Translator Education

This is a study about the integration of translation technology in a course named Translation of Specific Fields IV given at the Division of Translation and Interpreting in English of Istanbul University. The educator of the course decided to make use of a ‘cloud-based translation management system (TMS)’. The term can be defined as a translation management system where the translation memory system and all other resources for translation are hosted on a remote server and can be accessed via Internet. The purpose of study was to find out whether the use of this type of translation tool in translation courses can help students become self- and life-long learners and what advantages and disadvantages this practice can offer. For this purpose, the author (who was also the educator) made use of her observations on her own course practices. It was seen that cloud-based TMSs could easily be integrated in translation courses. Advantages are more than disadvantages. The advantages are not only for the students but also for educators and
departments. These systems could be used in a way that contributes to self-learning and self-discovery skills of students.
Keywords: Cloud-based translation management systems, IT translation, technology
integration, translation technology, translation education.

Świadomość tłumacza jest najistotniejsza.
Proces tłumaczenia jest świadomym procesem
podejmowania decyzji.
Tłumaczenie, oscylujące między biegunami przeciwieństw i przekraczające
dychotomiczne podziały, zawsze przyciągało uwagę zarówno osób parających
się nim teoretycznie lub praktycznie, jak i osób zainteresowanym
tłumaczeniem jedynie amatorsko. Przeciwstawne poglądy typu: „śmiech
da się wyrazić w każdym języku” i „humor jest pierwszą rzeczą, która znika
w tłumaczeniu” lub: „poezji nie da się tłumaczyć, tak jak nie można tłumaczyć
muzyki”, a jednocześnie: „wszystko jest przetłumaczalne”, nie są
w myśleniu o przekładzie niczym niezwykłym. W literaturze przekładowej
stanowiły one wyraz erudycji wypowiadających się na ten temat autorów,
ale w istocie nie rozszyfrowywały natury tłumaczenia, które od zawsze było
interesującym przejawem ludzkiej kreatywności. Rdzeń tego myślenia pozostaje
ulotny, nieprecyzyjny, nieścisły. Przekład od zawsze kochał sztukę.
Czy współczesna metodyka nauczania przekładu uwzględnia tę relację?

Bearing in mind the responsibility of translators, which goes beyond merely transferring the meaning and entails them to act as terminologists, cultural transmitters, linguists, editors, and even authors, trainers in undergraduate translation and interpretation departments require to apply a multi-faceted approach. Over the last decade, the importance of creating a constructivist environment in translation classrooms has been foregrounded, and primarily, collaborative learning has been discussed by a vast number of researchers. Theoretical and applied studies shed light on how students can actively participate in classroom activities, achieve deep learning, and get involved in real-life tasks in collaborative learning environments. The collaborative learning approach calls for the interaction and cooperation of learners and instructors pointing to the significance of such methods as teamwork in translation courses, and that the gap between real-life and the courses taught at universities to be fulfilled through such tendencies.

This study aims to investigate the efficacy of the collaborative learning tasks on the translation skills of students through a pre-/post-test control group research design. Accordingly, empirical results were obtained regarding the contribution of a collaborative learning project, which was developed and applied by the researchers, to translation skills of the students in medical translation course. Within the scope of this collaborative learning method, the experimental group participated in teamwork and undertook various roles such as terminologists, translators, proof-readers, and peer editors to check the final work. On the other hand, the control group was instructed via the traditional translate-and-read method. The research findings revealed a statistically significant difference in favor of the translation performance scores of the experimental group. The noteworthy improvement in the translation
competences of the students, as revealed in the study, reiterates that the teaching and learning methods in undergraduate translation departments should be revised.

Translator education within a higher education context aims for student-centred learning that is collaborative and that produces employable graduates. Curriculum is designed with learning activities that encourage collaborative, project-based learning with authentic assessment tasks. There is a close connection between curriculum and the translation labour market, with two mechanisms ensuring that market demands in Europe and Australia are met: competence models and NAATI. In Europe, translator competence models, which were pioneered by the PACTE (Process of Acquisition of Translation Competence and Evaluation) Group and then later developed by Dorothy Kelly and the EMT Project, influence curriculum design so that it reflects student-centred principles and remains closely aligned with translation market demands. In Australia, the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) similarly connects translator education with the translation labour market. The opportunity to attain NAATI Professional certification is included in programs which are designed to produce employable graduates for the translation industry.

