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UDC 378.147:81'253
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20534/AJH-17-1.2-36-42
S. P. zapolskykh 1
1 Zaporizhzhya National University, Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine
TRAINING TRANSLATORS AND INTERPRETERS (BACHELOR AND MASTER DEGREE PROGRAMS): CONTENT AND TEACHING METHODS OPTIMIZATION
Abstract
Objective: to outline the content of translator and interpreter's Bachelor and Master Degree Programs, their relevance to translator's/interpreter's competence, to substantiate the necessity of modernizing the content of translator and interpreter's Bachelor and Master Degree Programs in accordance with the professional demand, to demonstrate the need to upgrade the teaching methods applied, to suggest possible solutions to the problems under consideration to enhance efficiency of translator and interpreter's training.
Methods: analysis of literature: study of modern researches on translator's/interpreter's competence, government laws, rules and regulations concerning Higher Education, university translator/interpreter Bachelor and Master Degree programs; sociological (questionnaires — google forms); induction, deduction, comparison, generalization, modelling possible solutions of the problems under consideration.
Results: the paper outlines the content of translator/interpreter Bachelor and Master Degree Programs, their relevance to translator's/interpreter's competence. It shows the necessity of modernizing the content of translator and interpreter's Bachelor and Master Degree programs in accordance with the professional demand in the region. The article describes the teaching methods applied in the process of training and demonstrates the need to upgrade them. Possible solutions of the problems under consideration which can enhance the efficiency of translator and interpreter's training are suggested.
Scientific novelty: the article substantiates the necessity to introduce certain changes into the content of translators and interpreters training and the character of teaching methods applied in the process under study; the research presents the analysis of translator and interpreter Bachelor and Master Degree Programs, taking into account the peculiarities of translator/interpreter competence in socio-professional environment, its present demand and orientation towards global integration.
Practical significance: the results of the research and the practices described in the article can serve a springboard for further research and practical teaching activity, aimed at upgrading the content of translator/interpreter training and teaching methods, which meets the requirements of socio-professional environment and results in enhancing its efficiency.
Keywords: translator/interpreter training, Bachelor's Program, Master's Program, translator's competence, interpreter's competence, teaching methods.
INTRODUCTION
The professions of translator and interpreter are in demand on our labor market, though the requirements to the applicants have greatly changed, they have experienced certain transformations in recent years. Tight labor market is characterized by fierce competition, which results in the need of professional training a versatile individual with a set of hard and soft skills meeting the requirements of the changing environment. This process contributes to the development of a specific transformed
concept of translator/interpreter competence, which is the target of professional training.
Taking into consideration the necessity to adjust to the changing conditions, it should be noted that we are temporary left in legal limbo due to the absence of the Branch Standards of Higher Education. The Branch Standards are the guiding landmarks for the professional training, they contain such components as:
- educational qualification characteristics of graduates of higher educational institutions, which define
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the objectives of higher education and training, determine the place of the specialists in the structure of state industries and the requirements for their competence and other socially important qualities, abilities and skills, professional functions and typical tasks (these characteristics should be approved by authorized central executive body in education and science in coordination with the authorized central body of executive power in industry of labor and social policy);
- educational and professional training programs, which define the regulatory period and the regulatory part of the content of training in a certain field or specialty, the requirements for content, scope and level of education and professional training (these training programs should be approved by the authorized central executive
body in education and science);
- diagnostics tools, intended for quantitative and qualitative assessment of education efficiency, that is the assessment of knowledge, abilities and skills, professional and other qualities in compliance with the education standards of higher education (these tools should be approved by the authorized central executive body in education and science as well [29].
The development of the Branch Standards of Higher Education heads the list of priorities for 2017, presented among the tasks of our Ministry of Education [20]. Awaiting the solution, we can't ignore our life moving forward and updating professional training should be taken for granted as it is inevitable. The guiding landmarks for the professional training are of utmost importance and they can be worked out on the basis of the notion of the professional translator/interpreter competence [6]; the study of its components will help us analyze the content of translator and interpreter's training program, substantiate the assessment of approaches and teaching methods applied and specify the choice of efficient approaches and teaching methods.
