Nataša Hirci | University of Ljubljana (original) (raw)

Papers by Nataša Hirci

Slovenščina 2.0: empirical, applied and interdisciplinary research

Slovenščina 2.0, 2022

V prispevku se posvečamo študiji, ki predstavlja uporabniško izkušnjo in odnos študentov prevajal... more V prispevku se posvečamo študiji, ki predstavlja uporabniško izkušnjo in odnos študentov prevajalstva na Univerzi v Ljubljani do jezikovnih virov in prevajalskih pripomočkov, saj se v času informacijske družbe od bodočih prevajalcev pričakuje, da so v kar največji meri digitalno osveščeni, predvsem pa seznanjeni z relevantnimi viri informacij. Študija se v prvem delu osredotoča na odnos študentov do angleških in slovenskih jezikovnih virov in na strategije reševanja prevajalskih zagat pri prevajanju kolokacij ter rabo različnih relevantnih jezikovnih virov. Raziskava je v drugem delu osredinjena na opazovanje prevajalskega procesa in rabo Kolokacijskega slovarja sodobne slovenščine (KSSS) pri prevajanju izbranih kolokacij iz angleščine v slovenščino. Rezultati študije so pokazali, da se študenti zavedajo prednosti reševanja prevodnih težav s pomočjo relevantnih jezikovnih virov, saj se je strategija vključevanja kolokacijskega slovarja v prevajalski proces izkazala za relativno uspešno. Vendar pa je obenem pokazala, da je že v času študija nujno dodatno osveščati študente.
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The article presents a user study conducted with trainee translators from the University of Ljubljana on their use of language resources and translation tools. In the digital age, future translators are expected to be tech savvy and well-in-formed about the relevant sources of information. A survey was designed there-fore to explore trainee translators’ attitude towards English and Slovene language resources and their strategies to overcome translation challenges, while a follow-up study focuses on the translation process when translating collocations from English to Slovene and their use of relevant language resources, especially the Collocations Dictionary of Modern Slovene. The results of the study indicate that the trainee translators are aware of the benefits that relevant language resources and other translation tools bring to the translation process. The study also revealed that introducing the Collocations Dictionary of Modern Slovene into the translation process has been fairly successful. However, additional emphasis should be placed in translator training on the advanced features this collocations dictionary offers as well as on developing appropriate search skills. Moreover, trainee translators’ critical assessment of the solutions should also be encouraged to facilitate finding translation solutions best suited to a given context.

Proceedings of the Conference on Language Technologies and Digital Humanities, 2022

Prispevek povzema izsledke raziskave, ki se je ukvarjala z rabo Kolokacijskega slovarja sodobne s... more Prispevek povzema izsledke raziskave, ki se je ukvarjala z rabo Kolokacijskega slovarja sodobne slovenščine (KSSS) pri prevajanju kolokacij iz angleščine v slovenščino. Dodiplomski študenti Oddelka za prevajalstvo FF UL so prevajali besedilo, v katerem je bilo označenih deset kolokacij. Med procesom prevajanja se je dogajanje na zaslonu snemalo, tako da je bilo po koncu naloge mogoče analizirati tako prevodne rešitve posameznih kolokacij kot tudi prevajalski proces, pri čemer smo se osredotočali zlasti na rabo jezikovnih virov, med katerimi nas je najbolj zanimala raba KSSS. Rezultati so pokazali, da je vključevanje KSSS v pedagoški proces uspešno, saj so vsi študenti, ki so sodelovali v raziskavi, z njim seznanjeni in ga pri svojem prevajalskem delu tudi aktivno uporabljajo. Pri tem so se med študenti pokazale občutne razlike glede tega, kako dobro poznajo napredne funkcije, ki jih KSSS nudi, in posledično kako uspešni so pri iskanju ustreznih kolokacij. Raziskava je pokazala tudi, da raba jezikovnih virov ne vodi nujno do optimalne prevodne rešitve. Using the Collocations Dictionary of Modern Slovene in the Process of Translating Collocations The paper outlines the findings of the study on how the Collocations Dictionary of Modern Slovene (KSSS) is utilized when translating collocations from English into Slovene. Undergraduate students of the Department of Translation Studies at the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana were requested to translate a text with ten selected collocations. During the translation process, their on-screen activities were recorded to allow for the analysis of both translation solutions, as well as the translation process, focusing on the use of language resources, in particular KSSS. The results have shown that the integration of KSSS into the training process is successful, as all the students participating in the study were familiar with this resource and actively use it in their translation work. However, the study has also exposed significant differences between students in terms of their familiarity with the advanced features of KSSS and, consequently, their success and efficiency in finding appropriate collocations. The results of the study have also highlighted that the use of language resources does not necessarily lead to an optimal translation solution.
https://nl.ijs.si/jtdh22/proceedings-sl.html

