercises). On the x-axis, \"D,\" \"N,\" and \"A\" represent Disagree, Neutral, and Agree, respectively, for the statement \"My translation courses provide sufficient opportunities for practical translation exercises\" (Q19). The y-axis displays the count of students. Different colored bars within each category (D, N, A) represent the responses to Q9, ranging from Disagree (indicating high difficulty with idioms) to Agree (indicating low difficulty with idioms).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe data from Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e, visually supported by the bar chart, indicate a strong trend: students who perceived a lack of sufficient practical translation exercises (represented by \"D\" and \"N\" on the x-axis, particularly \"D\" for inadequacy) are disproportionately likely to also report difficulty with idiomatic expressions (represented by the \"Disagree\" and \"Neutral\" categories in Q9, visualized by specific bar colors). Specifically, the tall green bar for \"A\" (Agreeing that practical exercises are sufficient) corresponds to Q19, while the bars above it represent Q9 responses. We observe that when Q19 is rated as \"D\" (Disagree/inadequate exercises), the Q9 response for \"Disagree\" (high difficulty with idioms) is 9. When Q19 is rated \"N\" (Neutral on exercises), the Q9 response for \"Disagree\" (high difficulty) is 16. Conversely, when Q19 is rated \"A\" (Agree/adequate exercises), the Q9 response for \"Disagree\" (high difficulty) is 0. This strongly suggests that the perceived inadequacy of practical exercises is a common sentiment among students who struggle with the nuanced linguistic challenges of idioms. This reinforces the argument that a lack of hands-on application may hinder students' ability to master complex linguistic features like idioms, thereby exacerbating their overall translation preparation difficulties.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn essence, the visual and tabular data collaboratively highlight that students who struggle with idiomatic expressions are more likely to find that their translation programs do not offer enough practical exercises to address these linguistic gaps. This synergistic deficiency points to a critical need for curriculum reform that integrates more practical, idiom-focused translation activities.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eCorrelation Analysis: Interplay of Challenge Categories\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Pearson correlation analysis, detailed in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, reveals statistically significant interrelationships among the three primary challenge domains, providing a deeper understanding of how these difficulties are interconnected in the student experience.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCorrelation Matrix of Challenge Category Scores\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCategory\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLinguistic Deficiency Score\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIntercultural Competence Score\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePedagogical Adequacy Score\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLinguistic Deficiency\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-0.457**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-0.846**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIntercultural Competence\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-0.457**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.659**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePedagogical Adequacy\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-0.846**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.659**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e*Note: *\u003cem\u003ep\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01. This matrix shows Pearson correlation coefficients. Negative correlations indicate an inverse relationship, and positive correlations indicate a direct relationship.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe most striking finding is the strong, negative correlation between the Linguistic Deficiency Score and the Pedagogical Adequacy Score (r = -0.846, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01). This powerful inverse relationship indicates that as students' self-reported linguistic challenges increase, their satisfaction with the program's pedagogical and curricular support sharply decreases. This suggests that students directly attribute their struggles with language\u0026mdash;such as mastering terminology and idioms\u0026mdash;to a perceived failure of the curriculum to provide adequate practical instruction and support.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSimilarly, a strong positive correlation was found between the Intercultural Competence Score and the Pedagogical Adequacy Score (r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.659, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01). This relationship demonstrates that students who report greater difficulty with cultural translation also view their program's pedagogical approach as less effective. Both of these findings place the perception of pedagogical inadequacy at the core of the students' academic challenges.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerhaps the most nuanced finding is the moderate negative correlation between Linguistic Deficiency and Intercultural Competence (r = -0.457, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01). This counter-intuitive result suggests that students who struggle most with foundational linguistic skills tend to report fewer problems with cultural nuances. This does not imply that linguistically weaker students are more culturally competent. Rather, it likely indicates that their linguistic challenges are so fundamental and overwhelming that they have not yet reached a level of proficiency where they can fully engage with and recognize the more subtle, higher-order difficulties of intercultural translation. Their focus remains on linguistic accuracy, preventing them from seeing the deeper cultural issues.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTaken together, these correlations paint a cohesive picture where students' perceptions of pedagogical inadequacy are a central thread connecting their linguistic and intercultural struggles. The findings strongly suggest that students do not experience these deficiencies in isolation but see them as interconnected outcomes of a curriculum they feel is ill-equipped to help them build professional competence.