RESULTS
Translator's and Interpreter's Competence has been in the focus of the scholarly attention paid to translator's and interpreter's activity and training; the analysis of literature on the problem (Alekseev E. S. [1], Bell R. T. [2], Breus E. V. [3], Campbell Stuart J. [4], Komissarov V. N. [14], Latyshev L. K. [15], Martinez M. N. [16], Oro-zco M. [22], etc.) demonstrates that Translator's and In-
terpreter's Competence is a complex phenomenon formed on the basis oflinguistic and sociocultural knowledge and skills. Interlingual communication defines the peculiarities of translators and interpreters activity and as a result the researchers point out a set of shared skills and abilities, they require distinct skills and techniques as well to perform their task successfully. Translators transfer the source language into the target in writing, interpreters perform it orally. Though, the first group of components is common for both groups of professionals and considering the opinion of the abovementioned scholars, it can be specified as consisting of four components: lingual, discursive, sociolin-gual and sociocultural [15, 19].
Lingual component oftranslator's/interpreter's competence includes knowledge about the system and the structure of the source and target language and rules of their functioning in the process of communication, the ability to use formal tools to operate and the rules by which linguistic units are arranged in meaningful statements.
Discursive component of translator's/interpreter's competence can be defined as the ability to communicate text and speech parameters in the subject area; the ability to plan their presentment behavior, understand and convey information in coherent, logical statements, to build and to organize statement in accordance with the purpose of communication.
Sociolinguistic component of translator's/interpreter's competence is manifested in the ability to perform various types of interlingual activity choosing linguistic means according to field of communication taking into account the peculiarities of social status of the partners in communication.
Sociocultural component of translator's/interpreter's competence includes the ability to apply various types of information about national and cultural peculiarities of the source or the target language country, the ability to build their behavior based on these characteristics and standards.
At present the scholars add instrumental competence to the list as both professionals require different types of instrumental skills (translators are to master software (computer added translation) and be able to work with electronic reference literature; interpreters, for instance, engaged in simultaneous translation are to use conference equipment). Interpreters should have some additional competence components, such as general knowledge, memory skills, public speaking and moral [11].
On giving a general outline of the concept of translator/interpreter competence, we come to the conclusion
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that lingual component of translator's/interpreter's competence is the basic one and its formation should be the priority, thus we proceed with the analysis of Bachelor and Master Degree programs. The content of the programs will show their relevance to the identified components of translator/interpreter competence.
Bachelor's Degree program takes four years and includes such courses as:
- firstyear: HistoryOfUkraine(3credits),Ukrainian for Professional Purposes (3 credits), Practical Course of First Foreign Language (27 credits), Practical Course of Second Foreign Language (5 credits), Latin (3 credits), Introduction to Linguistics (3 credits), Introduction to Literary studies (3 credits), Introduction to Translation Studies (3 credits), History of Foreign Literature (3 credits), Foundations of Applied Linguistics (2 credits), Physical Training (3 credits) — total — 58 credits;
- second year: History of Ukrainian and Foreign Culture (3 credits), Practical Course of First Foreign Language (15 credits), Practical Course of Second Foreign Language (12 credits), Introduction to Special Philology (3 credits), Comparative Lexicology (3 credits), History of Foreign Literature (4,5 credits), Psychology and Pedagogy of High School (3 credits), Cultural Studies (3 credits), Comparative Grammar (3 credits), Theory and Practice of Translation from First Foreign Language (5,5 credits), Course Paper on Philology (3 credits) — total — 58 credits;
- third year: Comparative literature (3 credits), Rhetoric (2 credits), Ethnology (3 credits), First Foreign Language (13,75 credits), Second Foreign Language (13,25 credits), History of Foreign Literature (2,75 credits), Comparative Grammar (2,75 credits), History of English Language (2,75 credits), History and Theory of Translation Studies (3,75 credits), Linguistics (2,75 credits), Introduction to Cross-cultural Communication (1,25 credits), Modern Ukrainian literature (2,25 credits), Practice of Translation (5,25 credits), Course Paper on Translation Studies (3credits) — total — 60 credits;
- fourth year: Safety and Health Protection (1.5 credits), Politology (2 credits), Comparative
Stylistics (1.5 credits), First Foreign Language (12 credits), Second Foreign Language (9,5 credits), History of Foreign Literature (2,5credits), Practice ofSecond Foreign Language Writing (3 credits), Practice of Translation (6,5 credits), Neology and Translation of Neologisms (1,5 credits), Law Translation (1.5 credits), Business Documents Translation (2,25 credits), Fundamentals of the Theory of Communication (3 credits), Third Foreign Language (3 credits), Practice of Interpretation (3 credits), Course Paper in Translation studies (3 credits), Practical Translation/Interpretation Training (6 credits) — total — 65,5 credits.
It should be noted that our graduates get a Bachelor's degree in Translation and Interpretation from English into Ukrainian, while the program of their education includes a wide range of various subjects, some of which have a slight relevance to translator's/interpreter's competence. We have analyzed the content of the academic subject's programs [30] and came to the conclusion that some of them should be replaced or greatly modified to meet the requirements of professional competence.
