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Analysing EFL Students’ Approach to Translating English Advertisements

Alowysa Br Purba
alowysapurba00@gmail.com
English Education Study Program, University of Prima Indonesia

Irene Gultom
irenegultom40@gmail.com
English Education Study Program, University of Prima Indonesia

Krismardo Gea
krismardogea@gmail.com
English Education Study Program, University of Prima Indonesia

Delsianti Dohude
delsiantidhde@gmail.com
English Education Study Program, University of Prima Indonesia

Jamaluddin Nasution
jamaluddinnasution@unprimdn.ac.id
English Education Study Program, University of Prima Indonesia

Abstract
Translation is critical for second language acquisition in an EFL setting, much more so for people who
cannot speak or understand a foreign language. Additionally, translation can aid in the educational
process, particularly for elementary, junior high, and high school students. Students who are capable
of precise translation will be more receptive to global knowledge, will improve their skills, and will
have an open mind. Then they may think creatively and generate fresh insights and ideas. The purpose
of this study is to determine the translation ability of Indonesian junior high school students when it
comes to translating English ads. The current study adopts a qualitative descriptive methodology. The
samples consisted of 25 grade VIII students from SMP Negeri 21 Medan. The findings discovered eight
methods discussed and analyzed by the researchers. The results indicated that users of the literal
method were the method which was most widely used by students with 96% of students using this
method, and second was the free method with 88% of users, the third was the addition method with
72%, while fourth was the omission method with 36%, fifth position was the paraphrase method, and
in the sixth to the eighth method was the explication method, the generalization method, and the
concretization method respectively with each use of 0% or none used by students. The result of the
research shows that the use of the literal method is more dominantly used by students and is easier to
understand by students, and for other methods there are still some that have not been studied by
students. Therefore, students need to continuously improve their English-speaking skills and increase
their vocabulary. In addition, students also needed to learn the translation method as an important
guide in carrying out translation activities.

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Keywords: translation, method, advertisement, literal, free

INTRODUCTION
According to us, English is a language that uses a lot of vocabulary to make it easier for us to
communicate and express opinions to certain people, English is a very important language today along
with the many developments in science and technology. “Crystal (2003:1) states that English is a global
language. The global era is developing in the world, many countries use English as a communication
tool and make it easier for people who come from various countries to interact and communicate”
(Pasaribu, Herman, and Hutahaean 2020). There are several other benefits of using English, (1) You
are good at speaking English, you will automatically get acquainted and build friendships from various
countries, (2) you are proficient in English, your self-confidence will certainly increase, (3) One of the
benefits of English in everyday life is that you can make extra money through English. Examples such
as opening a course, private teachers, translation services, tourist guides, and many more, (4) In
addition to the benefits above, you can also apply and work for small, medium, and large foreign
companies. Usually, someone who has expertise in English will occupy a pretty good and lucrative
position. (5) If we do not master English, our knowledge will certainly be limited because English is a
universal language, and (6) apart from education, many jobs require good English skills. One of them
is a translator, especially for foreign companies or expatriates who are currently in a certain country.
In Indonesia, English is the first foreign language taught from junior high school to university.
This is a good step in the development of Indonesian education in the face of globalization, and English
is a very frequently used language for communicating and communicating information, emotions and
thoughts. There are several other examples of the role of English in Indonesia. (1) Language is an
investment because the more you teach others, the more knowledge you have. Therefore, the
investment in question is an investment in knowledge. Good investments in the form of money or
stocks are usually popular in the form of knowledge. The benefits of investing in learning such as
learning support when deciding to pursue learning, (2) language as a job opportunity. Vacancy usually
provides qualified employees who can speak a foreign language, so the employment opportunities for
potential foreign language employees will be wider, especially in the era of globalization abroad. (3)
Language opens the door to a wider window of thought. If you speak a foreign language, you can learn
about foreign languages, customs and cultures for free.
“There are two types of language delivery, namely spoken and written. Spoken language can
be used in orientation, dialogue, presentation, and written language can be used in letters, novels, news
reports, textbooks, and many other things (Basari, 2013)”(Pasaribu, Herman, and Hutahaean 2020). In
this day and age, there are so many accesses available for us to learn and get information orally and in
writing. Moreover, we can see this information on social media because with the passage of time and
an increasingly advanced era we can get a lot of information in various forms such as posters,
advertisements, videos, sound clips, and photos. In general, posters, advertisements, videos, sound
clips, and photos which are now widely distributed mostly use English to disseminate information. As
a learner who needs a lot of texts and materials to get information, translation plays an important role
in transferring information between languages (Arham & Akrab, 2018). “Translation is the replacement