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec17\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSynthesis of Correlation Findings:\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese correlations collectively suggest a complex interplay of factors. The strong negative correlations involving Pedagogical Adequacy point to a perceived disconnect between the students' challenges and the support provided by their programs. Students experiencing difficulties in either linguistic or intercultural domains appear to find the current pedagogical framework insufficient. The positive correlation between Intercultural Competence and Pedagogical Adequacy, coupled with the negative correlation between Linguistic Deficiency and Pedagogical Adequacy, suggests that the curriculum might be more attuned to addressing cultural aspects than foundational linguistic ones, or that perceived linguistic weaknesses hinder students' engagement with and perception of pedagogical effectiveness.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec18\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eQualitative Data Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis section presents the qualitative findings derived from the analysis of open-ended questionnaire responses and classroom observations, organized thematically. The analysis uses a NVivo-style coding structure to identify key themes, associated codes, illustrative quotes, and the weighted percentage of their occurrence.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec19\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eThematic Analysis of Open-Ended Questionnaire Responses\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe open-ended responses were analyzed to identify recurring themes related to students' biggest challenges, perceived language and culture gaps, and suggestions for improvement. The results of this analysis are summarized in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e. The \"Weighted Percentage\" for codes is an approximation based on the frequency and emphasis of specific terms from the provided word frequency data and the open-ended responses.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab6\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 6\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThematic Analysis of Open-Ended Questionnaire Responses\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCode\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eExample Quote\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWDT % (Approx.)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLinguistic Proficiency\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIdiomatic_Accuracy\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Maintaining idiomatic accuracy due to limited exposure to native English contexts.\" (P1)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.07%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSyntactic_Structures\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Understanding complex sentence structures in English.\" (P2)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.19%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCollocations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Dealing with collocations in English.\" (P5)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.26%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrammatical_Accuracy\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Grasping English grammar for translation.\" (P10)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.70%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmbiguity_Resolution\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Dealing with ambiguous English phrases.\" (P22)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.14%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCoherence_Long_Texts\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Maintaining coherence in long texts.\" (P12)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.35%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eArabic_Fluency\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Maintaining natural flow in Arabic translations.\" (P28)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.00%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePhrasal_Verbs\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Understanding English phrasal verbs.\" (P34)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.25%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eColloquialisms\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Understanding English colloquialisms.\" (P58)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.45%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWordplay\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Handling English wordplay.\" (P64)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.45%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSpecialized Knowledge\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTechnical_Terminology\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Translating technical texts due to unfamiliar terminology.\" (P3)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.14%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eScientific_Terminology\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Translating scientific texts accurately.\" (P13)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.15%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLegal_Jargon\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Translating legal texts due to complex jargon.\" (P9)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.05%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBusiness_Jargon\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Translating business jargon.\" (P16)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.18%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMedical_Terminology\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Translating medical texts.\" (P21)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.35%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eContract_Terminology\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Translating legal contracts.\" (P27)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.09%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eJournalistic_Language\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Translating news articles.\" (P33)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.62%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDiplomatic_Language\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Translating diplomatic texts.\" (P41)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.38%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFinancial_Terminology\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Translating financial texts.\" (P49)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.25%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePatent_Terminology\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Translating technical patents.\" (P61)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.22%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCultural Competence\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCultural_Nuances\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Cultural nuances in translation are hard to grasp.