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47Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences 2 (2014 7) 326-333
УДК 37.046.14
Innovative Approach
to Teaching Translation and Interpreting
Elena G. Tarevaa* and Boris V. Tarevb
aMoscow City Pedagogical University 5b Maly Kazenny per., Moscow, 105064 Russia bNational Research University Higher School of Economics, 20, Myasnitskaya Str., Moscow, 101000, Russia
Received 10.11.2013, received in revised form 17.12.2013, accepted 29.12.2013
The article is devoted to the overview of innovations applied to teaching translation and interpreting (T&I). The authors represent both parameters of the innovations and the main trends of modern approaches to teaching T&I.
Keywords: translation and interpreting (T&I), innovation processes in teaching translation and interpreting, parameters of innovations, technologies for teaching translation and interpreting.
Introduction
Strengthening the trends of the development and implementation of innovations in various fields of human activity is the objective law of the development of any society. The present day calls for intensified innovation processes, the quality of which influences the progress in different industries, business, and finance. Illustrative is the penetration of innovations into the areas that have traditionally been recognized conservative, classic, not subject to rapid changes and modernization. The latter include the humanitarian sphere, which having been formed in the epoch of the ideas of liberalization and humanization, long retained its vector at permanence of values, and, consequently, was "reluctant" to adaption of innovations, especially those that were characterized by the need to shift from the existing values.
© Siberian Federal University. All rights reserved
* Corresponding author E-mail address: elenatareva@mail.ru
Humanitarian sphere is the sphere of culture, politics, education, human science research, which includes such areas as philosophy, linguistics, sociology, psychology, education, economics, and others. Humanitarian "space of knowledge" for a long time was like outside of the innovation processes due to orientation of the sphere at human beings in the aggregate aspects of their life (spiritual, mental, moral, cultural, and social). This orientation "washed away" the subject and the object of the humanitarian studies, making them intangible and not determinable qualitatively.
Recently the situation in this area has dramatically changed. Today we need an individual who can act independently, take a distinctive position, and apply his own strategies and tactics for problem solving. This must be a person ready for self-realization
and self-actualization, for changing ways of thinking and living. We need people willing to innovate, able to act as business leaders of the new generation. According to A.A. Ponukalin, in today's society we speak about the need in the formation of individual evolutionary consciousness, which should evolve in the direction of developing the sense of personal responsibility for the process and the result of the evolution of society, not only for his personal well-being. Hence, we support the idea of the development of innovative personal qualities and choice of evolutionary path through the ideology of innovative lifestyle (Ponukalin, 2008).
Bringing up of a required by the time individuality aimed at his development and improvement becomes unachievable in the "Procrustean bed" of obsolete vision of him as a social value, application of outdated ways, methods, and techniques of influence. It is required to implement innovations in the humanities, and to consider it in the context of the necessity of human evolution with innovative thinking, consciousness, readiness to innovative creation.
The Problems of Research of Humanitarian Innovations
It is clear that the format, content, and nature of humanitarian innovations are distinguished by their nature, being difficult for detection, scientific comprehension, and objectification. The difficulty lies in the fact that in the science of innovation - Innovatics - it's a common practice to operate with precise categories such as "innovation and investment process", "investment", "innovation", "management of innovation process," "diffusion of innovations", "commercialization of innovations", etc. While grouping these categories constitute a single algorithm of sequential actions involving the
development, implementation, and dissemination of innovations.
It is extremely difficult to apply these strictly formalized concepts to the sphere of humanitarian innovations as it is impossible to study a human being in terms of the existing Innovation Thesaurus, to employ the already formed ideas about methods of innovation generation, innovation management, and promotion.
There is a need for a special accentuation of the conceptual apparatus for the humanities. Thus, we see that there emerged and began actively explored such areas as " Social Innovatics", " Socio-cultural Innovatics", "Pedagogical Innovatics", "Lingvodidactical Innovations" (T.F. Berestova, E.G. Tareva, A.A. Ponukalin, E.A. Malyanov, T.K. Klimenko, A.A. Kazantseva). The researchers have highlighted the scope of human knowledge that has particular potential for innovation; these are the spheres of pedagogy, art, culture, socio-cultural and educational activities. In these spheres innovations are linked with originality and unconventional thinking, creative audacity, with the result of intellectual activity, materialized in the form of new facilities, which differ from the previous ones by their novel properties. In connection with the development of this trend of innovation processes research the products of humanitarian sector can be assessed in terms of economic indicators (cost and benefit).