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of textual material in one language (source language) with equivalent textual material in another
language (target language).”
According to Siregar (2015), “translation is very important in developing the national language
by increasing its capacity as a medium of communication. The translation is very useful, especially for
people who cannot speak and understand foreign languages” (Pasaribu, Herman, and Hutahaean 2020).
The translation is very important and very useful, especially for people who cannot communicate and
understand foreign languages. Translation can also support the learning process, especially for students
who are still sitting in the elementary, junior high, and high school levels. Translation is an interesting
subject not only for professional and amateur translators, but also for students. If students are good at
translating, they will acquire knowledge, improve their skills and become open-minded. Then they can
creatively come up with new insights and new ideas.
To determine the translation method, translation experts provide several translation methods as
described by Peter Newmark (1988: 45-47), namely word for word translation, literal translation,
faithful translation, free translation, semantic translation, idiomatic translation, adaptation translation,
translation. Based on the description above, in the translation process, students also, of course,
experience difficulties in translating some sentences and vocabulary. And to understand the text,
students must be able to interpret and interpret each sentence and part of any text in English.(Pasaribu,
Herman, and Hutahaean 2020)
“Suryawinata in Ahmad (2016) said that a translator should not only seek for the equivalency
but also should consider the massage, the concept, and the meaning that the source language offers.
That is, a translator should have enough knowledge on the target language together with the culture
that the language has” (Rusni 2018). A translator can use a dictionary or other related references to
support the translation process. For example, translation is important due to the development of
communication and information technology. People easily carry out the translation process by using
translation applications on their gadgets. Indeed, it offers instant translation without consulting a
dictionary. However, the quality of translation is mostly not linear with it (Jannah & Arham ,2016).
The translator must pay attention to detail before translating the message and ensure that the translation
results can be accepted and accepted by the target language readers. The translation is a challenging
thing to do in any process of transferring meaning from the source language (SL) into the target
language (TL). It is concluded that the translation process that is not serious will cause
misunderstandings between the messages contained in the source language (SL) to the target language
(TL). At this time English was very widely used for all fields and of course we need to be able to
translate the language, we can see the use of English from advertisements that are widely spread,
especially during the covid-19 period which required a lot of guidance that we can see from
advertisements scattered in various media, and from these English advertisements we needed media
and methods in the translation process that are good and correct. So, the relationship is with the
existence of English-based advertising, we are encouraged to learn and understand English through
advertising.
“Advertising is one of the tools or methods used by advertisers to market or promote a product
or service. In the ad, the text contains the names of products, ideas, and services that can benefit the
user. Advertising has a purpose. One of them is informing, reminding, and persuading customers to
take action on the advertised product/idea (Kotler and Armstrong, 2009: 236)” (TANJUNG 2021).

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Advertisements include words, images, sounds, signs, and object-shaped signs. Advertisers have a way
to market their products and services. From both internet media, banners, magazines, newspapers and
television. But of all media, internet / social media is the most popular, effective and widely used. As
we know in this modern age, everything is accessible via the internet, and the strength with which
information is shared and received is that many people use the internet and social media. There are
many benefits to promoting or selling a product or service on the Internet. The internet and social
media are very effective in promoting and selling any service or product.
In addition to product advertising, there are also public services in the form of advertisements that
are common on the Internet media. One of the public service announcements on the internet is the
Covid19 virus warning ad. This ad contains steps to prevent a healthy lifestyle and the spread of
coronavirus / Covid19. As the virus spreads all over the world, the Indonesian government is taking
various measures to prevent the virus from spreading to Indonesia. One of them is a public upload of
announcements, including prevention of the spread of coronavirus / Covid 19 via the Internet and social
media services. The entire population needs to be aware of the dangers of coronavirus / Covid19
through the issuance of various advertisements by the Minister of Health.
In this study, researchers will use advertising text as the text to be translate by students, because
with the passage of time and advance in information delivery technology, there many advertisements
distribute through social media, smartphones, television and leaflet that distributes directly. Here,
researchers are using advertising copies to prevent "Covid 19", which is currently a problem in almost
every part of the world. Therefore, many students are currently translating texts using Google Translate,
and the translations are not very accurate, so in the course of this research, students will understand
how to translate and get reasonable results. Find out if you want to translate the literary text you
produce.
As a result of the foregoing, the researchers decided to conduct a study titled "Students' Method for
Translating English Text of" Covid 19 "Advertisement into Indonesian" and assess the translation
method used by students. The researchers conducted this study on junior high school students in class
VIII since they will be in the stage of learning English related to the translation process and also to help
students' comprehension, which was still quite limited during the translation learning process. The
researcher evaluates the translation method employed by students to ascertain the degree of their
comprehension of the translation method, which is still in the process of being investigated. Two
semesters will be spent studying the translation method. Additionally, researchers seek to increase
students' awareness of translation procedures and to create accurate translations. Based on the
foregoing, the authors developed the following research questions:
a. What is the translation methods use by “Students’ Method In Translating English Text Of
“Covid-19” Advertisement Into Indonesian Language”?
b. How is the data collection process carry out to finds out “Students’ Method In Translating
English Text Of “Covid-19” Advertisement Into Indonesian Language” ?
c. Why does the student uses the media they use to translate the advertisement?