This research uses an ethnographic case study methodology to investigate features that support and inhibit learning in translator education programs. In order to do this, I selected two quite difference places: Spain and Australia. Given the number of differences between the two settings – language, culture, education systems etc. – one was not strictly compared with the other. Rather, contrast was used to emphasise these differences and to provide insights by highlighting areas as interesting and curious where they would otherwise be considered ordinary. Fieldwork, including observations, informal and semi-structured interviews, and document analysis, was undertaken at one site in Spain over the course of one academic year, and at two sites in Australia over the course of three months for each site.

The research revealed that high-stakes, student-centred translator education programs that are grounded in understandings of employability have to contend with washback and testing consequences and impacts. This was particularly the case in Australia, where NAATI certification is integrated into education programs. However, it was equally the case at the site examined in Spain where competitive practices secured learners a place in the program, and then continued to impact learning that took place in the classroom.

This paper explores the links between translator education programs and the translation labour market. These links contribute to portraying graduate career development as being linear and progressing through stages. However, careers these days are impacted by chance, opportunity and changes in circumstance; they follow a chaotic rather than linear progression. My larger project drew on sociology of education and translation studies, and involved ethnographies of one university translator education program in Spain and two in Australia. This paper draws on eighteen months of fieldwork at all three sites, which included observations, informal chats, semi-structured interviews, a questionnaire, and consideration of curriculum documents. The study revealed that a minority of learners expect to enter the translation labour market, and that there are minimal prospects of full-time translation work. These findings highlight the need for translator education programs to include employability skills that are flexible and relevant to varied labour markets, which will prepare learners for chaotic careers. Offering translator education programs concurrently with, or as an added qualification to programs from other fields could be one way of achieving this.

This chapter explores the implementation of a teaching and learning strategy that lends itself propitiously to social constructivist-oriented introductory translation courses. Team-based learning, a methodology developed by Michaelsen, Knight, and Fink (2004) that purports to foster accountability, cohesion, and solidarity among fixed work teams proved itself to be ideally suited to the undergraduate translation studies environment according to the results of a survey-driven assessment tool. Students revealed their perceptions of the effectiveness of learning teams – teams that were assessed in general for a specific course’s course components and learning outcomes as well as in relation to the core make-up of the learning teams themselves. The chapter describes a variety of empowerment-building assignments as well as discusses the implementation of team-based learning in this context. Finally, the degree to which the methodology contributed to students’ perceptions of their learning experience is examined.

Estudos da Tradução I tem por objetivo geral inserir as reflexões sobre o conceito de tradução, os tipos de tradução e a distinção entre tradução e interpretação no campo disciplinar denominado Estudos da Tradução, para, a partir dessa inserção, discutir questões ligadas à formação do profissional que aí atua, à própria atividade de traduzir e, finalmente, a uma problematização do critério mais comumente utilizado na avaliação da qualidade de traduções, qual seja, a 'fidelidade'. Assim, no decorrer do curso, vamos discutir:
(i) o que é o campo disciplinar denominado Estudos da Tradução e o seu mapeamento (Unidade 1);
(ii) os tipos de formação que os Estudos da Tradução podem oferecer aos seus membros e os tipos de competências necessárias aos profissionais da área (Unidade 2);
(iii) a questão da fidelidade (unidade 3);
(iv) algumas distinções e decisões iniciais envolvidas na tarefa tradutória (Unidade 4).

This qualitative study is an attempt to gain insights into the competence and sub-competencies required for a successful English and Persian translation teacher in the context of undergraduate education in Iran. To this end, 95 senior graduate and undergraduate students of English translation and 13 experienced translation teachers in Iranian universities were invited to participate in the study. Using focus-group and in-depth interviews, two sets of qualitative data were collected and analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding procedures of Grounded Theory. According to the students, translation teaching competence includes the components of pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge, and psychological-personality competence, while the teachers believed in pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge, and mental-personality competence as the underlying constructs. Whereas content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge are mainly common in the views of the students and teachers, psychological-personality and mentalpersonality sub-competences are the factors which are not shared by the two groups.