\" (P4)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.23%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCulturally_Loaded_Texts\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Translating culturally loaded texts.\" (P6)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.31%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHumor_Translation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Translating humor due to cultural differences.\" (P11)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.86%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eProverbs\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Understanding English proverbs.\" (P14)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.32%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEgyptian_Cultural_Norms\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Adapting translations to Egyptian cultural norms.\" (P15)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.33%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWestern_Culture\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Understanding Western cultural references.\" (P19)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.25%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSensitive_Topics\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Translating culturally sensitive topics.\" (P23)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.38%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCultural_Taboos\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Understanding cultural taboos in translation.\" (P42)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.56%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCultural_Metaphors\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Handling culturally specific metaphors.\" (P48)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.80%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCultural_Authenticity\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Maintaining cultural authenticity in translations.\" (P50)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.41%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCultural_Irony\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Understanding cultural irony.\" (P92)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.10%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCultural_Humor\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Understanding cultural humor in English.\" (P62)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.61%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCultural_Norms\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Understanding English cultural norms.\" (P76)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.33%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCultural_Idioms\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Translating cultural idioms.\" (P73)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.33%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eText Management\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCoherence_Long_Texts\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Maintaining coherence in long texts.\" (P12)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.35%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTone_Maintenance\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Maintaining tone in translations.\" (P20)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.86%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eConsistency\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Maintaining consistency in long translations.\" (P36)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.35%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePractical Skills\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSpeed_Accuracy_Balance\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Balancing speed and accuracy in translations.\" (P7)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.27%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTime_Management\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Handling fast-paced translation tasks.\" (P17)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.05%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePressure_Management\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Maintaining accuracy in high-pressure settings.\" (P44)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.05%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGroup_Translation_Skills\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Handling fast-paced group translations.\" (P40)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.28%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTechnology Integration\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCAT_Tool_Use\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Using CAT tools effectively.\" (P24)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.22%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003ctfoot\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"4\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eNote: WDT % are approximations based on word frequency analysis and thematic relevance, indicating the relative prominence of concepts. This table focuses on recurring codes directly from participant feedback.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tfoot\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe thematic analysis highlights that the most prevalent challenges for Egyptian EFL translation students fall into three interconnected categories:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003col\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLinguistic Proficiency\u003c/b\u003e: A dominant concern is the struggle with nuanced language, particularly \u003cb\u003eidiomatic expressions\u003c/b\u003e (1.07%), \u003cb\u003esyntactic structures\u003c/b\u003e (1.19%), and \u003cb\u003etechnical/specialized terminology\u003c/b\u003e across various fields (e.g., technical 1.14%, legal 1.05%, contract 1.09%). This suggests a fundamental gap in vocabulary breadth and mastery of language structures required for accurate translation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCultural Competence\u003c/b\u003e: Students frequently cite difficulties with \u003cb\u003ecultural nuances\u003c/b\u003e (4.23%) as a major hurdle. This encompasses understanding and translating \u003cb\u003eculturally loaded texts\u003c/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003ehumor\u003c/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eproverbs\u003c/b\u003e, and adapting to \u003cb\u003eEgyptian cultural norms\u003c/b\u003e. The undertaught nature of these aspects is a recurring point, indicating a need for more dedicated cultural training.