Abstract
This study examines the theoretical foundations of translation, the development of translation studies in Kazakh literature, and the criteria of literary translation, with particular attention to the distinctive features of teaching literary translation in online and offline learning environments. The research aims to evaluate students’ theoretical knowledge and analytical competence in the process of learning literary translation. A quasi-experimental design was employed involving 58 volunteer students divided into an experimental group (offline instruction) and a control group (online instruction). Students’ performance was assessed through pretest and posttest measurements, and the results were analyzed using the Benjamini-Hochberg (BH) correction to ensure the reliability of multiple statistical comparisons. The pretest results revealed no statistically significant differences between the two groups, indicating comparable initial levels of knowledge and skills. However, statistically significant differences emerged in the posttest. Students in the offline group demonstrated higher achievement in acquiring theoretical concepts and developing analytical competence than those in the online group. Nevertheless, the lower performance of the online group should not be interpreted as inadequate learning; rather, it reflects the complexity of literary translation and the need for a strong theoretical foundation to support accurate interpretation. The findings suggest that content-oriented, face-to-face instruction combined with collaborative classroom analysis provides more favorable conditions for developing students’ literary translation competence. The novelty of the study lies in its comparative investigation of online and offline approaches to teaching literary translation within the context of Kazakh literature, offering empirical evidence for improving translation pedagogy in higher education. Received: 23 March 2026 / Accepted: 15 July 2026 / Published: September 2026