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METHOD
The present study employed a qualitative descriptive strategy in this investigation. Qualitative
research is research that focuses on materials, situations, activities or the quality of relationships that
has an emphasis on holistic descriptions and is mostly delivered in detail (Fraenkel, et al., 2012, p.426)
cited in (Satriadi 2014)(Sofyanti Ening 2019). This type of research approach is descriptive. Hence,
the goal of this study is to determine whether the translation techniques used by class VIII junior high
school students were appropriate or not based on the characteristics of good translation proposed by
several experts. So, in order to discover these findings, the researcher leaned on the qualitative case
research design in analyzing the translation techniques used in translating the "covid-19" advertising
text that is currently being discussed.
This study was conducted at SMP Negeri 21 Medan. This school is located on Jl. Bunga Rampai
Raya, Simalingkar B, Kec. Medan Tuntungan, Medan City, North Sumatra, 20353. The samples were
chosen through random sampling technique and 25 students class VIII students were selected. The data
was obtained in the form of sentences about "covid-19" advertisements that have been translated from
examples using media and their language by students. sample ad text "covid-19" quoted from several
webs.
After collecting the data, the researcher analyzes the data that has been collected using
Fraenkel's theory, the researcher will classify the eight translation methods/techniques: Literal
Translation, Free Translation, Paraphrased Translation, Additional Translation, Omitting Translation,
Generalized Translation, Concreteization Translation, and Explanatory Translation. Then, identify the
effectiveness of the translation methods used by students.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Here, the authors described the results which was carried out by giving the task of Translating
Covid-19 Advertisements for class VIII Students at SMPN 21 Medan. 25 students were asked to
translate the Covid-19 advertisement with their respective abilities. After data collection, the researcher
analyzed the data to determine the percentage of translation techniques used by students.
The results were shown by the frequency and percentage techniques or methods who was used
by SMPN 21 Medan students and how they varied to translating the text results of the Covid-19
advertisement as described in the following table.
No Methods Used By % Reasons
Students (25
students)
1. Literal 24 96% The reasons why many students at SMPN
21 who were used many translation
methods, especially literal in the Covid-
19 advertisement text, that they have
translated the sentences one by one with
the vocabulary they know, and by using
the literal method it was easier for them to
understood the translations by they make.
2. Free 22 88% Students have used the free translation
method a lot because in this method the

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students were free to interpret the Covid-

19 advertisements that the researcher was
given, but the translation that was done
should not go out of line from the true
meaning.
3. Paraphrase 7 28% Students who were used the paraphrase
method by classified as very few from the
results that we were examined at SMPN
21 because in this method the students
must be translated the advertisement by
using the word/sentence equation and
should not go out of its true sense.
4. Omission 9 36% Students who were used the omission
method also relatively few by what we
were studied, because in this method
students were translated Covid-19
advertisements generally reduce a few
words/sentences according to their
understanding of translation.

5. Explication 0 0% The explication method was also one

method that wasn't used by SMPN 21
students because students were rarely able
to interpret each sentence in detail and
were easy to understand.
6. Addition 18 72% There was also SMPN 21 students who
were used addition translation methods
after researchers were examined the
results of the translation of Covid-19
advertisements carried out by the
students. Some students used this method
because in some sentences translated by
the students, there was a translation that
added words or sentences but the meaning
or the real meaning of the sentence wasn't
separated from the topic being discussed
from the Covid-19 ad text.
7. Generalization 0 0% The generalization method was used by
students at SMPN 21 Medan because they
were very difficult to determined the true
meaning of the word. To determine this
method, students were used more general

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terms in the translation results and more

specific.
8. Concretization 0 0% In the concretization method, none of the
SMPN 21 students were used this method
because in this method students were
translated in detail and specifically. In our
research, none of the students was
translating in detail as in this method in
the Covid-19 advertisement text that we
were given.