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePedagogical and Practical Skill Gaps\u003c/b\u003e: A significant theme is the perceived imbalance between theory and practice. Students' suggestions consistently emphasize the need for \u003cb\u003emore exercises\u003c/b\u003e (78 counts in word frequency), practical tasks, specialized workshops, and real-world exposure to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and professional demands. Challenges in \u003cb\u003espeed, accuracy, and time management\u003c/b\u003e (0.27%, 0.05%) also point to a need for more simulated, practical application. Furthermore, limited familiarity with \u003cb\u003eCAT tools\u003c/b\u003e (0.22%) highlights a digital skills gap relevant to the modern translation industry.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe word cloud in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e visually encapsulates the core thematic findings of this study, offering a compelling representation of the challenges encountered by Egyptian EFL translation students. The prominence of the central term, \"translation,\" highlights its overarching significance as the focal point of the students' academic and professional aspirations.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSurrounding this central theme, several key concepts emerge with striking clarity, reflecting the identified deficiency categories. The sheer size and saturation of terms related to \"cultural\" and \"cultural nuances\" (4.23% in the thematic analysis) prominently illustrate the profound impact of cultural competence gaps on translation quality. This visual emphasis suggests that navigating cultural differences is perceived as a primary obstacle.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLinguistic proficiency is similarly well-represented, with terms such as \"language,\" \"idioms,\" \"terminology,\" \"collocations,\" and \"structures\" appearing with considerable frequency. The clustering of these terms signifies the persistent struggles students face with the intricate nuances of the English language, highlighting a fundamental need for enhanced linguistic grounding.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe third prominent thematic cluster revolves around \"pedagogical\" concerns and the necessity for \"practical\" skills. While not explicitly represented as single large words in the cloud, the underlying sentiment is conveyed through related terms such as \"exercises,\" \"tasks,\" \"workshops,\" and the implication of gaps in \"understanding\" and \"strategies.\" The visual arrangement subtly suggests that students are seeking more applied learning experiences and better-structured curricula to bridge the divide between theoretical knowledge and practical application\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFurther terms like \"technical,\" \"legal,\" \"financial,\" and \"journalistic\" point to the specific domains where these linguistic and cultural challenges are most acutely felt, indicating the need for specialized terminology acquisition. The inclusion of terms like \"under-explored\" and \"lacking\" subtly reinforces the perception of unmet needs within current pedagogical approaches. The presence of \"content\" and \"writing\" further emphasizes the link between language production and the translation process.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn essence, this word cloud serves as a powerful visual summary, illustrating that effective translation preparation for Egyptian EFL students is not merely a matter of linguistic accuracy but is deeply intertwined with the development of robust intercultural competence and the provision of more practice-oriented and contextually relevant pedagogical strategies. The visual prominence of these interconnected challenges underscores the imperative for comprehensive reforms in translation education within the Egyptian context.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec20\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eClassroom Observation Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe classroom observation of instructor's \"Introduction to Translation Studies\" course provided valuable qualitative data that contextualizes the students' self-reported challenges and reinforces the findings of the thematic analysis. The observation revealed a highly practical and engaging learning environment (conducive to learning, active participation, balanced interaction), with a strong focus on practical application and the use of authentic materials (Spanish advertisement). This aligns with student suggestions for more real-world tasks.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec21\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eKey Observations Relevant to Challenges:\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLinguistic Proficiency\u003c/b\u003e: The class directly addressed idiomatic expressions, such as \u003cem\u003e\"hitting the nail on the head,\"\u003c/em\u003e and terminology (marketing-specific), demonstrating how instructors can tackle these issues. However, the observation noted that some students struggled with the interface of MemoQ (CAT tool), indicating a need for more hands-on technology training, echoing student concerns about CAT tool use (Participant 24).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCultural Competence\u003c/b\u003e: The instructor actively discussed cultural nuances in the marketing advertisement and the concept of \"cultural equivalence,\" directly addressing a major student-identified challenge. The use of authentic materials facilitated this discussion.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePedagogical Approaches\u003c/b\u003e: The observed balance between theory (translation strategies) and practice (hands-on tasks) was a strength. Instructor delivery was clear, engaging, and provided constructive feedback. However, a weakness noted was that some students seemed hesitant to participate in discussions, possibly due to language confidence issues, which aligns with the students' overall perceived need for more practice to build confidence. The time management was also noted as slightly rushed in the final discussion, a point relevant to the student challenges in speed and accuracy.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe classroom observation thus serves to both validate the students' reported challenges (e.g., idioms, technology familiarity) and highlight effective pedagogical strategies that could be emulated to address these issues. The session's strengths in practical application and cultural discussion offer a model, while the noted hesitations in participation and tech struggles point to areas needing further attention in translation pedagogy.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec22\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eIntegration of Quantitative and Qualitative Data: A Joint Display\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative survey data with qualitative thematic analysis and classroom observations to provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by Egyptian EFL translation students. To illustrate how qualitative insights corroborate and expand upon quantitative trends, Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab7\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e provides a joint display that synthesizes key findings from these different data sources, offering a richer, more nuanced interpretation of the students' experiences and the identified deficiencies.