Applying the blended learning model to teach Vietnamese-English translation skills: A case study at English Faculty - Hue Univesity of Foreign Languages

The blended learning model, a combination of traditional face-to-face classes with online classes, has become a prevalent trend in language teaching. While this model has been applied widely in many English language skills courses, little is known about its possible impacts on professional translation training courses, in which traditional lecture-based teaching approaches are still pervasive. This study discusses the course design of a blended learning model to teach Vietnamese-English specialized Translation skills. The study aimed to (1) offer an in-depth insight into how this model was implemented in an actual Vietnamese – English specialized translation classroom setting context, and (2) investigate students’ perceptions toward how this model contributed to the improvement of their translation skills. 75 English-Vietnamese translation-major students who enrolled in Specialised translation 1 course at English Faculty - Hue University of Foreign languages Vietnam participated in the study during the second semester of the 2021 – 2022 academic year. The study adopted a case-study mixed method design, applying both qualitative and quantitative content analysis of students’ surveys and of students’ end-of-course feedback on their reflective journals. The results revealed that despite some limitations, the blended learning model has proved to be efficacious to improve both students’ translation skills and the quality of translation training. Theoretical and pedagogical implications for the implementation of a blended learning model to improve the quality of translation training courses in Vietnam are also provided.