The results were shown, there were 8 techniques that the researcher had been analyzing in this
study, namely literal, free, paraphrase, omission, explication, addition, generalization, and
concretization methods.
In the table was shown above, there was a literal translation which is the first technique the
researchers were analyzing to translate the text of the Covid-19 advertisement. The table was shown
that 96% of class VIII SMPN 21 Medan was applied and used literal translation techniques because
some students in class VIII SMPN 21 Medan had dominantly translated sentences one by one with the
vocabulary they were known and by using the literal method they find it easier to understand the
meaning of the words they were created and translated.
The second technique that researchers were analyzed is the free technique by placing 88%. The
technique was widely used by students because in this method students were freed to interpret the
translation of The Covid-19 Advertisement Text. Researchers were provided several media in the form
of a dictionary and by using these media, from this method students can translate freely according to
student knowledge. The student who has translated the word/sentence must not be out of its true
meaning. Most of the students at SMPN 21 Medan that we were studied felt that this free technique
and literal technique were easier to use than the others.
The third technique was the paraphrase method. Students who were used this method was 28%.
Not too many students used the paraphrasing method because in this method students weren't
understood how to paraphrase a sentence into a translation. And this method was still not understood
by students because this method used translation using word phrases.
After that the omission method. This method was used by most of the students we had thorough.
In the omission translation technique, there are 36% of students were using this method. Because in
the omission method, some students omitted some translation of words/sentences from the Covid-19
ad text that the researcher was provided, but students translated without reducing the meaning of the
sentence from the existing translated text.
The results of class VIII student data on this explication method was 0%. This method wasn’t
used by students because it is very difficult to understand. This translation technique was difficult
because students were not studied this explication technique, therefore the data was shown there were
no students who used this technique.
Next, the translation used was the addition technique. Students were using this translation
method consisted of 72% of the samples. The researchers have observed some of them using this

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method because this method had added some meaning. Because it added the meaning of the text that
was given and, in this method, it can add meaning to the word and did not get out of the topic being
discussed or the actual meaning of the existing Covid-19 ad text.
From the results of our research, there was also a method that was not used by class VIII SMPN
21 Medan, namely the generalization method. The analysis of the results of The Covid-19
Advertisement Text translation research that we were did and students who were used this method is
0%. This happened because this method is still very difficult for class VIII students to learn. After all,
this method was to translated sentences whose meanings must be more specific.
From the results of this study, none of the students who used the concretization method.
Students did not use this method because they did not study the concretization method. This made
students very difficult to understand meanings because they had to translate in detail and specifically
but still in the true sense.

Discussion
The researcher examined and analyzed eight techniques in relation to the translation of the
Covid-19 advertisement text among 21 Medan State Junior High School students. The study's findings
indicate that 96 % at SMPN 21 Medan used the literal method, while % of class VIII students used the
free method. The third position was held by the addition method, with 72 %, the fourth position was
held by the omission method, with 36 %, and the fifth position was held by the palindrome method.
As a result of the study, the researcher discovered that several of the eight approaches listed
above were never employed by students. Along with those indicated in the results column, there was
also a column for the difficulties encountered by some students when translating texts, one of which
was a lack of students' comprehension and vocabulary.
Additionally, there were issues with translation practice, as students frequently lacked practice
and had difficulty utilizing some of the previously researched methodologies. This was because the
teacher did not provide sufficient translation exercises, and hence the students did not practice
translating and had difficulties using some of the existing approaches. As evidenced by the study's
findings, many students were accustomed to the literal translation approach, which is more prevalent
than other methods with a proportion of 96%.

CONCLUSION
According to the qualitative descriptive approach used in the research, data were collected by
presenting a Covid-19 Advertisement Text to class VIII Junior High School students in translation
according to their existing abilities and media. The researcher examined the approaches employed by
students in the eighth grade of Junior High School. According to the results of the data above, the literal
technique was the most frequently utilized translation method by students when they translated
sentences into Indonesian, accounting for 96% of the total, followed by the method outlined above.
And of these ways, three were not employed by students, namely the explication, generalization, and
concretization approaches, all of which had a proportion of 0%.
As a result, this approach students were still not employed for classroom discussion themes, did
not arrive at the translation method, and also lacked translation procedures both in and out of school.

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The results were obtained through a procedure of data collection in which students were tested on their
ability to translate a text or sentence using the approach they prefer. As a result, students used the literal
translation method more frequently because it was easier to understand and utilized word for word
translation, allowing students to better comprehend all of the sentences created, whereas students used
other translation methods utilizing media such as google translate, which can translate a single word.
Once a sentence or all sentences were not translated by students utilizing their thoughts or media aids
such as books or dictionaries, students' mindsets were less developed and active in learning to interpret
a sentence.

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