DEVELOPING LEXICAL COMPETENCE IN STUDENTS THROUGH THE TRANSLATION OF PROFESSIONAL TEXTS

This study investigates the effectiveness of translating professional texts as a pedagogical strategy for developing lexical competence among university students specializing in English for Specific Purposes (ESP). Lexical competence, encompassing vocabulary breadth, depth, collocations, and productive use, is a cornerstone of communicative proficiency in professional contexts. An experimental design involving 60 students from technical and medical faculties in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, was employed. Participants in the experimental group engaged in structured translation tasks using authentic professional texts (e.g., medical reports, technical manuals, and legal documents) over a 12-week period, while the control group followed traditional vocabulary instruction. Pre- and post-tests measured lexical size, depth of knowledge, and translation accuracy. Results demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in the experimental group’s lexical competence (p < 0.01), particularly in collocation mastery and contextual word usage. The findings highlight translation as a dynamic bridge between receptive and productive lexical skills, supporting the integration of professional translation into ESP curricula. Implications for language teaching in non-English-dominant contexts are discussed, emphasizing cultural and linguistic adaptation.本研究探讨以专业文本翻译作为教学策略，对培养专门用途英语（English for Specific Purposes, ESP）方向大学生词汇能力（lexical competence）的有效性。词汇能力涵盖词汇广度、词汇深度、搭配能力及产出性运用，是专业语境下交际能力的核心基石。本研究采用实验设计，招募乌兹别克斯坦塔什干市60名来自工科与医学院系的学生作为被试。实验组被试在12周周期内，依托真实专业文本（如医疗报告、技术手册、法律文书）完成结构化翻译任务；对照组则沿用传统词汇教学模式。研究通过前测与后测，对被试的词汇量规模、词汇知识深度及翻译准确率进行了测量。结果显示，实验组的词汇能力（尤其是搭配掌握与语境词汇运用）获得了统计学意义上的显著提升（p < 0.01）。研究表明，翻译是衔接接受性与产出性词汇技能的动态桥梁，支持将专业翻译融入专门用途英语课程体系。本研究还探讨了该成果在非英语主导语境下对语言教学的启示，强调需兼顾文化与语言适配。