Students’ Struggles with Engineering and Technical Vocabulary A Case Study of Translation Issues at the Higher Institute of Engineering Technologies, Benghazi

Abstract

This study investigated the persistent challenges faced by undergraduate engineering students attempting to translate technical terminology from English into Arabic at the Higher Institute of Engineering Techniques, Benghazi. The language of instruction in engineering and source materials is mostly English, and students’ efforts to produce accurate and contextually appropriate translations interfere with their understanding and academic performance. Utilizing a mixed-method case study design, the study triangulated information from task analysis of translations, error typology, and student questionnaires to examine cognitive and linguistic barriers in engineering discourse. The findings validated problems in conceptualizing and contextualizing technical terms, which often resulted in literal, erroneous, or semantically incoherent translations. These issues were caused by limited exposure to domain texts, insufficient lexical training, and a disconnect between general English teaching and specialized translation needs. The results highlight the need for explicit vocabulary instruction and field-specific, translation-oriented modules in engineering education. The study contributes to the field of translation pedagogy by emphasizing the cognitive demands of technical translation and proposing data-driven instructional interventions for non-native English-speaking engineering students.