Finding spaces for improvement in the didactic use of audiovisual translation in the EFL classroom: The case of the TRADILEX project.

Abstract

TRADILEX was a project funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (2020-2023), which aimed to perform quasi-experimental research that determines the degree of improvement in English as a foreign language (EFL) after the implementation of a methodological proposal that integrates different AVT modes. The current paper reports on empirical evidence obtained from the implementation of the TRADILEX project in five different centres (Universitat Jaume I, Universidad de Almería, Universidade da Coruña, Universidad de Castilla la Mancha, and Speaking Languages Online). A common denominator among all these centres was the low level of student engagement and, as a consequence, a higher dropout rate. Our aim is to analyse the factors, both positive and negative, that could have had an impact on the completion of the tasks proposed. To this end, a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) qualitative analysis has been carried out using the data obtained thanks to different collection instruments created for the project. As a result, the causes that may have had a negative impact in all five language centres and may have caused a higher dropout rate have been identified. These conclusions will support the implementation of TRADILEX methodology in the future.