At the starting stage of the experiment the undergraduates were asked to distribute the subjects in accordance with the professional components and assess their relevance. They filled in questionnaires expressing their opinion concerning the efficiency of the program studied and their relevance to shared translator's/interpreter's competence. The undergraduates selected certain subjects, which to their mind contributed to the formation of such components of shared translator's/interpreter's competence as lingual, discursive, sociolingual and sociocultural. The table shows the results of the opinion poll.
The preparatory stage showed that students assess only one third of the subjects as bearing direct relevance to the required professional competences. The subjects, considered of direct relevance to the competences occupy only two third of the total credits suggesting doubtful efficiency (for different reasons) of the rest in the academic program. All the students assess as the most relevant such subjects as Practical Course of First Foreign Language and Theory and Practice of Translation. 10% of the students admit their insufficient knowledge of a second foreign language, lack of lingual and discursive components of translation competence and expressed their request for focusing attention on the basic competences in the teaching programs.
Pedagogy Austrian Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 1-2 (2017) 3 < BAiTWEST > SdB*ELMTTS - ISSN 2310-5593 (Print) / ISSN 2519-1209 (Online) - Table 1. - Bachelor's Degree Program, Shared Translator's/Interpreter's Competence Components and Relevant Subjects (Preparatory Stage of the Experiment)
Competence Subjects
Lingual Practical Course of First Foreign Language, Introduction to Translation Studies, Theory and Practice of Translation from First Foreign Language, Comparative Lexicology, Comparative Grammar, History and Theory of Translation Studies, Practice of Translation, Comparative Stylistics, Neology and Translation of Neologisms, Business Documents Translation, Law Translation, Practice of Interpretation, Practical Translation/Interpretation Training
Discursive Theory and Practice of Translation from First Foreign Language, Comparative Lexicology, Rhetoric, Comparative Stylistics, Law Translation, Business Documents Translation, Practical Translation/Interpretation Training
Sociolinguistic Theory and Practice of Translation from First Foreign Language, Comparative Stylistics, Practical Translation/Interpretation Training
Sociocultural Theory and Practice of Translation from First Foreign Language, Cultural Studies, Introduction to Cross-cultural Communication, Comparative Stylistics, Practical Translation/Interpretation Training
Instrumental Theory and Practice of Translation from First Foreign Language, Foundations of Applied Linguistics, Practical Translation/Interpretation Training
Master's Degree program takes a year and a half At the preparatory stage of the experiment students and includes such courses as: Current Issues of Trans- getting their Master's degrees were asked to distribute lation studies, Practical Course of First Foreign lan- the subjects in accordance with the professional compo-guage, Practical Course of Second Foreign Language, nents and assess their relevance. They filled in question-Methods of Teaching Translation at the Higher naires expressing their opinion concerning the efficiency School, Pedagogy and Psychology of Higher School, of the program studied and their relevance to shared Genre Translation Theory, Communication Strate- translator's/interpreter's competence. The students se-gies, Translation from the First Foreign Language, lected certain subjects, which to their mind contributed Interpretation Technologies, First Foreign Language, to the formation of such components of shared transla-Second Foreign language, Practical Translator's/In- tor's/interpreter's competence as lingual, discursive, so-terpreters' Training. ciolingual and sociocultural. The table shows the results of the opinion poll. Table 2. - Master's Degree Program, Shared Translator's/Interpreter's Competence Components and Relevant Subjects (Preparatory Stage of the Experiment)
Competence Subjects
Lingual Current Issues of Translation studies, Practical Course of First Foreign language, Practical Course of Second Foreign Language, Genre Translation Theory, Communication Strategies, Translation from the First Foreign Language, Interpretation Technologies, First Foreign Language, Second Foreign language, Practical Translator's/Interpreters' Training
Discursive Current Issues of Translation studies, Practical Course of First Foreign language, Practical Course of Second Foreign Language, Pedagogy and Psychology of Higher School, Genre Translation Theory, Communication Strategies, Translation from the First Foreign Language, Interpretation Technologies, First Foreign Language, Second Foreign language, Practical Translator's/Interpreters' Training
Sociolinguistic Current Issues of Translation studies, Practical Course of First Foreign language, Practical Course of Second Foreign Language, Methods of Teaching Translation at the Higher School, Pedagogy and Psychology of Higher School, Genre Translation Theory, Communication Strategies, Translation from the First Foreign Language, Interpretation Technologies, First Foreign Language, Second Foreign language, Practical Translator's/Interpreters' Training
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Sociocultural Current Issues of Translation studies, Practical Course of First Foreign language, Practical Course of Second Foreign Language, Methods of Teaching Translation at the Higher School, Pedagogy and Psychology of Higher School, Genre Translation Theory, Communication Strategies, Translation from the First Foreign Language, Interpretation Technologies, First Foreign Language, Second Foreign language, Practical Translator's/Interpreters' Training
Instrumental Current Issues of Translation studies, Genre Translation Theory, Communication Strategies, Translation from the First Foreign Language, Interpretation Technologies, Practical Translator's/interpreter's Training
The opinion poll shows that 99% of subjects were considered by the students as bearing direct relevance to the formation of their professional competence. Though 60% of the students expressed their request for more practical classes and admit their insufficient competence in translation and interpretation of certain materials.
