1. Introduction

This section discusses the importance of translating traditional Chinese classics into foreign languages and the necessity of cultivating talent in English translation of classics against the backdrop of global cultural exchange and mutual learning. It identifies issues in the domestic curriculum development for English translation of classics, such as unfamiliarity with traditional culture and an emphasis on knowledge over practice in course design. The Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) concept is proposed as a systematic solution, focusing on student learning outcomes, backward design, and continuous improvement. By defining specific tasks students should accomplish, the approach reverses the design of course objectives, teaching content, and evaluation methods, shifting from knowledge transmission to competency development. Guided by the OBE concept, the article constructs a student-centered, outcome-oriented curriculum model for English translation of classics, providing a practical pathway to cultivate talent aligned with China’s cultural development strategy.

2. Application of the OBE Concept in University English Curriculum Development

The OBE educational concept, proposed by William Spady in 1981, emphasizes student learning outcomes and backward instructional design. Its core logic is "beginning with the end in mind," organizing courses, teaching, and assessment based on the final learning outcomes students should achieve. While the OBE concept has made progress in university English curriculum development, its application in specialized graduate courses like "English Translation of Classics" remains rare. With the growing demand for international dissemination of Chinese culture, China has shifted from primarily translating foreign texts into Chinese to bidirectional translation. However, some scholars overly emphasize the academic nature of translating classics, resulting in not all Master of Translation and Interpreting (MTI) programs offering such courses. Further practical applications of the OBE concept in this field are needed.

3. OBE-Based Curriculum Development for "English Translation of Classics" — A Case Study of Hebei University of Technology

This section introduces the OBE-based "English Translation of Classics" curriculum development at Hebei University of Technology. The course adheres to the principle of "from students, to students," constructing a curriculum system guided by student needs, institutional characteristics, and talent cultivation objectives. Course objectives are set across three dimensions—knowledge, skills, and moral education—aligned with students' existing knowledge and aimed at cultivating high-level, application-oriented translation professionals with international competitiveness. Curriculum development includes textbook selection and classroom teaching arrangements, adopting a "foundational textbooks + academic papers" model supplemented with cutting-edge materials to form lesson plans. A feedback mechanism runs throughout the teaching process, incorporating bidirectional feedback from students and teachers to optimize instruction and support student self-improvement.

4. OBE-Based Teaching Practice for "English Translation of Classics" — A Case Study of Hebei University of Technology

This section explores the OBE-based curriculum development and teaching practice for "English Translation of Classics" at Hebei University of Technology. The student-centered course design emphasizes outcome orientation, achieving teaching objectives through academic training, translation text selection tailored to student levels, innovative teaching models, and a closed-loop feedback system. The course combines traditional knowledge instruction with academic trends, selecting representative classics as teaching materials while incorporating translation history and related content. The teaching team uses academic texts such as "An Introduction to the 'Six Great Classical Novels'" for translation tasks, encouraging students to utilize online resources and software to solve challenges, thereby enhancing resource integration and teamwork skills. The teaching model integrates project-based learning, case studies, and group collaboration to stimulate student interest and initiative. A diversified evaluation system combines formative and summative assessments, incorporating student self-evaluation to improve self-awareness and reflective abilities while providing firsthand data for teaching reform.

5. Outcomes of OBE-Based "English Translation of Classics" — A Case Study of Hebei University of Technology

The OBE-based "English Translation of Classics" teaching practice at Hebei University of Technology has yielded significant results in education, digital-intellectual integration, and student satisfaction. Students have improved their background knowledge of classics, understanding of translation theory and techniques, and practical translation skills, leading to higher-quality translation works. The number of collectively translated works and published academic papers has increased, with some theses earning outstanding evaluations. Teachers have accumulated extensive teaching and translation cases, built a resource library and corpus, and successfully applied for multiple provincial-level projects. In digital-intellectual integration, students employ large language models and translation tools for tasks, adopting a machine translation-human evaluation hybrid model to establish a big data-driven, multidimensional assessment system. Student satisfaction with the course is high, as they find it helpful in constructing clear translation steps and methods, stimulating interest in reading classics, and enhancing cultural translation and dissemination abilities.

6. Conclusion

The OBE-based "English Translation of Classics" curriculum practice confirms the effectiveness of outcome-oriented education in enhancing students' translation literacy and skills. Centered on expected learning outcomes, this model integrates theoretical knowledge, academic innovation, and practical application, providing translation students with a strong foundation in cultural knowledge, appreciation of translated classics, and comparative literature perspectives. This practice offers an operational paradigm for cultivating translation talent aligned with China’s cultural development strategy and serves as a valuable reference for similar university course reforms.