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab7\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 7\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eJoint Display: Interplay of Linguistic Deficiencies and Pedagogical Perceptions\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChallenge Domain\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuantitative Findings (Tables\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e \u0026amp; \u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eQualitative Findings (Thematic Analysis \u0026amp; Observations)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eJoint Interpretation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLinguistic Proficiency\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHigh Difficulty\u003c/b\u003e: Students report significant challenges with unfamiliar terminology (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.80), idiomatic expressions (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.86), and collocations (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.75). Over 75% of students struggle with these areas.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDominant Concerns\u003c/b\u003e: Qualitative data reveal students' struggles with \"idiomatic accuracy\" (1.07%), \"collocations\" (0.26%), \"phrasal verbs\" (0.25%), and \"colloquialisms\" (0.45%). The challenge of translating \"technical terminology\" (1.14%) is also a major theme. Students explicitly mentioned needing \"more practice\" and \"exposure to native English contexts\" to improve these aspects.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe quantitative data identifying difficulties with specialized vocabulary and idiomatic language are strongly supported by qualitative reports. Students' own words emphasize a direct link between lack of exposure/practice and their struggles with nuanced linguistic elements crucial for accurate translation. This highlights a need for more targeted vocabulary acquisition and practice with idiomatic language in the curriculum.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePedagogical Support\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePerceived Inadequacy\u003c/b\u003e: Students express low agreement with the adequacy of practical exercises (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.36, 45% Agree/Strongly Agree), the balance of theory/practice (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.91, 16% Agree/Strongly Agree), and the effectiveness of technology (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.95, 25% Agree/Strongly Agree). The cross-tabulation (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e) shows that students struggling with idioms are highly likely to perceive a lack of sufficient practical exercises (e.g., 16 out of 45 students who struggle with idioms found exercises inadequate when Q19 was Neutral).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCall for More Practice\u003c/b\u003e: Qualitative data show a pervasive theme of the \"perceived imbalance between theory and practice.\" Students consistently suggest the need for \"more exercises\" (78 counts in word frequency), \"practical tasks,\" and \"real-world exposure.\" Classroom observations noted student hesitancy, potentially due to language confidence issues, reinforcing the need for more practice to build confidence.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe quantitative data on perceived pedagogical inadequacy are vividly illustrated by the qualitative feedback and observations. Students explicitly state a need for more hands-on application, which directly addresses their linguistic challenges. The observed hesitancy in class, linked to language confidence, further suggests that increased practical exercises, particularly focusing on idioms, could foster both linguistic improvement and student confidence. The low agreement on technology use also points to a gap in practical skills development.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eInterrelation of Challenges\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eStrong Negative Correlation\u003c/b\u003e: A strong negative correlation (r=-0.846, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01) exists between Linguistic Deficiency Score and Pedagogical Adequacy Score. This suggests that as linguistic challenges increase, the perception of pedagogical adequacy decreases.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eQualitative Reinforcement\u003c/b\u003e: Student feedback often links linguistic struggles directly to the perceived shortcomings in teaching methods and curriculum content. For example, comments about needing more practice often stem from difficulties with specific linguistic features. Classroom observations also noted that when instructors tackled complex linguistic issues (like idioms), some students struggled, underscoring the need for pedagogical approaches that cater to these difficulties.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe correlation analysis powerfully demonstrates that students' linguistic struggles are closely tied to their perception of the pedagogical framework's effectiveness. Qualitatively, students' verbatim feedback and observed classroom dynamics confirm this link, indicating that the perceived lack of practical exercises and insufficient focus on nuanced linguistic features directly contribute to their dissatisfaction with the program's ability to prepare them.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe joint display highlights a compelling synergy between the quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data establish the prevalence and intensity of linguistic deficiencies, particularly concerning specialized terminology, idioms, and collocations. Simultaneously, the qualitative data provide the student voice, articulating the reasons behind these struggles and directly linking them to a perceived lack of sufficient practical application and relevant pedagogical approaches.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe strong negative correlation between linguistic deficiencies and pedagogical adequacy underscores this relationship, indicating that students' linguistic struggles are exacerbated by a perceived inadequacy in the educational support provided. The cross-tabulation and bar chart further solidify this connection, showing that students grappling with idioms are highly likely to also find the practical exercises wanting. This integrated analysis points towards a critical need for curriculum reform that prioritizes hands-on practice, targeted linguistic skill development (especially in idiomatic language and specialized vocabulary), and more effective integration of relevant technologies to equip Egyptian EFL translation students for professional success.