Márta Lesznyák and Mária Bakti

Trainers’ Perceptions on Translation Competence

Translation competence is a popular research topic, but most of the research efforts (Göpferich 2009, Malmkjaer 2009, PACTE 2003, 2008, 2011, 2014) focus on theoretical models and their validation. Fewer studies deal with how translators, students of translation or trainers think of the translation process and translation competence.

This research is a follow up on the investigations we have carried out on professional translators’ and translation students’ perceptions of translation competence (Lesznyák and Bakti 2015, 2016) and on how students perceive translator training in relation to the development of specific translation sub-competences (Lesznyák and Bakti 2016).

This presentation outlines the results of our survey conducted with translation trainers teaching in Translation and interpreting MA programs. Data collection was carried out with the help of a questionnaire that asked participants to rate the importance of particular constituents of translation competence. Questionnaire construction was based on the PACTE (PACTE 2003, 2008, 2011, 2014) and the EMT (EMT expert group 2009) models of translation competence, with some additional items.

Preliminary results indicate that trainers, similarly to professionals and students, attach primary importance to language competence in their working languages and consider the knowledge of translation process, and planning the translation process as the least significant skills. However, trainers are also more aware of the significance of instrumental and strategic competence.

References

EMT expert group. 2009. Competences for Professional Translators, Experts in Multilingual and Multimedia Communication.

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/programmes/emt/key_documents/emt_competences_transaltors_en.pdf (2014. 02.11)

Göpferich, S. 2009. Towards a Model of Translation Competence and its Acquisition: The Longitudinal Study of TransComp, In: Göpferich, S., Jakobsen, A.L. and Mees, I.M. (eds) Behind the Mind: Methods, Models, and Results in Translation Process Research, Denmark: Samfundslitteratur, 12-39.

Lesznyák M. and Bakti M. 2015. Fordítói kompetencia hivatásos fordítók és tolmácsok szemével. Presentation at the 25th MANYE conference, Budapest, 30th March – 1st April 2015.

Lesznyák M. and Bakti M. 2016. Translation Students’ Views on Translation Competence. Presentation at the Getting Translated conference, Budapest, 4th-5th April 2016.

Malmkjaer, K. 2009. What is translation competence? Revue française de linguistique appliquée, 2009/1 Vol. XIV, p. 121-134.

PACTE 2003. Building a Translation Competence Model. In: Alves, F. (ed.) Triangulating Translation: Perspectives in Process Oriented research. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 43-66.

PACTE 2008. First results of a Translation Competence Experiment: ‘Knowledge of Translation’ and ‘Efficacy of the Translation Process’. In J. Kearns (Ed.), Translator and Interpreter Training. Issues, Methods and Debates London: Continuum. 104-126

PACTE 2011. “Results of the Validation of the PACTE Translation Competence Model: Translation Problems and Translation Competence”. In: Alvstad, C., Hild, A. and Tiselius, E. (eds.) Methods and Strategies of Process Research: Integrative Approaches in Translation Studies, Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 317-343.

PACTE 2014. First Results of PACTE Group’s Experimental Research on Translation Competence Acquisition: The Acquisition of Declarative Knowledge of Translation. MonTI- Monographs in Translation and Interpreting (Special Issue, 1) Universidad de Alicante. 85-115.

Márta Lesznyák graduated as a teacher of English and German languages from the University of Szeged, Hungary. She obtained her second MA degree in Education at the University of Sussex. She taught at the Department of Education, at the University of Szeged for more than 10 years, where she also gained experience in translating texts on education, psychology and social sciences. She received her PhD in Applied Linguistics/Translation Studies from the University of Pécs, Hungary, in 2009. Currently she works at the Institute of English and American Studies, at the University of Szeged, where she is involved both in teacher training and translator training. Her research interests include the methodology of teaching translation, cognitive aspects of the translation process and the intercultural aspects of translation.

Mária Bakti holds a Master’s degree in English and Geography from the University of Szeged, Hungary, where she also completed a postgraduate course for conference interpreters in 2000. She earned her PhD in Translation Studies at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary. Her research interests include the psycholinguistic aspects of simultaneous interpreting, explicitation in interpreting, cultural competence of translators and interpreters, and CLIL in primary education. She has been teaching translation and interpreting courses at the University of Szeged, Hungary since 2005.