An Analytical Study of Lexical Challenges Encountered in Translating Selected Football Expressions by English Undergraduate Students at Yemeni Universities

Abstract

This study investigates the lexical challenges and translation strategies employed by Yemeni undergraduate students when rendering specialized English football terminology into Arabic, focusing on non-equivalence and the effectiveness of Mona Baker’s (2018) compensatory strategies. A purposive sample of 30 senior students from Taiz University, Ibb University, and the University of Science and Technology (UST) participated in the research. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study employed a translation test consisting of 20 isolated terms and 6 contextualized terms to evaluate the impact of textual clues on accuracy. Findings reveal significant conceptual barriers, especially regarding metaphorical and idiomatic expressions; while technical terms like “Stadium” saw high success, performance declined sharply for metaphors such as “Park the bus.” Statistical analysis shows an overall success rate of 65.2%. Furthermore, the results refute the hypothesis of male superiority, as female students consistently outperformed males by applying systematic academic strategies like paraphrasing. Institutionally, Taiz University students demonstrated greater flexibility in functional strategies, whereas UST students favored technical borrowing. The study concludes that translational competence in specialized fields is an acquired academic skill rather than a gender-based interest. Consequently, the study recommends integrating English for Specific Purposes (ESP) modules into translation curricula to better prepare students for the technical demands of sports media.