Organized by Masaryk University in the Czech Republic in early September
The National Library and Archives participates in the 10th International Conference on Languistics Studies
The National Library and Archives participates in the 10th International Conference on Linguistic Studies, which is organized by Masaryk University in the Czech Republic from on September 4th & 5th, 2023, with a research paper entitled “Linguistic and translation dilemmas facing Emirati university students in comprehending contemporary literary texts: an applied study”. This comes within the framework of the National Library and Archives’ interest in translation as a bridge between civilizations through which information contributing to the growth of knowledge and culture is expressed.
Presenting the research paper, Professor Siddiq Gohar, a translation expert at the National Library and Archives, sheds light on the linguistic dilemmas facing UAE university students, with the aim of overcoming them, and raising a generation of translators who are familiar with the different aspects of translation processes. This will enable the crossing of cultural boundaries between languages and contribute to creating a future in which the United Arab Emirates aspires to become a global reader.
The scientific paper discusses the translation of contemporary texts and learning foreign languages. It addresses the difficulties and challenges faced by students of language departments in several UAE universities in comprehending, understanding, and translating contemporary literary texts due to the stylistic and textual complexities as well as linguistic and grammatical ambiguities of the texts in most university curricula.  The study aims to find solutions to raise linguistic and analytical competence and enhance students’ critical thinking skills.
The research also discusses addressing lexical problems that are part of learning of foreign languages, as most studies have prioritized areas of research in linguistic and grammatical sciences directing less attention to lexical studies and their various entanglements. The research confirms that lexical dilemmas are among the most important obstacles to learning foreign languages. The problem lies in how to choose words and phrases for effective communication on a large scale.
The research concludes that students’ lack of sufficient knowledge of the semantic ranges of vocabulary and other lexical elements in the mother tongue or in the acquired language is to blame. It leads to serious errors that hinder the development of their language skills and their critical and creative abilities.