Teacher education for community interpreting and intercultural mediation, 2020

Perspectives, 2022

Following the Bologna reform, Translation Work Placement, designed as a practical, hands-on exper... more Following the Bologna reform, Translation Work Placement, designed as a practical, hands-on experience in translation, has become a compulsory part of EMT translator training at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Combined with courses entailing Situated Learning and professional aspects of translation, it offers an insight into real-life translation practices enabling MA-level trainee translators to gain new skills and experience. This paper explores the work-readiness of future translators from the perspective of Language Service Providers (LSPs) offering work placement to trainees from the University of Ljubljana. Our study investigates the expectations and impressions of Slovene LSPs on trainee translators’ profession-related knowledge, skills and competences. The findings of the survey with LSPs in Slovenia reveal that Translation Work Placement is a contributing factor in bridging the gap between the educational and workplace settings. However, the results of the study also show that in addition to the development of disciplinary knowledge, skills and competences, translator training could place more efforts into the acquisition of those transferable skills and competences which foster professional development and enhance employability in the ever-changing professional workplace settings.

ELOPE: English Language Overseas Perspectives and Enquiries, 2019

We live in a world of rapid technological advances which constantly affect the work of profession... more We live in a world of rapid technological advances which constantly affect the work of professional translators. Suitable training is therefore required for future translators to be able to compete on the translation market. With the rise of translation technologies, new ideas have been put forward on how to make translators faster and more efficient. Among the technologies that future translators may not be adequately familiar with are speech recognition tools; these enable translators to dictate their sight translation and have it typed out, allowing more time to focus on the content. However, as with all digital tools, the quality of input is important; a question thus arises on the role pronunciation assumes in such work. The present study aimed to establish how much awareness there is amongst the trainee translators of the possibilities afforded by speech technologies and to explore their perceptions of the role played by pronunciation.

Perspectives: Studies in Translation Theory and Practice, 2022

Ucinkovita komunikacija med bolnikom in zdravnikom je osnova za uspesno zdravljenje in prepreceva... more Ucinkovita komunikacija med bolnikom in zdravnikom je osnova za uspesno zdravljenje in preprecevanje bolezni, vendar pa je ta pogosto otežkocena. Eden izmed najpogostejsih razlogov za nezmožnost vzpostavitve komunikacije in nastanek komunikacijskih sumov med uporabniki in ponudniki zdravstvenih storitev je nepoznavanje oziroma slabo znanje jezika, ki ga uporablja zdravstveno osebje ali uporabniki zdravstvenih storitev. V slovenskem zdravstvenem sistemu se zdravniki, medicinske sestre in drugi zdravstveni delavci vedno pogosteje srecujejo z uporabniki zdravstvenih storitev, ki ne znajo slovensko in govorijo jezike, ki jih zdravstveni delavci ne razumejo. Ti s seboj prinasajo tudi znacilnosti svojega družbeno-kulturnega okolja, vkljucno s predstavami in praksami o zdravju, bolezni in zdravljenju. Zdravstveni delavci pa kljub temu, da so v pogostih stikih s tujejezicnimi uporabniki zdravstvenih storitev, nimajo ne ustrezne podpore ne znanja, da bi se uspesno spopadli s temi novimi izzi...

Key words: translation, collaboration, wiki, translator training, teamwork ABSTRACT In many tradi... more Key words: translation, collaboration, wiki, translator training, teamwork ABSTRACT In many traditional types of translator training, there is a strong focus on individual work undertaken by trainee translators, while pair work and group work is used less extensively. Such a focus may, to some extent, reflect the contemporary Western perception of translation as a solitary activity, with a single translator working individually, isolated from the rest of the world. This perception, however, is oversimplified since translation often involves some type of collaboration, such as the translator collaborating with an editor, a copyeditor, the client or a disciplinary expert. In addition, some of the emerging trends in translation in the digital age are collaborative in their nature (e.g. crowdsourcing). It seems therefore that collaboration is an aspect of translation that needs to be addressed more carefully in translator training. The present paper reports on a study focusing on collab...

