Academic teaching in Translation and Interpreting in Russia: Student expectations and market reality (original) (raw)
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The current importance of the research stems from the fact it identifies the reasons regarding translators' and interpreters' attitudes towards math tools and methods in their training program curriculum, and there has been no previous research on the topic. Another point to be mentioned in this regard is that research data and findings contribute to the overall significance of reliability, validity, and objectivity of the measurement and interpretation of the data within the landscape of multifaceted Humanities studies in general, and theoretical and applied aspects of professional activities in the field of Translation and Interpretation, in particular. The goal of the research is to explore the attitudes to the above-mentioned tools and methods as part of academic curriculum regarding Russian graduates of Master's programs on Translation and Interpretation. The goal was reached through a number of steps, including the analysis of the MA programs on Translation and Interpretation curriculum within the international framework, the identification of general trends regarding graduates' perception and the study of those components that shape their attitudes. The research methodology combined theoretical studies, qualitative and quantitative types of analysis. The empirical data was collected through the survey of graduates of various Russian universities who were part of Academia or Industry related to Translation and Interpretation. Cluster, factor, discriminant types of analysis were implemented. The SPSS was used for data processing. The research results confirmed the hypothesis that graduates' attitudes to mathematical tools and methods in general and to the respective module inclusion in the University-based translator and interpreter' training in particular depend on the two following factors. First, it is quality of MA program students completed in terms of the program module/course on math tools and methods for translation studies and second, graduates' working requirements. The research significance derives from the confirmed importance of the curriculum that should integrate research, math tools, technology and employers' A. Atabekova et al. / Math Tools and Quantitative Methods in Interpreter's Training 5296 requirements. Moreover, the research specified the above curriculum particular requirements regarding translators and interpreters.
Translation, Interpreting and Culture - Old Dogmas, New Approaches, 2020
Slovakia is one of the smaller countries in Europe, with a little over five million Slovak speakers. Nevertheless, there are four universities with fully fledged translation and interpreting (T&I) programmes for this rather small market. These universities and their graduates are transforming the market in Slovakia, most visibly in the generation of young professionals. The universities in this group operate in one regulatory setting, and they have to follow the same guidelines and objectives according to a central accreditation standard. Each of them, however, achieves different results in student satisfaction and feedback on their studies. In order to better understand this phenomenon, the present author carried out a survey in 2019 among 102 students in the final year of their MA studies at these four universities. The survey was aimed at the students’ career plans and whether they planned to enter the translation profession. Students were also asked to assess their subjective readiness to enter the translation profession in different areas (technical translation, literary translation, simultaneous interpreting, consecutive interpreting, CAT tools and overall preparation for the profession). Finally, students also assessed the development of their foreign- language skills, and their overall satisfaction with the training and education received at their university, and they proposed improvements for the training programmes. Despite a similar regulatory framework and comparable cohorts of students, the results for each university significantly differed. One university in particular (Comenius University in Bratislava) was a significant outlier in several categories. The most visible differences identified in the survey were linked to subjective student satisfaction with their preparation in various competencies. Another difference observed was in the satisfaction with T&I studies and career plans between respondents studying in language combinations without English and the rest of the group. This chapter will summarise the most relevant findings and will attempt to link them to some of the most visible differences in curriculum design. In this way, it is possible to identify the best practices and inspirational approaches which can be applied in other translator and interpreter training programmes.
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The article deals with the analysis of innovations in the content of professional training of interpreters / translators at universities of Europe, the USA and Ukraine. It has been established that at European and American universities the innovation data involves directing professional education of translators and interpreters towards studying CAT-systems within the context of traditional disciplines, specialized disciplines, extracurricular courses, trainings and in the process of students’ translation/interpretation traineeship and study placement. Based on the comparative analysis of the curricula for specialists’ training in translation/interpretation in European countries, the USA and Ukraine, the conclusion is drawn that in higher education of Ukraine theoretical training traditionally prevails over practical field experience, general classroom hours are not sufficient for students, while Ukrainian universities’ curricula lack disciplines aimed at the formation of technologic...
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2016
Early adulthood is a time of very dynamic developmental changes. The transition to labour market is one of the key developmental tasks at this time, whose course often has an impact on the entire professional life of an individual. In the context of academic education, it is important to highlight the first transition of students from education to labour. This perspective imposes specific targets and challenges on academic education. Therefore, in this article, the author has presented the results of research on some aspects of the pre-transition situation of the students of translation specialization of the Applied Linguistics department at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University. The research results are discussed within the context of the nature of the translation profession.1