Despite the availability of a certain number of approaches to understanding of innovative trends in the sphere of humanities, it is necessary to admit that in this area only the first steps are being made. According to E.A. Malyanov, here is ambiguity and confusion of concepts and terminology, as well as "the impropriety of equating of innovations in the sphere of culture and social relations to innovations in technology, production, economy" (Malyanov, 2009: 101).
These "growing pains" did not pass the sphere of education, in the context of which from
long ago there exists Pedagogical Innovatics, which can be regarded as a doctrine of the creation of pedagogical innovations, their assessment, acquisition and application by the pedagogical community (Khutorskoy, 2005). Pedagogical innovations are considered to be innovations in educational system aimed at improvement of the process and outcomes of the educational process. Thus, application of new methods, techniques, tools, new concepts, new textbooks, new curricula, methods of education and training are often referred to as innovations. With such a spread of possible areas of implementation of innovation processes the emasculation of the idea of innovation as something fundamentally new and different from the previous one, from something familiar is inevitable. Innovation is segmented into tiny elements, and happens to be ever-present. Because of this, it is difficult to distinguish it from the usual flow of educational processes, define it in the "cut" of usual standard educational procedures. Inevitably, the questions arise: is an innovation in this case, an innovation at the request of its creator, not in substance? Isn't there the substitution of concepts? Isn't it a falsification of the idea of innovation in education?
If you look at the lists of innovations in education, driven by the modern educational researches, then the answers to the questions raised above suggest being affirmative. For example, as innovations in education are considered the application of modern technologies, the principle of integration of the content of education, developmental education, differentiated instruction, project-based learning, programmed instruction, modular training, distance learning - the phenomena that have long been introduced in theory and practice. And even personality centered education as a holistic concept and a set of technologies and practices is unlikely to be regarded as an
innovation (too many years have passed since the declaration and approval of the personality centered paradigm). We agree with the opinion of scientists that "the authors of pedagogical innovations develop new concepts, principles, technology, new terms, and so on, but do not always provide a reasonable justification for the novelty and utility of the proposed innovations, including a comparative analysis of their content with the content of known objects of educational research and practice" (Zeer, 2011: 5).
From the said above follows the obvious problem. Still there are no objective criteria and indicators, based on which we can accept this or that innovation as a true innovation: there is no mechanism of diagnosis, expert evaluation, recognition (at the level of patenting) of educational innovations, copyright protection and, finally, the dissemination (commercialization).
Innovations in Teaching Translation and Interpreting: the Basics of the Problem
Science of teaching translation - Translation Didactics - is experiencing the same difficulties in the evaluation of innovative technologies as the General Didactics and Linguodidactics. As a result, among such innovations are considered computer-aided, project, problem solving technologies of teaching translation, which, possessing universal optimizing opportunities have no specific features related to the actual teaching translation. In addition, these technologies are widespread and have long ceased to be innovations in the full sense of the word.
To confirm this, let's analyze the publication activity of the authors who, specialize in teaching translation, focusing on the base of scientific digital library e-LIBRARY. The analysis was applied to articles published in the years 20082013. The criteria for the selection and evaluation were the category "innovation", "innovative",
"novelty", as used in the titles and the texts of the publications.
The results of the analysis show that the authors regard as innovative for teaching language and culture, the "problem method", creation of "virtual learning environment", the use of project-based, cooperative learning, the use of various information and communication technologies, etc. It is clearly seen that Translation Didactics is not ready nowadays to comprehend the essence of innovation in teaching translation and interpreting. Meanwhile, the modern does not always mean the innovative. For example, computer technology, of course, being modern, can hardly be qualified as innovative, whatever new formats and features do appear in recent years.
It must be said that this situation is due to objective reasons. First, Innovatics is a young science, and it is just beginning to strengthen its positions and to proclaim its categorical apparatus, its laws, principles, diagnostic criteria, and characteristics of innovation. Second, not all is well defined within the framework of the Innovatics itself, thus, making it possible for a false or not quite adequate understanding of certain categories and phenomena of innovative realities. Third, being a sphere of humanitarian studies does not properly give the opportunity to perceive the subject of innovation in teaching translation. Humanitarian innovations, as mentioned above, are far from complete and final shaping of their form and content.