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study aimed to\u0026nbsp;provide a diagnostic evaluation of\u0026nbsp;the linguistic and cultural deficiencies and pedagogical challenges\u0026nbsp;impacting the development of assessable translation competence\u0026nbsp;among Egyptian EFL students. The findings, derived from a mixed-methods approach, reveal a complex interplay of factors that impede students\u0026apos; readiness for the professional translation market. The results\u0026nbsp;offer a robust needs analysis that can inform the design of more effective assessment frameworks and pedagogical interventions\u0026nbsp;within the Egyptian context.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAddressing the Research Questions: Implications for Assessment and Evaluation\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col start=\"1\" type=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eWhat are the primary linguistic deficiencies encountered by Egyptian EFL students in their translation preparation programs?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe quantitative findings strongly emphasize that the primary linguistic deficiencies revolve around specialized terminology, idiomatic expressions, and collocations. The qualitative data further elucidate these challenges, with students explicitly mentioning difficulties with \u0026quot;technical terminology,\u0026quot; \u0026quot;idiomatic accuracy,\u0026quot; and \u0026quot;collocations.\u0026quot; This suggests that while students may possess foundational grammatical and syntactic knowledge, their proficiency in the highly specialized and context-dependent lexicon required for effective translation is a critical area of weakness.\u0026nbsp;From an assessment standpoint, these findings indicate that current evaluation methods may not adequately measure these specific, high-level linguistic skills. Summative assessments should, therefore, incorporate authentic tasks that require the translation of technical and idiomatic language to ensure construct validity.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col start=\"2\" type=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eTo what extent do insufficient intercultural competence and a lack of cultural awareness hinder the translation skills of Egyptian EFL students?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe findings clearly indicate that insufficient intercultural competence significantly hinders students\u0026apos; translation skills, particularly when dealing with culturally loaded texts and socio-cultural issues.\u0026nbsp;This presents a significant challenge for the valid assessment of translation competence.\u0026nbsp;While linguistic accuracy is relatively straightforward to measure,\u0026nbsp;evaluating\u0026nbsp;intercultural sensitivity and the ability to produce culturally appropriate translations requires more sophisticated\u0026nbsp;performance-based assessment rubrics. The results suggest a critical need to develop and integrate\u0026nbsp;assessment tools that can reliably measure the intercultural dimension of translation performance, moving beyond simple right/wrong evaluations.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col start=\"3\" type=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eHow do Egyptian EFL students perceive the adequacy and effectiveness of current pedagogical approaches and curriculum design in preparing them for translation careers?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStudent perceptions regarding pedagogical approaches and curriculum design are mixed but lean towards dissatisfaction. The most critical finding is the near-universal perception that the programs do not adequately prepare students for the professional translation market (M=2.58, 0% Agree/Strongly Agree).\u0026nbsp;This can be interpreted as a negative evaluation of the curriculum\u0026apos;s predictive validity.\u0026nbsp;Students perceive a significant gap between what is taught and tested in their programs and the skills required for professional practice. This suggests that\u0026nbsp;current in-program assessment methods (e.g., exams, projects) lack authenticity and are not perceived as being aligned with professional performance standards.\u0026nbsp;There is a clear call for more\u0026nbsp;authentic assessment tasks, such as simulations, project-based work, and portfolio development, that mirror real-world industry demands.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col start=\"4\" type=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eWhat are the most prominent challenges identified by Egyptian EFL students as impediments to developing competent translation skills, and how do these challenges interrelate across linguistic, cultural, and pedagogical domains?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe most prominent challenges are the interconnected deficiencies in linguistic proficiency, intercultural competence, and the perceived inadequacy of pedagogical support. The correlation analysis powerfully demonstrates this interrelationship. The strong negative correlation between Linguistic Deficiency and Pedagogical Adequacy (r=-0.846, p\u0026lt;0.01) indicates that students who struggle with the core linguistic skills are the most critical of the program\u0026apos;s effectiveness.\u0026nbsp;This suggests that isolated assessments of discrete skills (e.g., a vocabulary test or a grammar quiz) are insufficient for either diagnostic or summative purposes.\u0026nbsp;The interconnectedness of these challenges calls for a\u0026nbsp;holistic assessment framework\u0026nbsp;that evaluates students\u0026apos; ability to integrate linguistic, cultural, and strategic competencies in a single performance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn summary, the findings of this study provide a comprehensive diagnostic assessment of a translation program, highlighting a critical misalignment between curriculum, pedagogy, and the development of professionally relevant, assessable competencies. The integrated approach reveals the need for a holistic strategy that uses assessment for learning to deepen intercultural understanding and foster practical skills.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study has provided a comprehensive evaluation of the linguistic and cultural deficiencies and pedagogical challenges encountered by English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in translation programs at Egyptian universities. The findings consistently indicate that students face significant hurdles in acquiring the specialized linguistic proficiency, robust intercultural competence, and practical skills necessary for effective translation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe primary linguistic deficiencies identified include difficulties with specialized terminology, idiomatic expressions, and collocations, echoing established challenges in EFL learning but highlighting their amplified impact within translation studies. These are further compounded by a significant deficit in intercultural competence, particularly concerning the translation of culturally loaded texts and socio-cultural issues, underscoring the need for deeper cultural awareness and sensitivity.