Developing metacognitive competences in translation from/into African languages: a case for rethinking the curriculum and practice of translation

This study examines the role of metacognitive competences in the translation processes involving African languages. Translators often lack the awareness of their cognitive processes and the impact it has on translation quality when faced with significant challenges in rendering accurate and culturally sensitive translations. The study therefore sets out to investigate why translators, especially those translating from/into African languages should develop metacognitive competences, and determine the future of translating from/into African languages as a result of the development of metacognitive competences. This study employed a mixed method research design. Data was collected qualitatively through interviews, observations and documentary research, and quantitatively through questionnaires administered to some translation students in ASTI offering translation from/into African languages as well as professional translators. The quantitative data was analyzed using bar charts and descriptive statistics, while the qualitative data was analyzed using the thematic approach. The findings reveal that 53.9% of translators engage in assessing their work but only 30.3% actively monitor it, with a dominant reliance on native consultation (87.9%) for quality assurance. Despite current challenges, including moderate competence levels (49%) and existing barriers (58.3%), the future appears transformative for metacognitive development, with translators overwhelmingly in support for professionalisation (85.4%), technology integration (87.5%), and curriculum integration (86.5%). Key recommendations proposed are implementing metacognitive training in the school curricula, using translation logs and digital tools and fund them, and developing policies for digital infrastructure and glossaries, aligning with global trends, as well as establishing community networks for native speaker consultations to ensure cultural fidelity.