The guest editors' objective was to open up a space for researchers to reflect on and rethink... more The guest editors' objective was to open up a space for researchers to reflect on and rethink the role of different categories of translation and interpreting in contemporary contexts, engaging with both theory and practice.

ELOPE: English Language Overseas Perspectives and Enquiries, 2021

The special issue of ELOPE (Vol. 18, No. 1) was created as a space for researchers to reflect on ... more The special issue of ELOPE (Vol. 18, No. 1) was created as a space for researchers to reflect on and rethink the role of different categories of translation and interpreting in contemporary contexts, engaging with both theory and practice.

The issue is guest edited by Nataša Hirci, Agnes Pisanski Peterlin and Simon Zupan.

ISBN 978-961-06-0489-1

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4312/elope.18.1

The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 2012

ABSTRACT This article examines the impact of electronic reference resources on the quality of tra... more ABSTRACT This article examines the impact of electronic reference resources on the quality of translated texts, particularly when translators work into their language B. To test the impact of electronic aids on the quality of translated output, an experimental study involving twenty student translators was conducted. Participants, who had to translate two texts from Slovene into English, were divided into two 10-member groups (Group One and Group Two). Different conditions regulating access to paper and electronic resources during the translation task were set for each group. Pre- and post-experiment questionnaires to elicit views on the contribution of electronic reference resources to the translator’s work, both from trainee translators and external evaluators, also informed the analysis. This article reports on two aspects of the study: the external evaluators ’ assessment of a sample of translations produced by trainee translators into their language B; and the extent to which the (un) availability of electronic resources influenced the participants’ approach to translation difficulties. Although the findings suggest that the use of electronic resources enhances both the productivity of translators and the quality of their translations, such aids can also be detrimental when used uncritically.

Journal for Foreign Languages, 2016

This paper gives an outline of Traineeship at the Department of Translation, University of Ljublj... more This paper gives an outline of Traineeship at the Department of Translation, University of Ljubljana, designed as a practical, hands-on experience in translation work for students. In the re-design of the study programmes at the Department of Translation in line with the Bologna Reform, compulsory Traineeship was introduced as part of the MA course in Translation/Interpreting, offering students an insight into real-life translation situations while providing employers with an impression of their prospective employees. The main objective of Traineeship is to give an added-value to the MA course, provide job opportunities and offer students a practical experience while workingwith the state-of-the-art translation technologies. The trainees can apply their knowledge obtained at the faculty to real-life translation assignments while gaining new skills and experience which combined contribute to a more efficient integration into the translation market. The paper explores the specific app...

Zbirka Prevodoslovje inu porabno jezikoslovje, 2013

Slovenščina 2.0: empirical, applied and interdisciplinary research

Slovenščina 2.0, 2022

Proceedings of the Conference on Language Technologies and Digital Humanities, 2022

Teacher education for community interpreting and intercultural mediation, 2020

Perspectives, 2022

ELOPE: English Language Overseas Perspectives and Enquiries, 2019

Perspectives: Studies in Translation Theory and Practice, 2022

ELOPE: English Language Overseas Perspectives and Enquiries, 2021

The issue is guest edited by Nataša Hirci, Agnes Pisanski Peterlin and Simon Zupan.

ISBN 978-961-06-0489-1

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4312/elope.18.1

The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 2012

Journal for Foreign Languages, 2016

Zbirka Prevodoslovje inu porabno jezikoslovje, 2013

Translation and Interpreting: Convergence, Contact and Interaction, 2019

Translation and interpreting are separate although related activities performed under different c... more Translation and interpreting are separate although related activities performed under different constraints, such as time and resources availability. It is therefore not surprising that the pedagogies of translation and interpreting are distinct fields, each with their own theoretical and practical issues in line with the translator and interpreter competence development. Nevertheless, there are specific types of translation in which the two modalities are brought together, such as sight translation. This paper explores trainee translators’ performance and attitudes towards a sight translation and a written translation task. The results show that, while written translation yielded more successful solutions for lexical items, the output of the two modalities was of similar quality for pragmatic elements. Potential reasons for these differences, such as duration and the availability of resources, are examined. The findings also reveal that the participants’ attitudes towards the sight translation task were overwhelmingly positive. Our findings suggest that translator training can benefit from the synergies between the oral and written modalities.