Diwa (Discovery, Interpretation, Word, Analysis): A Framework to Deepen Sense-For-Sense Translation Skills in Tertiary Education

This study explored how the DIWA (Discovery, Interpretation, Word, Analysis) strategy could enhance the translation skills of Filipino major students, particularly in moving beyond literal, word-for-word translation toward context-driven, sense-for-sense translation. Recognizing that many learners struggle with idiomatic and complex, figurative texts due to limited exposure and overreliance on direct word matching, the research aimed to: (1) assess students’ baseline translation skills, (2) implement a discovery-based, reflective instructional approach, and (3) evaluate improvements in their translation performance.Seventeen (17) second-year BSED Filipino students from Ifugao State University participated in this action research, which utilized a mixed-methods, embedded sequential design. The intervention involved DIWA-based worksheets emphasizing contextual and cultural analysis, pretest–posttest assessments, reflective journals, and peer discussions. Quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and paired-sample t-tests, while qualitative data from reflections and journals underwent thematic coding. Results revealed statistically significant improvements across three translation dimensions: literal, idiomatic, and complex/abstract phrase translation. The overall mean score rose from 3.28 (“Satisfactory†) to 4.37 (“Very Good†), with the most substantial gains in complex/abstract phrase translation (+2.53). The effect size was very large, confirming the instructional impact. Qualitative findings showed that students shifted from mechanical, word-for-word methods to more analytical, meaning-centered strategies, reporting greater confidence and reduced anxiety when tackling challenging texts. The study concludes that DIWA is more than a classroom technique—it is a context-responsive pedagogical model that cultivates cultural sensitivity, fluency, and interpretive depth. Its integration in translation instruction is recommended to bridge the gap between theory and practice, particularly in multilingual educational settings like the Philippines.