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27SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAINING AS AN INTERACTIVE METHOD OF TRANSLATION STUDENTS' ADAPTATION TO THE INNOVATIVE PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY
Pylypchuk M.
Senior Lecturer of English Philology and Translation Department Faculty of Linguistics and Social Communications National Aviation University Kyiv, Ukraine ORCID 0000-0001-8251-4328
ABSTRACT
The article studies the problem of translation students' adaptation to innovative professional activity using socio-psychological training. The training program has been elaborated on the theoretical background of leading psychological and pedagogical researches. The training methodology encompassed communicative, cognitive, moderation, and reflexive exercises aimed at developing individual and professional skills and abilities necessary for successful fulfilment of professional duties. The abilities to communicate effectively, have the critical thinking, have good self-regulation and self-presentation as well as to work in a team are considered the most important in the conditions of innovative activity of a translator.
Keywords: adaptation, socio-psychological training, translation students.
Introduction.
Professional adaptation of students to innovative conditions of professional activity is an important problem both in psychology and in pedagogics of higher education. Nowadays, a translator is constantly in communicative interaction with team members, clients, and other people, where he/she reveals their communicative abilities, ability to emotional self-control, critical thinking, creativity, ability to work in a team, etc. These are the important components of their professional profile. Professional adaptation contributes to the perfect mastery of the chosen profession, consolidation of professional skills and abilities, which is manifested in the stable performance of professional duties, high productivity, quality, accuracy, and reliability, as well as creative reflective activity. Professional adaptation helps to prevent conflicts and effectively ensures interpersonal interaction.
Analysis of recent studies and publications. The works of outstanding scientists such as N. Baranova, V. Kazemirenko, L. Malynovych, L. Petrovska, K. Rudestam, V. Slastonin, are devoted to urgent problems of adaptation to new professional conditions and relationships of people in the social group.
The psychological influence of training technologies in teaching was initially studied by V. Vershynina, K. Lewin, C. Rogers, F. Perls, A. Ellis. Subsequently, training technologies became widespread in the scientific researches of I. Vachkov, Yu. Yemelyanov, V. Zakharov, G. Kovalev, L. Petrovska, O. Sydorenko, T. Yatsenko, and others.
At the same time, the problem of professional adaptation of translation students to innovative conditions of professional activity has not been highlighted in scientific sources. That is why the aim of our research is to develop an appropriate method of adapting translation students to innovative professional activity using the technology of socio-psychological training.
Results of the research. In the broadest sense, so-cio-psychological training (SPT) is usually understood as a kind of active learning with the aim of acquiring certain communicative skills, as well as their correction
[3]. Thus, SPT is firstly directed to increasing communication competence. In contrast to traditional studying methods, the training actively includes behavioural models and communication techniques through cooperation and mutual exchange of experience of training participants.
K. Rudestam points out the following advantages of SPT [4]:
- establishing emotional contact with other people;
- experience in solving problems at the interpersonal level;
- receiving feedback;
- receiving psychological support from people who have common problems;
- mastering new skills and abilities in a supportive and controlled atmosphere;
- revealing such hidden factors as partner pressure, conformism, social influence, distribution of roles;
- facilitation of self-identification process and introspection;
- formation of "I - concept" of the individual;
- economic and time benefit.
In the process of professional formation, an individual adapts to the workforce, technology and production techniques, leadership style and communication in a professional environment, and more. Socio-psycho-logical adaptation is a comfortable entry into the workforce, the establishment of effective business relationships with colleagues, specialists, and managers, the formation of the personal professional style of behaviour and activity [2, p.76-78].
Tasks and methods of SPT. Taking into account the requirements and features of the translators' innovative professional environment [5], we developed SPT that was aimed at 1) expanding the possibilities of establishing communicative contact; 2) practicing the skills of controlling one's own emotional state; 3) mastering the skills of critical thinking; 4) intensification of
self-presentation process, 5) expanding the range of abilities of team interaction. Thus, to solve the objectives of the training, we used communicative teaching methods (in exercises "Self-presentation", "I am an emotion"); cognitive teaching methods (in exercises, "The tree of assumptions", "7 hats"); moderation method (in exercises "Broken phone", "Translator's nightmare"); reflexive methods (in exercise "My future self-realization").
