Academics in social sciences are increasingly conducting research in multilingual contexts.
Researchers in the field of cross-language research agree that issues on the role of
translators and translation are often neglected and even omitted in research reports, which
may affect the trustworthiness of such a study. The aim of this study was to investigate the
role of translators in cross-language qualitative research from the views of master’s and
doctoral students who conducted cross-language qualitative research in psychology at a
selected South African university.
Exploratory qualitative research and methodology were deemed suitable for this study. Key
participants were sampled through snowball sampling. Five postgraduates availed
themselves to participate. Data were collected by semi-structured e-mail, telephone and/or
face-to-face interviews. Semi-structured interviews were audio recorded and transcribed by
the researcher after the interviews. As the number of available participants was limited, the
researcher also sampled unpublished dissertations (5) and doctoral theses (2) to conduct
document analysis.
Transcripts were imported into ATLAS.ti™, whereafter the qualitative data were analysed
by means of thematic data analysis. Five main themes emerged from the data. Themes from
the transcripts as well as notes in the researcher’s reflective journal and relevant literature
findings were collated. Finally, a critical discussion was provided.
Key participants believed that translators may play a significant role in several stages of a
cross-language qualitative study. Participants reported experiencing several translation
challenges, namely: language barriers between them and their research participants;
difficulty translating subject terminology from English into Afrikaans; and outdated bilingual
scientific dictionaries. Findings also revealed that the credentials of the translator hired may
have an impact, whether positive or negative, on the translation product.
Reasons why translators may be excluded from a cross-language qualitative study were
also highlighted. Firstly, although some of the participants reported that translators may be
valuable in a cross-language study, all of them strongly asserted that they possessed high
language competency, and therefore they deemed the inclusion of translators unnecessary.
v
It also emerged that qualitative researchers may need to be cognisant of ethical issues that
may arise in a cross-language study. Translators may further be excluded as translation
may not be suitable for the specific research design (for example, phenomenology). Finally,
researchers may not have the financial means to hire translators.
None of the key participants reported the language/translation challenges they experienced
during their studies and the possible impact it may have had on the methodology or quality
of data. They did not deem it an important aspect of their studies. In some of the dissertations
and theses sampled, only the mother tongue of participants was often indicated but, in most
cases, was discussed very superficially. These researchers mostly mentioned (as part of
the biographic information) the language profile of their participants; that the data for that
study were collected in either Afrikaans or English; and that the data were translated and
analysed. Finally, although some of the sampled research reports were edited by
professional language practitioners, translation and grammatical errors were clear
throughout in the manuscripts. From this research it was clear that including translators in
cross-language qualitative research in psychology is not a common practice in the South
African context, and matters relating to translation and how challenges in this regard were
dealt with are grossly neglected and mostly omitted in postgraduate research reports. To
conclude, limitations of this study were highlighted, and recommendations for future
translation research and practice were made.
Keywords:;
Navorsing in sosiale wetenskappe word toenemend in veeltalige kontekste uitgevoer.
Kruistaal kwalitatiewe navorsers is dit eens dat vraagstukke rondom die rol van vertalers en
vertaling gereeld oor die hoof gesien word en selfs in navorsingsverslae uitgelaat word, wat
uiteindelik die vetrouenswaardigheid van so ʼn studie mag affekteer. Hierdie studie het ten
doel gehad om ondersoek in te stel na die rol van vertalers in kruistaal kwalitatiewe
navorsing vanuit die oogpunt van meestersgraad- en doktorale studente wat kruistaal
kwalitatiewe navorsing in sielkunde aan ʼn gekose Suid-Afrikaanse universiteit uitgevoer het.
Eksploratiewe kwalitatiewe navorsing en metodologie is as geskik geag vir hierdie studie.
Sleuteldeelnemers is deur middel van sneeubalsteekproefneming gekies. Vyf nagraadse
studente het hulleself beskikbaar gestel om aan die navorsing deel te neem. Data is deur
middel van semi-gestruktureerde e-pos-, telefoon- en aangesig-tot-aangesig-onderhoude
ingesamel. Die aantal deelnemers wat aan die studie kon deelneem was beperk en daarom
het die navorser ook ongepubliseerde verhandelings (5) en proefskrifte (2) ingesamel ten
einde dokumentanalise uit te voer.
Transkripsies is in ATLAS.ti™ ingevoer, waarna die kwalitatiewe data deur middel van
tematiese data-analise ontleed is. Vyf hooftemas het uit die data gespruit. Temas uit die
transkripsies sowel as die navorser se notas uit haar reflektiewe joernaal en relevante
literatuurbevindinge is saamgevat, waarna ʼn bespreking gevolg het.
