From Text to Context: Cognitive–Metacognitive Engagements in Post-Editing as a Site of Cultural Meaning

Abstract

This study investigates how cognitive and metacognitive engagements in post-editing serve as a site for cultural meaning-making and social transformation within English–Indonesian translation practices. Using a qualitative design grounded in Think-Aloud Protocols (TAP), an experienced English teacher performed post-editing tasks on Google-translated texts in both language directions. The verbal data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed through Congjun’s (2015) taxonomy of cognitive strategies and Wenden’s (1991) framework of metacognitive regulation. Findings reveal that post-editing involves more than technical correction; it constitutes a reflective act where translators negotiate linguistic, cultural, and ideological meanings. Cognitive operations such as revising, elaborating, clarifying, and retrieving interact dynamically with metacognitive processes of planning, monitoring, and evaluating to reshape not only textual form but also cross-cultural interpretation. The participant’s ability to mediate between linguistic accuracy and cultural appropriateness illustrates translation as a socially situated practice embedded in contextual knowledge and value systems. This research underscores post-editing as a critical locus where cognition, culture, and technology intersect, redefining how translators participate in contemporary meaning-making. Pedagogically, the study advocates for translation education that cultivates cultural reflexivity and metacognitive awareness, empowering translators to act as mindful agents of social and intercultural change.