Training the modern translator – the acquisition of digital competencies through blended learning (original) (raw)
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The intersection of digital and translation competence in students of translation
Ars & Humanitas
The Current European Digital Competence Framework for Lifelong Learning (DigComp 2.2) includes five areas with 21 sub-competences, and most of them are included in the European Master’s in Translation (EMT) 2009-2022 frameworks. Which of these will be included in the curricula depends on the level of the study program (BA or MA) and the needs of the students, who we tend to believe are digital nomads. In the educational context of our study various areas of digital competences (DC) are developed implicitly as part of translation assignments and are not specifically acknowledged and assessed. In this paper we investigate how the students perceive their DC and whether this is connected to the number and type of translation courses taken and their view of themselves as future translators. The data was collected via an online questionnaire. The informants (N=58) assessed 25 statements on a five-point Likert scale, thereby reporting how skilled they believed they were with respect to var...
The article analyzes and systematizes digital technologies used in the process of special translation, in the course of which it has become possible to identify three main groups of translation resources: digital translation programs, lexicographic resources, and network technologies. Within the framework of these groups, it has also become possible to analyze the possibilities of using machine translation, translation memory systems, search engines, terminology databases, dictionaries, encyclopedias, electronic libraries, electronic magazines, digital programs that allow the translator to create, format, and correct the text being created (text and image editors, convertors, etc.), to correspond with the customer, colleagues, etc. The conducted analysis revealed that today the professional environment of the translator's activities involves not only the use of appropriate translation programs, but is also mediated by the communication of the translator with the employer, fellow translators, consultants, and experts in the professional field. This approach allows us to talk about a digital translation environment, which will determine the norms of communication corresponding to this environment, i.e. availability of digital literacy. Within the framework of professional competence, a future translator must also have a digital component for a successful career growth; this component, as analysis has shown, represents the willingness and ability to use safe information technologies in the process of special translation. The conducted interviews of translators showed the presence of information resources at all stages of this complex activity, which allows integrating these translator resources into the phased process of creating a digital competence of a translator.
The article describes two translation technology modules available to MA students at UCL. These modules emphasise the following: combining theory and practice; preparation for the translation industry; use of the software in all practical translation work; teamwork; learning by doing and by participating in projects. They aim to cover a wide range of translation technology and technology-related topics, including terminology, translation memory, machine translation, term extraction, system evaluation, parallel text acquisition and statistical MT engine training. Overall, their goal is to produce versatile problem-solvers rather than software users dependent on a particular system.
What's in your blend?: created blended resources for translator training
The Interpreter and translator …, 2009
In our increasingly technology-mediated educational landscape, blended teaching and learning methodologies -which bring together selected features of online and face-to-face training -can enhance the educational experience of both trainers and trainees. Yet the implementation of blended teaching and learning approaches in some fields of translation can present trainers with a number of problems. These include the trainers' lack of familiarity with the use of certain software applications and the scarcity of electronic materials and pedagogical scenarios for them to draw on. This paper explores the pedagogical resources developed as part of two European collaborative projects in the domain of translator training and discusses the lessons learnt from the exploitation of these resources in blended learning scenarios. It offers an overview of the changes that technology has brought to the educational sector, followed by a discussion of key features of the blended teaching and learning approach, and an examination of the impact of technological developments on the translation industry and their transformational effect on professional practices and the training of translators. The final sections present the materials created under the framework of the eCoLoTrain and eCoLoMedia projects, which aim to support blended learning in translation and multimedia localization, respectively. Throughout, an overview of how some project-specific resources and materials can be used in translator training environments is followed by advice on relevant best practices. The conclusion speculates briefly on how the materials which are still under development will effectively be put to use by trainers and trainees alike.
Translator training and modern market demands
Perspectives: Studies …, 2005
The development of new information and communication technology influences an everchanging professional reality that requires almost constant updating. Market demands must necessarily find their way into teaching practices, which can respond to the expectations created. The present day reality of the translation market, from a Spanish perspective, reveals deficiencies in translator training. It is not only in Spain that translation teachers will have to re-think existing translator training programmes in terms of present-day market demands to professionals. The present article presents a hands-on course involving concrete translation assignments in a simulated 'real-life' set-up, designed to familiarise students with their future working conditions. We call it the 'Professional Approach for Translator Training' and it is already implemented at the University of Granada. We hope that others elsewhere can use our ideas, although the specific aims of this programme are geared towards Spanish syllabi, especially since other universities plan to introduce new technology or have already done so (e.g. the University of Leeds, UK). The authors are members of the Aula.int team and are teachers of translation at the University of Granada, Spain.
Pedagogy of translation in the age of digital technologies
LAPLAGE EM REVISTA, 2021
The purpose of the research is to establish the effectiveness of digital technologies in teaching the theory and practice of translation, in particular specialized one, taking into account the pragmatic aspect (this refers to the pragmatics of translation from Ukrainian into French). The research method is the key one in the study, as well as empirical, statistical and theoretical methods have been also used. By the way, survey and observation methods have been applied in order to diagnose the effectiveness of the research. The main hypothesis is the assumption that the introduction of digital technologies in the process of teaching specialized translation will have positive results: that is, it will demonstrate an increase in the level of success, and, therefore, translation competences and skills of students, potential specialists in the field of translation. The result of the present research lies in proving the effectiveness of involving digital technologies as an innovative com...