Sleuteldeelnemers was van mening dat vertalers ʼn belangrike rol kan speel in verskeie fases van ʼn kruistaal kwalitatiewe studie. Volgens deelnemers het hulle verskeie vertaaluitdagings
ervaar, naamlik: taalhindernisse tussen hulle (die navorser) en hul navorsingsdeelnemers;
uitdagings om vakterminologie van Engels in Afrikaans te vertaal; en verouderde tweetalige
vakwoordeboeke. Bevindinge het ook getoon dat die aangestelde vertaler se kwalifikasies
ʼn impak mag hê, hetsy positief óf negatief, op die vertaalproduk.
Redes waarom vertalers van ʼn kruistaal kwalitatiewe studie uitgesluit kan wees, is ook
uitgelig. Ten eerste, hoewel enkele deelnemers meegedeel het dat vertalers in ʼn kruistaal
kwalitatiewe studie waardevol kan wees, het alle deelnemers sterk benadruk dat hulle oor
hoë taalvaardigheid beskik, en daarom het hulle die insluiting van vertalers in hul studies
vii
onnodig geag. Dit blyk ook dat kwalitatiewe navorsers bewus moet wees van etiese
vraagstukke wat in ʼn kruistaal studie mag onstaan. Vertalers kan voorts uitgesluit word
indien vertaling nie geskik is vir die spesifieke navorsingsontwerp nie (byvoorbeeld,
fenomenologie). Laastens, navorsers beskik moontlik nie oor die finansiële middele om
vertalers aan te stel nie.
Geeneen van die sleuteldeelnemers het die taal- of vertaaluitdagings wat hulle in hul studies
ervaar het, genoem nie en het ook nie gemeld wat die moontlike impak op die metodologie
of kwaliteit van die data mag wees nie. Hulle het dit nie in hulle studies belangrik geag nie.
In enkele gekose verhandelings en proefskrifte is die moedertaal van navorsingsdeelnemers
in daardie studies aangedui, maar is meestal baie simplisties bespreek. Hierdie navorsers
het grotendeels slegs die taalprofiel van hulle deelnemers genoem (as deel van die
biografiese inligting); dat data in hulle studies in óf Engels óf Afrikaans ingesamel is; en dat
die data vertaal en ontleed is. Laastens, hoewel sommige van die navorsingsverslae deur
professionele taalpraktisyns geredigeer is, is vertaal- en grammatiese foute steeds
deurgaans in die manuskripte opgemerk. Dit blyk duidelik uit dié navorsing dat die insluiting
van vertalers in kruistaal kwalitatiewe navorsing in sielkunde nie algemene praktyk in die
Suid-Afrikaanse konteks is nie, en sake wat verband hou met vertaling en hoe uitdagings in
dié verband hanteer is, word grootliks nagelaat en meestal in nagraadse navorsingsverslae
uitgelaat. Ten laaste is beperkings van die studie uitgelig, en aanbevelings is gemaak vir
toekomstige vertaalnavorsing en -praktyk.
Batlhatlheledi mo dithutong tsa maaranyana a dikgolagano gareng ga batho ba ba dirang
patlisiso ka ga bopuontsi, ba ntse ba oketsega go feta. Babatlisisi mo tikologong ya dipuo
tse di fapaaneng ba dumela gore mabaka a a ka ga karolo e e tsewang ke baranodi le
diphetolelo, mo nakong e ntsi e tlogelwa kwa morago mme le gone ga e akaretswe gotlhelele
mo dipegong tsa patlisiso. Seno, se ka ama boikanyego jwa serutwa. Maikaelelo a serutwa
seno e ne e le go batlisisa karolo e e tsewang ke baranodi mo patlisisong ya dipuo tse
fapaaneng e e itsegeng ka la ‘qualitative’, go tswa mo dikakanyong tsa baithuti ba dithuto
tsa Masetase le tsa Bongaka, ba ba dirileng patlisiso tsa dipuo tse di fapaaneng mo
patlisisong e e itsegeng ka la ‘qualitative’, mo go saekholoji mo yunibesiting e e kgethilweng
mo Aforikaborwa.
Patlisiso e e ka ga ditlhaloso tsa mabaka a a batlisisiwang, ya go utulola mmogo le mokgwa
wa go batla tshedimosetso, di fitlhetswe e le tse di siametseng serutwa seno. Batsayakarolobagolo
ba patlisiso ba ne ba kgethiwa mme ba ne ba tshwanetse go batla batsayakarolo
bangwe ba go tla dirwang diteko ka bone. Batsholadidikerii tsa dithuto tse dikgolwane ba le
batlhano ba ne ba ithaopa go tsaya karolo. Tshedimosetso e kgobokantswe ka imeile ya
seka-thulaganyo, mogala le/kgotsa dipuisano tsa go lebelana ka matlho. Ditherisano tsa
seka-thulaganyo di ne tsa gatisiwa mme tsa kwalololwa ke mmatlisisi morago ga dipuisano.
Ka ntlha ya fa palo ya batsayakarolo e ne e le e nnye, mmatlisisi o ne a kgobokanya dikao
di le 5 go tswa mo dithutong tsa Masetase, le tse 2 go tswa mo go tsa Bongaka, tse di sa
phasaladiwang di kanoka.