EN:
The traineeship opportunities at the EU institutions constitute an interesting offer for the citizens of its member states. The European Parliament (EP), as one of such institutions, enables students and university graduates to attend a paid translation traineeship, during which they may develop their professional skills and familiarise themselves with the functioning of EU institutions. The citizens of Poland attend a traineeship at the Polish Translation Unit, which is one of the 23 language units that belong to the EP’s Directorate for Translation. The article aims to present its traineeship programme, designed to deepen the participants’ theoretical knowledge and practical skills acquired during the course of higher education, and to encourage novice translators to apply for traineeships within the EU institutions. The author of the present article, who himself completed a threemonth- long traineeship at the Polish Translation Unit of the European Parliament at the beginning of 2016, believes that paid translation traineeships provide an excellent opportunity to broaden one’s knowledge and sharpen one’s skills with regard to translating. The information provided in the article is valid as of the end of March 2016.

PL:
Staże w instytucjach unijnych jako element kształcenia studentów i absolwentów specjalizacji tłumaczeniowych Streszczenie Staże organizowane przez instytucje Unii Europejskiej (UE) stanowią ciekawą ofertę dla obywateli jej państw członkowskich. Parlament Europejski (PE) jako jedna z tych instytucji umożliwia studentom i absolwentom szkół wyższych doskonalenie kompetencji zawodo-wych i dogłębne poznanie sposobu funkcjonowania instytucji UE poprzez odbycie płat-nego stażu tłumaczeniowego. Obywatele Polski odbywają go w Dziale Tłumaczeń Polskich, będącym jednym z 23 działów językowych wchodzących w skład Dyrekcji ds. Tłumaczeń Pisemnych. Niniejszy artykuł ma na celu przedstawienie programu stażu – stanowiącego doskonały sposób na pogłębienie wiadomości teoretycznych i umiejętności praktycznych nabytych w trakcie studiów – oraz zachęcenie początkujących tłumaczy do podjęcia sta-rań o przyjęcie na staż w instytucjach unijnych. Zdaniem autora artykułu, który osobi-ście odbył trzymiesięczny staż w Dziale Tłumaczeń Polskich Parlamentu Europejskiego na początku 2016 r., płatny staż tłumaczeniowy stanowi doskonałą formę pogłębiania wiedzy i umiejętności w zakresie wykonywania tłumaczeń pisemnych. Informacje zawarte w arty-kule uwzględniają stan na koniec marca 2016 r.

Translation apps available in the market, such as DeepL and Google, smart keyboards capable of translating and related software have been produced to meet the current needs in the world. Yet the artificial intelligence has not replaced the human translator with emotional and creative intelligence. On the contrary, the importance of translators as individuals has grown and the content of the academic translator training is to be altered accordingly. This study is based on the assumption that the translation approach dependent on the scientific knowledge directly shapes the translation as a product. The parameters to evaluate translation are complex and interwoven. Although the translation sub-competence is an elementary part of the translation competence, it is still underresearched (Eser 2015). Thus, this article aims to analyze translation subcompetence with a specific focus on the translation approach and to construct a scale to be applied in the German-Turkish language pair. The conceptual framework is based on Researching Translation Competence by the PACTE Group (2017) which conducts advanced research on the acquisition of translation competence. The translation approach of undergraduates of the Translation and Interpreting Studies B.A. Program and the German Language and Literature B.A. Program at Ege University have been observed, a survey focusing on the sub-competence of translation which evaluates the translation competence of the participants pursuant to the concepts of dynamic – static (Albir 2017, Albir vd. 2020) accordingly, the data acquired has been analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics 25 and the deductions have been examined. A pivotal problem in translator training has been detected and a scale to be applied has been developed within the scope of the study which is based on activity research pattern.

Test types that are based on the translation of source texts into the target language on grammar and vocabulary basis that students are familiar with during their preparation process for the university entrance exam are found to be effective in their understanding of translation, and the effects thereof on their translation practice have been examined. It was observed that students assumed a presumption that the static approach is the sole and ideal approach in translation, and thus made a habit of doing static translation in translation practice as well.

