Lexical simplification in learner translation: A corpus-based approach

Abstract

The advance of corpus-based methodology in translation studies has greatly enhanced our understanding of the nature of translational language. While most research efforts have focused on identifying the unique features of translations carried out by professionals, comparatively fewer studies have investigated the linguistic features of student translations. In this corpus-based study, we examine if learner translations carried out by Hong Kong students exhibit lexical simplification features vis-à-vis comparable written texts. The study is based on two comparable corpora: the International Corpus of English in Hong Kong (ICE-HK) and the Parallel Learner Translation Corpus (PLTC) compiled at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Following Laviosa (1998), we compare four main lexical features (lexical density, type-token ratio, core vocabulary coverage, and list head coverage) to investigate if student translations show a simplification trend. The results demonstrate that Chinese-to-English translation is not lexically simpler than English as a Second Language (ESL) writing. Furthermore, it is lexically denser than ESL writing. Our study aims to provide new insights into learner translation as a form of constrained communication.