Dikgatiso di ile tsa tsengwa mo teng ga ATLAS.ti™, mme morago tshedimosetso e e ka ga
ditlhaloso e ne ya kanokwa ka mokgwa wa kanoko ya dithitokgang. Go tswa mo
tshedimosetsong, go ne tlhagelela dithitokgang di le tlhano. Dithitokgang go tswa mo
dikgatisong mmogo le dikwalwa go tswa mo jenaleng ya dikakanyo tsa mmatlisisi le
diphitlhelelo go tswa mo dipuisong tsa patlisiso, di ne tsa kgobokanngwa. Mo bokhutlong,
go ne ga nna le puisano e e nang le dikakanyo tse di farologaneng.
Batsayakarolo-bagolo ba na ba dumela gore baranodi ba ka tsaya karolo e e botlhokwa
thata mo thutong ya ditlhaloso e e ka ga dipuo tse di fapaaneng. Batsayakarolo ba begile fa
ba nnile dikgwetlho tsa diphetolelo, e leng: dikganedi tsa puo magareng a bone le batsayakarolo ba bone mo patlisisong; bothata jwa go fetolela mareo a serutwa go tswa mo
Seesimaneng go ya kwa Seaforikanseng; le dibukantswe tse dipuopedi tsa bonetetshi tsa
bogologolo. Diphitlhelelo di supile gape gore bokgoni jwa moranodi yo o hirilweng bo nnile
le tshusumetso, E ka ne e le e e siameng kgotsa e e sa siamang, mo go lereng phetolelo.
Mabaka a goreng baranodi ba ka tlogelwa kwa morago mo serutweng se se ka ga dipuo tse
di fapaaneng, le one a ne a tlhagisiwa. Sa ntlha, le fa ba bangwe ba batsayakarolo ba begile
gore baranodi ba ka nna botlhokwa thata mo serutweng se se ka ga dipuo tse di fapaaneng,
botlhe ba ne ba dumela gore ba na le bokgoni jwa maemo a a kwa godimo jwa puo, mme
ka lebaka leo, ba bone gore go akaretsa baranodi ga go tlhokege. Go ne ga tlhagelela gape
gore babatlisisi ba dipatlisiso tse di ka ga ditlhaloso, ba ka tshwanela go ela tlhoko mabaka
a a amogelegang ka sengwe se tsewang se siame kgotsa se se siama, a a ka tlhagelelang
mo serutweng se se ka ga dipuo tse di fapaaneng. E bile baranodi ba ka nna ba se
akarediwe ka gonne diphetolelo di ka fitlhelwa se nne matshwanedi mo mekgweng le mefuta
e e dirisiwang go kgobokanya le go kanoka tshedimosetso ka ga dipatlisiso (sekao, serutwa
se se ka ga kakanyo kgotsa maitemogelo). Mo bokhutlong, gongwe babatlisisi ba ka se nne
le madi a go thapa baranodi.
Ga go ope wa batsayakarolo bagolo yo o begileng dikgwetlho tsa puo/phetolelo tse ba
kgatlhaneng le tsona mo dithutong tsa bone le le seabe se di nnileng le sona mo mokgweng
wa go batla tshedimosetso kgotsa boleng jwa tshedimosetso. Ga ba a bona seno e le ntlha
e e botlhokwa mo dithutong tsa bone. Mo dithutong tsa masetase le tsa bongaka tse di
kgobokantsweng, go ne ga tlhagisiwa fela puogae ya batsayakarolo, mme mo mabakeng a
le mantsi, puisano ka ga yona e ne e se boteng. Babatlisisi bano ba kaile go le gantsi (jaaka
karolo ya tshedimosetso ka ga motho) ka ga puo e e buiwang ke batsayakarolo; gore
tshedimosetso ka ga serutwa seo e kgobokantswe ka puo ya Seaforikanse kgotsa Seesimane; le gore tshedimosetso e ne ya fetolelwa mme ya kanokwa. Mo bokhutlong, le
fa diphoso tse di ka puo mo go tse dingwe tsa dipegelo tsa dipatlisiso di ne tsa baakanngwa
ke baitseanape ba ba dirang ka puo, diphoso tsa phetolelo le thutapuo di nnile teng mo
dikwalweng. Go tswa mo patlisisong eno, go ne ga itshupa gore go akaretsa baranodi mo
patlisisong ya dithuto tse di ka tlhaloganyo, e e ka ga ditlhaloso mo dipuong tse di
fapaaneng, ga se se se diriwang ka tlwaelo go ya ka Seaforikaborwa. Le gona, mabaka a a
amanang le phetolelo le mokgwa o dikgwetlho di neng tsa rarabololwa ka teng, di kgatolositswe e bile ga di akarediwe mo dipegelong tsa dipatlisiso tsa dithuto tse di
kgolwane.
Go konosetsa, dikganedi tsa serutwa seno di ne tsa supiwa mme ga newa dikgakololo ka
ga dipatlisiso le tiriso ya phetolelo mo isagong.