Thus, innovation in training translators is still waiting for its researchers, able to establish a methodology for determining the parameters of innovation in the field of training of translators, suggest the diagnosis and approval (at the level of patenting) of these innovations and to consider mechanisms for their implementation in the practice of teaching translation at different stages of educational process.
Innovations in Teaching Translation and Interpreting: Approaches to Problem Solving
As can be concluded from the analysis of existing approaches, there are several trends in Translation Didactics that can be considered as innovative. It is interesting to analyze them in terms of the parameters of innovativeness. These parameters in General Didactics are as follows (Zeer, 2011: 11):
(1) Relevance: the approach meets social requirements that determine the need for younger generation to be ready for participation in cross-cultural communication;
(2) Novelty: the approach is completely different from what was used earlier;
(3) Productivity and Efficiency: long-term and multiple studies support the effectiveness of the approach in the process of education;
(4) Optimality: the acceleration of skills development, saving mental, emotional efforts of students;
(5) Educational Value: the approach has a direct impact on development, education, and training of students;
(6) Practicability: should be obvious practical value of the approach;
(7) Feasibility: the innovation is realistic, it is reproducible in different educational contexts, does not require much effort, re-training of teachers, introduction of absolutely new and costly training facilities;
(8) Non-obviousness: the approach is not a truism; in that interpretation it has never been assessed by anyone due to fundamentally different interpretations admitted by the absolute majority of its supporters.
The first approach is traditionally based on the integration of various scientific fields into a single entity. This is the combination of different areas of Linguistics, Translation Studies, and Translation Didactics. These include, for example,
the so-called Metalinguistic Approach, which is designated as an innovative direction in teaching translation (Loginova, 2008). This approach is seen as a necessary tool for the analysis of translation as a learning process and product of communication, taking into account the potential of translation universals.
Metalinguistic approach incorporates, on the one hand, all that has been accumulated in General Linguistics. It focuses on WHAT is behind the word, namely, the "cultural alloy", "mysterious links of which entangle direct, nominative meaning of the word" (Ter-Minasova, 152), speaker's / writer's emotions, etymology of the word - that referred to as «the history hidden in words» (Denning, 2007), socio-cultural connotations.
On the other hand, this approach is based on the integration of different areas of research in the Theory of Translation: Linguistic - from the position of compliance and non-compliance between languages; Pragmatic, taking into account extra-linguistic factors; Communicative, involving the analysis of communicative aspect of translation as a process of transmission of information and cultural data; Communication and Cognitive, being based on consideration of the picture of the world and background matches.
The analysis of this approach leads to the conclusion that its innovative potential manifests itself in the parameters (1) and (2). The available research material from related to Translation Didactics fields, taken in a complex and integrated way, in fact, can give new impetus to improving the training of "intermediaries" in the field of intercultural communication. Consequently, it is characterized by relevance and novelty. But this approach is only at the very beginning of its development, and its dominant idea is just defined. The evidence of its productivity and efficiency, optimality,
educational value, practicability, feasibility, and non-obviousness (parameters 3-8), is to be proved in the future.
The second approach, which is considered as innovative, is aimed at change of strategy and technology of teaching translation of scientific written texts, taking into account the origin of the terms (Nikolaeva, 2010). According to the author, the translator must possess etymological competence - the ability to ensure the adequacy of the translation being based on consideration of the acquired knowledge about the origins of common words and terms, as well as their functional features and original meaning. The criteria of formation of this competence are the adequacy of the translation, the independent translation decisions making, and efficiency of translation skills. A special place in the model of teaching translators is taken by such methods of teaching translation as etymological analysis, differentiation, comparative and historical comparison, quantization, typological classification.
The very process of teaching translation of scientific texts consists of the following stages:
- pre-translation: understanding of what sphere of scientific knowledge the text is referred to, identification of scientific terms, definition of their etymons, meaning and function in the text;
- translation: the selection of equivalents for the terms on the basis of the techniques of translation activity;
- post-translation: assessment of the translated product, the interpretation of the communication and pragmatic functions of the text on the basis of the etymological components of the terms, evaluation and forming judgments on the translation results, practical use of the terms in different communicative situations.
The analysis of this approach shows that like the first one, it can hardly be seen as innovative, despite the fact that it is based on the theoretical foundation and has technological parameters. The most vulnerable are the parameters of its Novelty (2) (the importance of relying on the etymology of words in the translation was repeatedly stated in linguistic studies, and the three-stage sequence of teaching translation is a well-known fact), Optimality (4) (it is likely that determination of the origin of terms would add time for the translation). Practicability (6), and Educational Value (5) require serious study. Thus, this approach might be qualified as a didactic technique that is able to improve the quality of the translation of scientific text.