This study revealed that the static approach that induces the candidate translators’ fear of digressing from the source text and supports their propensity for using a dictionary precluded them from producing texts in the target language in accordance with the text norms and caused them to use smaller translation units as a basis, compared to experienced translators. The tendency of the students to focus on syntactic forms and word units, which is frequently observed in the semi-professional translators, also prevents them from focusing on content integrity.

This article concluded that the translation approach of undergraduates in German Translation and Interpreting Studies is more dynamic than that of undergraduates in German Language and Literature; German Language and Literature undergraduates have a higher coherence coefficient of knowledge of translation. Although the translation knowledge competence of undergraduates in the German Translation and Interpreting Studies department is higher than that of the undergraduates in the German Language and Literature department, it is interesting to note that undergraduates who intend to be translators in the future have a lower level of translation knowledge. The difference between the undergraduates is thought to stem from the courses they took in the first year. The fact that undergraduates of German Language and Literature desire to work as translators after graduation more than undergraduates of German Translation and Interpreting Studies and that they are of the opinion that the education they received is qualified for being a translator stands out as a striking indicator.

This scale can be used by the instructors who provide translation training for the German-Turkish language pair in the departments of German Translation-Interpretation / Translation Studies, German Language and Literature and German Language Education. In this way, students can question their presumption. How the translation is created, what the translation units are, the methods that can be used, the types of problems to be encountered and the professional requirements can be examined in the lessons through the scale. The learning process can also be effectively supported with this scale. Using the scale at the beginning of the academic translation education will increase the awareness of the student and enable him/her to think multi-dimensionally. Thus, it will be easier to find effective solutions. In academic translation education, doing translation exercises from grammatically easy texts to difficult texts will not improve students’ translation competence much. Presenting this scale in lessons in order to improve students’ translation knowledge skills will be an important step for the student’s development. Along with the scale, basic information about acquiring translation skills can be given; the differences between static and dynamic translation approaches can be examined in a more comprehensive way through rich points and a discussion environment can be created on the scale. In this way, the subject can be discussed in detail and a stimulus can be created for students to question their own approaches in this way.


DeepL ve Google gibi çeviri hizmetleri, cep telefonlarında kullanılan mobil çeviri uygulamaları, çeviri yapabilen akıllı klavyeler, bilgisayarlarda kullanılan yazılımlar globalleşen dünyada bir ihtiyaca karşılık olarak üretilmiş, ancak bu yapay zekâ ürünleri henüz duygusal ve yaratıcı zekâsı olan insan çevirmenlerin yerini dolduramamış, aksine gelişmelerle birlikte birey olarak çevirmene atfedilen önem artmış ve akademik çeviri eğitimi içeriklerinin de gelişmelerle uyumlu olabilmesi bir gereksinim haline gelmiştir. Çalışmamız, bilimsel bilgilere dayalı bir çeviri anlayışının çeviri ürününü doğrudan etkilediği varsayımını temel alır. Çeviri edincini değerlendirecek parametreler karmaşık ve iç içedir ve çeviri bilgisi alt edinci, çeviri edincinin çok önemli bir bileşeni olmasına rağmen henüz yeterince incelenmemiştir (Eser, 2015). Bu nedenle araştırma kapsamında çeviri bilgisi alt edincini, özellikle çeviri anlayışını analiz etmek ve Almanca-Türkçe dil çiftine yönelik akademik çeviri eğitiminde uygulanabilecek bir ölçek oluşturulması amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmanın kavramları, çeviri edinci edinimi süreci üzerinde derinlikli araştırmalar yürüten PACTE Grubu’nun Researching Translation Competence (2017) isimli eserine dayanmakla birlikte, çalışma kapsamında ayrıca çeviri anlayışı kavramı belirlenmiş ve tanımlanmıştır. Bununla birlikte Ege Üniversitesi Almanca Mütercim-Tercümanlık Bölümü’nde ve Ege Üniversitesi Alman Dili ve Edebiyatı Bölümü’nde eğitim alan öğrencilerin çeviri anlayışları gözlemlenmiş, gözlemlerden hareketle çeviri bilgisi alt edincine odaklanan ve katılımcıların çeviri edincini devingen-duruk kavramları (Albir, 2017; Albir et al. 2020) üzerinden değerlendiren bir anket hazırlanmış, anket verileri IBM SPSS Statistics 25 programıyla analiz edilerek çeviri eğitimine yönelik çıkarımlar irdelenmiştir. Eylem araştırması desenine dayalı araştırma yaklaşımıyla yürütülen çalışma kapsamında akademik çeviri eğitimine ilişkin önemli bir sorunsal belirlenmiş ve uygulamada kullanılabilecek bir ölçek geliştirilmiştir.

