Empowering Saudi female undergraduates in translation industry localization: training opportunities, readiness, and ideological orientations

As Saudi Arabia moves towards its engagement with globalization, the demand for professional translation services has grown significantly, particularly in facilitating communication between local and international organizations. In this context, empowering Saudi female undergraduates (SFUs) to seize these work opportunities is essential for enhancing their employments, ensuring the sustainability of their profession. This study adopted a mixed-methods paradigm to examine the attitudes of 43 SFUs at the University of Ha’il. Quantitative data were collected using a closed-ended questionnaire to measure SFUs’ attitudes toward translation training and industry localization. Qualitative data were obtained through open ended responses, which were analyzed using critical discourse analysis was employed to uncover the underlying ideologies displayed in participants’ discourse. The results indicated that SFUs perceived the training opportunities provided by their English Department in translation as sufficient (M = 4.05). SFUs also reported a high level of readiness to take leading roles in the translation industry (M = 4.10). Furthermore, the discourse analysis uncovered several ideological features embedded in SFUs’ responses, including the use of positive evaluative lexis, modality, and nominalization. The meso and macro analyses further indicate that SFUs’ identities and perceptions regarding localization and job careers in the translation sector were shaped by broader national, economic and cultural ideologies. The study contributes to unveiling the SFUs’ high perceived readiness for translation localizing is ideologically shaped by national, economic and cultural discourse. Findings imply that English Departments equip Saudi EFL female students with skills and responsibilities for localization of the translation industry.