The third approach, pretending to the status of innovative, has a strictly technological orientation. Without a radical change in the fundamentals of teaching translation in the field of professional communication, the author offers a new sequence of stages of development of translation competence for non-linguistic students: reception (assimilation) ^ production (application) ^ social interaction ^ mediation (Bogatyreva, 2011). These steps are described in detail, down to the steps of actions of a teacher and students at a particular translation lesson.
It is easy to see that the desire is unlikely to be related to the didactic innovation, rather to speak about perfection or optimization of the existing approach to training of translators.
There are other approaches that are declared by the authors as innovative. Among them - the system that is aimed at developing a translator's conceptual picture of the world by providing him with cognitive maps, realization in the translation process of cognitive models, such as association schemes of meaning, lingvo-cultural fields, introduction of interactive technologies, parallel corpuses of different genres, teaching translation
via Internet technology (Trados system that is used to translate texts of different formats and maintaining terminological databases of different formats, automation translation project management XTRF™ - Translation Management Systems, etc.). Of course, the development of these new systems and their application in practice is fully justified. But they are unlikely to be regarded as innovative technologies, as they do not meet the required parameters.
The stated above data clearly indicate that today the desire to improve the training of translators through the introduction of innovative teaching technologies is obvious. However, in current practice, this tendency manifests itself mainly at the level of development of individual techniques, presentation of separate teaching methods that do not radically change the existing teaching approach.
Most probably such conservatism in teaching translation makes sense, and is justified. This, in particular, is supported by D.M. Buzadzhi, when he states the dangers caused by introduction in the educational process of new technological developments. These dangers are based on the fact that sometimes new technology does not help to solve the challenges posed by an academic discipline. It may require from a teacher and / or students extra costs and efforts, without providing a significant improvement in the quality of education. As a result, the decision to introduce new technology into use should, according to the scientist, be taken only if there is a reason to respond positively to questions about whether the technology is useful for teaching, and whether it significantly increases the effectiveness of teaching. "If we want students to acquire the subject faster and translate better, if we train them to the conditions of work, that they will encounter in practice, it is necessary not to curse all
Table 1. The passport of innovation for teaching translation
1. Innovation
2. The sphere of educational activity where the innovation can be applied
3. The object of educational innovation
4. The description of similar innovations
5. The criticism of similar innovations with consideration of positive outcomes of the proposed innovation
6. The purpose of the innovation
7. The essence of the innovation
8. Correspondence to the criteria of novelty
9. The expected outcome
new things, but not to rush with delight at every enticing new product, and to adopt that all technological progress can really help us" (Buzadzhi).
A special expertise is required to make a decision about the true innovative character of teaching translation technology. This work can be carried out with the help of the passport of innovation for teaching translation, which fixes the characteristics of a particular educational technology in correspondence with the declared parameters. Above is a layout of the passport (Table 1). At the same time, this table may be regarded as an application/justification of the proposed technology innovation.
Careful and thoughtful completion of the passport will help the author of didactic innovations to understand the degree of novelty
of the proposed ideas, to determine their place in the existing system of translation and didactic knowledge.
Conclusion
It is a well-known slogan that innovation determines the future. But not all that is called innovative is actually innovative. Pedagogical innovations in general and innovations in teaching translation in particular are designed to ensure the evolution of the educational system, its modernization, based on a balanced approach to the creation of innovations, not in the race for the number of them at the expense of quality. We need a wise, profound concept that allows to name as innovations only those achievements of science and practice, which have all the necessary features and parameters
References
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[Sovremennije podhodi obutscheniju perevodu primenitel'no k nejazikovomu vuzu] (2011) Labor and Social Relations, No 7. Pp. 28-33.
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Инновации в обучении переводу
Е.Г. Тареваа, Б.В. Тарев6
аМосковский городской педагогический университет Россия, 129226, Москва, Малый Казенный пер., 5б бНациональный исследовательский университет
Высшая школа экономики Россия, 101000, Москва, ул. Мясницкая, 20
В статье речь идет о специфике инновационных процессов в дидактике перевода. Предлагаются параметры инноваций в обучении переводу. Намечаются пути развития основных инновационных тенденций в обучении переводу.
Ключевые слова: инновационные процессы в лингводидактике, параметры инноваций, технологии обучения переводу.
