Journal of English Teaching and Applied Linguistics (JETAL)
Vol 7 No 2 (2026): April In Progress

Project-Based Learning and Translation Shifts in the Descriptive Texts: A Qualitative Study among Indonesian English Education Students

Sanggam Siahaan (Universitas HKBP Nommensen Pematangsiantar)
Basar Lolo Siahaan (Unknown)
Siska Anggita Situmeang (Universitas HKBP Nommensen Pematangsiantar)



Article Info

Publish Date
22 Dec 2025

Abstract

This study was to know the use of shift types in the translation of descriptive texts found in the online English Textbook published for grade 10th students in Indonesia. It engaged 39 English Education Study Program students of the University of HKBP Nommensen Pematangsiantar, Indonesia, to use Indonesian linguistic codes to replace English linguistic codes in the translation of descriptive texts. It applied a qualitative method design and randomly selected 4 projects out of 39 student-translation project portfolios. Three concurrent activities: data collection/reduction, data display, and conclusion draw/verification were used to analyze the shift types. The results were dominantly structure shifts, 83.3%, and unit shifts, 16.7%, in project 1; structure shifts, 100%, in project 2; unit shifts, 57.14% and class shifts, 21.42%, in project 3; and level shifts, 40.74%, and structure shifts, 44.44% in project 4. The students tended to used structure shifts and class shifts to keep translation fidelity, accuracy, adequacy, fluency, and coherence from English descriptive texts into Indonesian through Project-Based Learning. It needs to engage more subjects and data to shed pedagogical light to improve students’ ability in the translation of English narrative texts into Indonesian.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jetal

Publisher

Subject

Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Social Sciences

Description

Journal of English Teaching and Applied Linguistic (JETAL) is a peer-reviewed journal published in Indonesia by the Department of English Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, the University of HKBP NOMMENSEN (PSPBI FKIP UHKBPN). This journal is published twice a year: April and ...