Planning and development of a training program.
SPT was developed taking into account some basic principles [1]:
a) "The principle of voluntarism", according to which each student had an interest and his own desire to participate in the training.
b) "The principle of conformity" means that the elaborated material corresponds with the age and intellectual level of the participants.
c) "The principle of homogeneity", according to which the group participating in the SPT was homogeneous in age and level of training; the group was also prone to cohesive behaviour; the psychological atmosphere in the group was quite comfortable.
The working language of the training is English. The training was designed for translation students. The training program covers three stages: preparatory, basic, and final.
The preparatory stage of the SPT aims to acquaint training participants with the main goals and objectives of the training and the training format. It also suggests clarification of expectations and fears of group members as well as establishing and adopting rules of the training.
The main stage of training, which is conducting training exercises, is aimed at developing communicative and cognitive abilities, critical and reflexive thinking as well as the formation of teamwork skills in the process of overcoming stressful situations. Let's consider the types and aims of SPT exercises.
1. Exercise "Self-presentation".
The aim is to define the concept of "translator's profession in the modern world", to be aware of the importance of obtaining professional knowledge for self-realization in future innovative and professional activities. This exercise helps group members to analyze their
own personal qualities and evaluate their own potential and it also aims at increasing the positive level of self-reflection necessary for adaptation.
The trainer explains the procedure "Imagine that there has been announced a competition for a vacancy of "a president's personal translator" with a huge salary, the opportunity to travel and meet VIPs. In order to hire the worthiest candidate, an open audition has been organized. Despite the fact that there are many applicants to compete for the vacancy, the organizers of the competition have the opportunity to consider each candidate. Your task is to convincingly prove that you are the only specialist who should get this work. Think about what professional knowledge and skills will be your main advantages. What personal qualities can help you get your dream job? Prepare a public speech". Students take turns presenting themselves, paying attention to their professional and personal preferences. The trainer offers a reference plan for successful self-presentation:
- Smile and introduce yourself.
- Briefly describe your education and work experience.
- Note competencies and practical skills that are important for the vacancy
- Explain why you want to work in this position.
- Briefly tell about hobbies and interests.
- Notice your useful personal qualities.
- Point out your main advantages.
- Thank the interviewer for their attention.
2. Exercise "I am an emotion ".
The aim of this exercise is to control students' own emotional state, to get free of so-called "emotional cold", to release emotions, and overcome the fear of public speaking.
The procedure. The trainer asks the participants to take turns to get one balloon from the "black box", which depicts a certain emotion. The trainer gives each participant a piece of text to read with the emotion depicted on the balloon, after which all other students have to guess it. When the correct answer is given, the student inflates the ball and gives it to the one who guessed.
Figure 1. Balls-emotions
The task. Read the following piece of a news report with the appropriate emotion:
- as if you fell in love;
- as if you are telling a horror story;
- as if you are cool as a cucumber
- as if you were a businessman who has no free time at all;
- as if you were angry;
- as if you were full of sadness
- as if you heard that classes are over and holidays begin;
- as if you were telling a secret;
- as if you are got tired and exhausted.
3. Exercise "The tree of assumptions".
The aim is to develop the skills of forecasting, argumentation, and critical thinking as well as practice speaking.
The procedure. The trainer introduces a topic that contains an element of prediction "Man vs Machine: Will translation technologies replace human translators?", and encourages students to actively discuss the development of this problematic topic in the future. Students voice their ideas and create a "the tree of predictions", where the trunk is a given topic, the branches are predictions (I think that...; probably, it will be...), and the leaves are arguments in favor of statements.
4. Discussion "7hats".
The aim is to develop critical thinking, train memory and attention, and develop communication skills.