This paper aims at introducing a theoretical framework for developing and improving the translation skills of the Sudanese students of translation at the colleges and institutes specialized in translating between English and Arabic languages. The study is a general survey, which adopts the content- analysis and evaluation methodology. The paper firstly reviews the concept of the translation competence, and then presents some theoretical and pedagogical concepts of teaching translation such as the syllabuses and courses taught in some Sudanese colleges and institutes for preparing and training the students of translation. The study has presented and analyzed six syllabuses of the translation programmes now available in Sudanese universities and institutes. These programmes should prepare and train the translation students to practice the translating activities between English and Arabic languages. By doing so, the paper aims at highlighting and analyzing the contents of these programmes such as courses and classroom activities, assignments and home works. Moreover, the basic purpose is to know if these programmes can help develop and improve the translation competence of the two languages. The study concluded with these findings; 1) Most of the offered translation courses do not help students to develop their bilingual competence, because they do not suggest a framework for developing the translation competence. 2) These programmes have neglected the contrastive linguistics aspects of the two languages and cultures, which show the basic variations between English and Arabic. This is considered as an essential component of the translation competence. 3) These programmes do not have an explicit theoretical framework that can be used a) to develop and produce competent Sudanese translators, b) to predict the outcome of these programmes. Finally, the study has recommended some suggestions such as; 1) Incorporating the translation practice in government offices and companies as a basic component in these programmes. 2) Exposing the translation students to authentic social and cultural situations of the two languages in addition to the linguistics and translation technicalities
Key words: Translation Competence, Lexicon, Translation Programme

The European Master's in Translation (EMT) model of translation competence (TC), which was developed by the European Commission and its in-house translation service Directorate-General for Translation, constitutes an outcome of an attempt at standardising the concept of TC. As a consequence, it is inclusive, rather than exclusive, in nature and comprises selected components of previously proposed theoretical and pedagogical models of translation competence while aiming to reflect the reality of professional experience within the area of translation. The purpose of this article is to examine how the implementation of information and communication technology (ICT), telecollaboration in particular, within Translation Studies programmes at university level may facilitate the development of particular aspects of the six sub-competences of the EMT model: (i) translation service provision competence, (ii) language competence, (iii) intercultural competence; (iv) information mining competence (v) technological competence and (vi) thematic competence. The author analyses whether, and to what extent, the functionalities of telecollaboration tools and the work modes that they promote are likely to assist translator educators in dealing effectively with the components of the competences which constitute the EMT model. Conclusions are also drawn about the limitations of the use of telecollaboration in translator education.

From a Translation Studies perspective, translation assessment is gradually becoming more popular thanks to increasing academic interest in translator education. In fact, we believe that evaluation should be more deeply explored in order to systematise and consolidate how it is carried out, especially in a particular Brazilian context. As we still witness an unwelcome focus on summative assessment of students with little room for constructive feedback from educators, the purpose of this article is to discuss ways to assess translation students that move beyond traditional approaches. The focus here is on formative assessment, whose emphasis on feedback better suits the dynamic nature we believe translator education should have. Furthermore, we shall review the concepts of translation competence and translation error as important elements within translation evaluation, as well as peer and self-assessment, which promote a more student-centered and participatory environment.