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCritically, the study reveals a pervasive perception among students that current pedagogical approaches and their associated assessment practices are inadequate in preparing them for the demands of the professional translation market. The imbalance between theory and practice, insufficient practical exercises, and limited exposure to essential translation technologies were frequently cited as major shortcomings.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe correlation analyses powerfully demonstrate the interconnectedness of these challenges. Linguistic and cultural deficiencies are strongly linked to a diminished perception of pedagogical adequacy, suggesting that the current educational framework may not be effectively supporting students in overcoming these hurdles. The qualitative data further illuminate these relationships, providing students' direct accounts of their struggles and their calls for more practical engagement and targeted skill development.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn conclusion, this research highlights the urgent need for systemic reforms in EFL translation education within Egyptian universities. To improve program effectiveness and ensure graduates possess demonstrable skills, programs must prioritize:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnhancing linguistic proficiency\u003c/b\u003e: Through assessment-driven instruction that uses diagnostic tools to target vocabulary acquisition, intensive practice with idiomatic language, and exposure to diverse specialized texts.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDeveloping intercultural competence\u003c/b\u003e: By integrating performance-based assessments that require students to analyze cultural nuances and navigate culturally sensitive content effectively.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eReforming pedagogical and curricular approaches\u003c/b\u003e: By bridging the theory-practice gap and implementing authentic assessment tasks that mirror industry-relevant skills, such as portfolio creation, simulated translation projects, and technology-based assignments.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEgyptian universities can achieve significant improvements in the validity and reliability of their translation education programs with a commitment to these critical areas, a process that will foster more competent and confident translators for the global market.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Abbreviations","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionList\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eAI\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eArtificial Intelligence\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eCAT\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eComputer-Assisted Translation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eEFL\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnglish as a Foreign Language\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eIRB\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eInstitutional Review Board\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eM\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eSD\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eStandard Deviation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eWDT\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWeighted Thematic Analysis Percentage\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis study received ethical approval from the \u003cstrong\u003eauthor\u0026apos;s institutional review board (details removed for blind review)\u003c/strong\u003e. The research was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles for research involving human participants as outlined by the relevant institutional review board. All human participants involved in this study provided written informed consent prior to their participation. Participants were fully informed about the purpose of the research, the procedures involved, and their right to withdraw from the study at any time without penalty.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;Not applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClinical trial number: not applicable.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eM.M. conceptualized the study, designed the methodology and materials, collected the data, analyzed the data, created the figures, wrote the initial draft of the manuscript, and revised the final draft.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eData Availability\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe data that support the findings of this study are available as supplementary files.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbdelhalim, S. 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The challenges of training with interpreters and translators: The case study of a Hungarian organization. \u003cem\u003eJournal of European Industrial Training\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e30\u003c/em\u003e(9), 687\u0026ndash;700. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090590610715013\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDamayanti, D., \u0026amp; Sundari, H. (2022). The use of prepositions among EFL learners: A systematic review. \u003cem\u003eScope: Journal of English Language Teaching\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e6\u003c/em\u003e(2), 56\u0026ndash;65. https://doi.org/10.30998/scope.v6i2.11381\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDweik, B. S., \u0026amp; Suleiman, M. M. (2013). Problems encountered in translating cultural expressions from Arabic into English. \u003cem\u003eInternational Journal of English Linguistics\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e3\u003c/em\u003e(5), 47\u0026ndash;61. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v3n5p47\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEl-Zeini, N. 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Cambridge University Press.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMd Yusuf, A. H. S., Hoo, F. J., Ayob, N., Maulan, S., \u0026amp; Jailani, A. (2023). Investigating translation errors in students\u0026apos; translation tasks: A case study approach and its pedagogical implications. \u003cem\u003eInternational Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e13\u003c/em\u003e(9), 1238\u0026ndash;1250. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v13-i9/17854\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMekheimer, M. (2015, March 25\u0026ndash;27). \u003cem\u003ePre-service challenges in the preparation of EFL students in faculties of languages \u0026amp; translation in KSA\u003c/em\u003e [Paper presentation]. University of Porto Conference on New Job Opportunities in Translation and Interpreting: Challenges for University Programmes and Language Service Providers, Porto, Portugal.