The procedure. Each student receives a "hat". The colour of the hat indicates the type of task:
Discussion topic: "Modern translation market. Prospects and challenges for a young specialist".
White hat - tell about the topic only in facts and figures.
Yellow hat - think about why... (then there is a question about the fundamentals of the topic being
studied by the training group).
Black hat - prove that... (within the topic). Red hat - think about the emotional state this topic can trigger.
Pink hat - think about arguments that can bring us benefit and pleasure. Green hat - summarize what is new and useful we learned on this topic today.
Blue hat - translate into Ukrainian what the student in the green hat said. Types of questions for a discussion
Table 1.
Question type Formulation
Investigating Who? What? Where? When?
Analytical Why? How?
Stimulating Why?
Acting What did you do? When? How? Why?
Hypothetical What ... if?
Prognostic What will happen?
Generalizing What are the conclusions?
5. Brainstorm "Translator's Nightmare".
The aim is to form skills of group discussion, to develop creative thinking.
The procedure. The trainer writes on interactive whiteboard sentences that are contradictory in terms of translation because they contain elements of humor and untranslatable wordplay. Students need to offer their own translation options. The trainer writes down all the options, in the end, the whole group determines the best translation option.
- Why did the boy eat his homework? Because the teacher told him it was a piece of cake.
- Why is the number six so scared? Because seven eight (ate) nine!
- If vegetarians eat vegetables, then what on earth do humanitarians eat?!
- If we are the human race, then who is winning?
6. Tournament "The broken phone".
The aim is to form group interaction skills.
The procedure. Students are divided into 8 teams of 5 participants in a team. Each team takes a row next
to each other to form a chain. The first participant from all teams is given a card with Ukrainian sentences, which he/she, in turn, whispers to another member of his/her team, who is sitting to the right. The next participant interprets the sentence into English and whispers it to the neighbour on the right. He/she, in turn, interprets the sentence from English to a second foreign language (German) and whispers to the next team member, who interprets the sentence from German to English and whispers to his/her neighbour on the right. The last participant interprets a sentence from English into Ukrainian and writes it on a piece of paper. In the end, the first member of each team reads the original sentence, and the last one reads the final result of the interpretation. The team with the final interpretation most closely matched the original wins.
Sentences for whispering interpreting:
- У зливу жахливу шд кущем дуже змокли жук з джмелем.
- Черепаха чаплю вечором пригощала чаем з шечивом.
- Чорно-бший чорногуз у болото чорне вгруз.
- Тигренятко з тигром-татом тренувалися стрибати.
- Пироги перепеченi перцем переперчеш.
- Кит кота по хвилях катав - кит у вод^ кгг на
китi.
The final stage involves the generalization of psychological experience, skills and abilities acquired while working in the training group. This stage has reflexive activities when participants compare their expectations before the training to the outcomes at the end. Students highlight skills, knowledge, strategies that they will use in their future profession.
7. Exercise "My future self-realization ".
The aim is to develop forecasting and reflection skills.
The procedure. The trainer introduces a topic that contains an element of reflective thinking. "Please imagine that for the next 10-15 years your life will be arranged according to the best wishes and expectations. Now imagine yourself in 10 years and try to answer the following questions":
- Where are you now?
- What do you look like?
- Where do you work? What is your position?
- What kind of professional are you? What exactly do you do? What role do you play in the company you work for?
- What is your financial status?
- What are your plans for the future?
Students discuss the images that they managed to imagine. It is important for the trainer to motivate students to study hard in order to achieve their ideals.
Conclusions.
SPT is an effective method of improving the adaptive potential of translation students to the conditions of an innovative professional environment. The use of the SPT method helps to develop communicative competence, teamwork skills, overcome psychological barriers in the group, solve complex problems, stimulate students to search for non-standard solutions, help to unite different points of view, exchange experiences, etc. The developed SPT program can be used to improve adaptation to stressful conditions as well as develop communication skills and increase the motivation of students learning foreign languages.
References
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