Master's Program Courses suggest translation and interpretation training on a variety of topics, practicing different types of translation [27; 28], e. g. Translation and Interpretation in the Sphere of Economy and Business covering the issues of Business Strategy and Tactics, Partnership, Employment, Training, Finance and Banking, New Venture, Business Online, Project Management, Business Ethics, Energy Sources, Consultancy; Law Translation and Interpretation covers the following issues: Basic Legal Concepts, Legal Resources, Court Structure, Jurisdiction, Court Process, Court Etiquette, Criminal Law, Civil Law, Administrative Law, Legal Documents (International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Convention against Torture and Racial Discrimination, Convention against Discrimination of Women, Covenant on the Rights of the Child, Constitution on Human and Citizens' Rights); Technical Translation involves the issues of Terminology in Translation, Electronic and Electronic consumer Equipment, Computers and Office Equipment, Communication Equipment, Metal Production and Processing, Machine Tools, Iron and Steel Works, Iron Foundry and Rolling Mill, Hammer Forging and Drop Forging.
Students getting Master's Degree study the procedure of translation-oriented analysis [21] to understand the lingual structures and their relationships in the system of the original text and to provide a solid base for each translation decision. Students and teachers admit that the procedure of translation-oriented analysis is a type of analytical activity of the translator, which precedes the creation of the translated text, is aimed at understanding
the source text, identification of the dominant translation type, choice of the invariants and strategies of translation. It involves several complicated stages to identify communicative and pragmatic features of the text, their relevance for adequate translation (deictic parameters of the text: sender, receiver, purpose (communicative intention of the message); non-verbal means of influence on the receiver, used by the sender (pictures, photos, formulas, graphics, gestures, etc.); identify structural and semantic characteristics of the text and their relevance for adequate translation (extracting the «semantic nucleus» of the text, which consists of «major sentences » of the text, defining the dominant theme-rheme structure); analysis of linguostylistic features of the text and their relevance for adequate translation (functional style, relevant style features (vocabulary, stylistic devices, typical of certain style); the choice of translation strategies (types of translation: instrumental or documentary; domesticating and foreignizing strategies) and transformations (translation of proper names, internationalism, terms, neologisms, slang, jargon, translation of phraseological units, techniques of lacunas filling, balancing presuppositions).
Such complexity and versatile character of Master Program training translators and interpreters account for the present-day professional environment to meet the requirements of which future specialists should get broad knowledge, skills and abilities to fulfil their responsibilities converting written or oral material of different types from one or more source languages into the target language, ensuring that the translated version conveys the meaning of the original as clearly as possible. A sort of transcreating is often a part of the job, and translation transforms into a mix of translation, localisation and copywriting, where the material should be culturally and linguistically adapted to suit the target audience or readers.
CONCLUSION
We have analysed the content of Bachelor and Master Degree Programs of translator/interpreter's training, their relevance to translator's/interpreter's shared com-
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petence components (lingual, discursive, sociolingual and sociocultural and instrumental). As a result of the preparatory stage of our experiment (students getting their Bachelor's and Master's degrees expressing their opinion concerning the efficiency of the program studied and their relevance to shared translator's/interpreter's competence components) we should accept the necessity to modernize the content of translator and interpret-
er's Bachelor and Master Degree programs in accordance with the professional demand in the region. Possible solutions to the problems under consideration can be seen in programs updating, introduction of special elective courses, application of content and language integrated learning methodology which enables to give more practical activities meeting the needs of present demand and orientation towards global integration.
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Information about the author
Svitlana Petrivna zapolskykh, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor, The Chair of Translation
and Interpretation Studies, Zaporizhzhya National University
Address: Yeniseiska Street, 12/35, Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine, 69032, tel.: 0677637392
E-mail: lanazapolskykh@gmail.com
ORCID: org/0000-0002-8815-6688