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMekheimer, M. (2016, April 15). \u003cem\u003eTranslation training from theory into practice: A case study\u003c/em\u003e [Paper presentation]. The 9th International Conference on General and Specialist Translation/Interpretation: Theory, Methods, Practice, Kyiv, Ukraine.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMerabet, R., Boudergui, A., \u0026amp; Benhabil\u0026egrave;s, B. (2023). \u003cem\u003eExploring EFL students\u0026apos; attitudes towards using Google Translate in English learning: A case study of third-year LMD students of English at Mohamed Seddik Ben\u003c/em\u003e (Master\u0026apos;s thesis). University of Jijel.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNadeem, N., \u0026amp; Almowalad, S. (2022). Challenges and strategies of acquiring English idioms for EFL undergraduate Saudi students. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e9\u003c/em\u003e(3), 55\u0026ndash;68.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSmaine, A., \u0026amp; Senouci, H. (2025). \u003cem\u003eEnhancing EFL learners\u0026apos; translation skills: Challenges and strategies case study of 3rd year EFL students of Ibn Khaldoun University, Tiaret\u003c/em\u003e [Master\u0026apos;s thesis, University of Tiaret].\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTaye, T., \u0026amp; Mengesha, M. (2024). Identifying and analyzing common English writing challenges among regular undergraduate students. \u003cem\u003eHeliyon\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e10\u003c/em\u003e(17), Article e36876. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36876\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"language-testing-in-asia","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"ltia","sideBox":"Learn more about [Language Testing in Asia](http://languagetestingasia.springeropen.com)","snPcode":"40468","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/40468/3","title":"Language Testing in Asia","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Open","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"EFL translation, assessment of linguistic deficiencies, intercultural competence, pedagogical approaches, curriculum design, evaluation of translation education, Egypt","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7511304/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7511304/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis study conducted a diagnostic evaluation of the multifaceted challenges encountered by English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students enrolled in translation programs at an Egyptian university. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research integrated quantitative survey data and qualitative thematic analysis to identify pervasive deficiencies that impede the development and assessment of translation competence. Findings reveal that students struggle significantly with linguistic proficiency, particularly in mastering specialized terminology, idiomatic expressions, and collocations. Concurrently, there is a marked deficit in intercultural competence, with students reporting considerable difficulty in translating culturally loaded texts and socio-cultural issues. Critically, students perceive current pedagogical approaches and curriculum design as inadequate in preparing them for the professional market, citing an imbalance between theory and practice, insufficient practical exercises, and limited exposure to essential translation technologies. The study's correlation analyses further highlight the interconnectedness of these challenges, demonstrating that linguistic and cultural deficiencies are significantly associated with a diminished perception of the program's effectiveness in fostering assessable skills. These findings underscore the imperative for comprehensive reform in translation education and its assessment frameworks to equip Egyptian EFL students with the necessary skills and knowledge to become competent translators in a globalized context.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"A Diagnostic Assessment of Translation Competence: Linguistic and Intercultural Gaps in Egyptian EFL Programs","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-09-16 10:34:36","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7511304/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-09-24T02:01:37+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-09-23T06:45:40+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-09-16T07:22:47+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"43981397989661083403987843011942857873","date":"2025-09-14T08:13:54+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"316966654903347582706300420222500193187","date":"2025-09-11T20:01:36+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"70377898906222396170970243179589796530","date":"2025-09-11T13:26:18+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"145750547223951350551881868354050649026","date":"2025-09-11T07:23:43+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"249985160047695259108026270341415113533","date":"2025-09-09T07:20:39+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-09-09T07:06:52+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-09-03T06:09:53+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-09-03T06:07:30+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Language Testing in Asia","date":"2025-09-01T19:38:29+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"language-testing-in-asia","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"ltia","sideBox":"Learn more about [Language Testing in Asia](http://languagetestingasia.springeropen.com)","snPcode":"40468","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/40468/3","title":"Language Testing in Asia","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Open","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"89657cad-5469-41b5-b625-2466645375b9","owner":[],"postedDate":"September 16th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-01-19T16:46:14+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-7511304","link":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-025-00423-3","journal":{"identity":"language-testing-in-asia","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Language Testing in Asia"},"publishedOn":"2026-01-17 16:29:01","publishedOnDateReadable":"January 17th, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-09-16 10:34:36","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1186/s40468-025-00423-3","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-025-00423-3","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7511304","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7511304","identity":"rs-7511304","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}