Desde una perspectiva traductológica, la evaluación de la traducción se está haciendo más popular gracias al aumento del interés académico por la formación de traductores. Creemos que esta evaluación debe explorarse con detalle para sistematizar y consolidar la forma en que se realiza, especialmente en un contexto brasileño en particular. Dado que todavía hay un enfoque excesivo en la evaluación sumativa, esto deja poco espacio para el feedback constructivo de los educadores, por esto el objetivo de este artículo es, por lo tanto, discutir formas de evaluar a los estudiantes de traducción que van más allá de los enfoques tradicionales. El enfoque aquí presentado es la evaluación formativa, cuyo énfasis en el feedback se ajusta mejor a la naturaleza dinámica que creemos que debería tener la formación del traductor. Además, se discutirán conceptos como la competencia traductora y los errores de traducción, así como la evaluación por pares y la autoevaluación, que promueven un ambiente más participativo y centrado en el alumno.

This study examines the representation of translation and translators in a cinematic work Les Traducteurs (2019) taking a critical approach and following a paradigm of visibility. Inspired by a real “literary lockdown”, the French author-director Régis Roinsard portrays an almost true story of real-life scenes in the book publishing world of our modern times and creates a multi-layered reflection on a range of translation-related themes. Thus, the polyphony of the film’s plot offers a variety of understandings and interpretations.

Research has shown that parallel corpora have potential benefits for translator training and education. Most of the current available Arabic corpora, modern standard or dialectical, are monolingual in nature and there is an apparent lack in the Arabic-English parallel corpora for translation classroom. The present study was aimed to investigate the translation problems encountered by Omani translation major students when translating from Arabic into English with a view to proposing some corpus-informed pedagogy approach for training student translators to overcome these challenges by looking at some model samples of professional translation. Thirty students voluntarily took part in the investigation. The study adopted a combination of both corpus and qualitative methodology whereby some typical problems students would encounter when translating from Arabic-into-English were selected along with some specific Arabic texts involving these problems were prepared and the participants were asked to translate them into English. The participants were provided with some samples of the parallel English translated texts and were asked to compare and contrast their translations with these samples and reflect on the overall experience. They were then interviewed to explore their impressions about and the extent to which they think that parallel corpora would help them improve their translation. Results of data analysis indicated that the participants experienced several translation challenges. They, however, showed an overall positive attitude towards parallel Arabic-English corpora as they reportedly found them very helpful in improving their translation. Pedagogical implications for corpus-informed translation teaching, training and materials design and development are presented and discussed.

If you are interested, please ask for a copy of the article in a private message. Abstract:
This article presents the results of an investigation into information-seeking behaviour of trainee translators, observed during translation of a legal text from English into Polish. The translator’s workspace has significantly changed over the last twenty years. Now translators have at their disposal not only traditional printed publications, but also a variety of sources available in an electronic form. The study presented in this article aims to discover how this repertoire of available sources is utilized during a specific task – legal translation. The group under scrutiny are the students of a translation programme at the University of Silesia, Poland. The method of investigation combines observation and think-aloud protocol. The results obtained show, among others, the information most often looked-up in sources, the sources most often consulted, the level of satisfaction with source consultation, the reasons for non-satisfaction, and the problems commonly encountered during the search for information. The article ends with the list of characteristic information-seeking behaviours exhibited by the group in question.

Świadomość tłumacza jest najistotniejsza. Proces tłumaczenia jest świadomym procesem podejmowania decyzji. Tłumaczenie, oscylujące między biegunami przeciwieństw i przekraczające dychotomiczne podziały, zawsze przyciągało uwagę zarówno osób parających się nim teoretycznie lub praktycznie, jak i osób zainteresowanym tłumaczeniem jedynie amatorsko. Przeciwstawne poglądy typu: „śmiech da się wyrazić w każdym języku” i „humor jest pierwszą rzeczą, która znika w tłumaczeniu” lub: „poezji nie da się tłumaczyć, tak jak nie można tłumaczyć muzyki”, a jednocześnie: „wszystko jest przetłumaczalne”, nie są w myśleniu o przekładzie niczym niezwykłym. W literaturze przekładowej stanowiły one wyraz erudycji wypowiadających się na ten temat autorów, ale w istocie nie rozszyfrowywały natury tłumaczenia, które od zawsze było interesującym przejawem ludzkiej kreatywności. Rdzeń tego myślenia pozostaje ulotny, nieprecyzyjny, nieścisły. Przekład od zawsze kochał sztukę. Czy współczesna metodyka nauczania przekładu uwzględnia tę relację?