Training tomorrows

translators
Jo Drugan, Centre for
Translation Studies
www.smlc.leeds.ac.uk/cts

Talk map
1.

2.
3.
4.
5.

Background: the context at Leeds

University & in the translation industry
Problems posed
Solutions identified & piloted
Benefits & drawbacks
Discussion

MA in Applied Translation Studies

!

50-60 PG students per year

" 50%

EU or international
" 11 languages, including character-based
languages (Chinese, Japanese, Greek,
Russian, Arabic)
!

Core module: Computer-assisted

translation (CAT)

Why CAT?
!

Three major developments in the

translation industry since 1990s:
" New

range of more complex text types & file

formats for translation
" Massive increase in demand for translation
(globalisation, internet)
" Tools to allow new kinds of translation &
more efficient working practices

Translation memory tools

Not machine translation
! Recycle your own & others translations,
avoid repetitive work
! Standardisation & increased efficiency
! Allow text to be extracted from complex
file formats & translated (localisation)
! An example: executable file (*.EXE)
!

Problems (1)
!

Ongoing evolution of industry:

" How

to monitor whats needed

" EU-funded LETRAC study (1999):
Translators do not feel well prepared by their
institutions for the real world of work All
training institutions have more or less failed to
prepare translators for the real market
situation by not providing them with the
required [computer] skills

Problems (2)
!

Graduate skills gap:

" How

to make sure training equips graduates

for the workplace of tomorrow & 30 years
time
" Transferable skills & confidence, not simply
in-depth knowledge of a few tools
" Critical, comparative reflection

Problems (3)
!

Staff skills gap:

" How

to identify existing staff capable of

learning & communicating complex nontraditional skills & approaches
" How to match pace of industry development
" How to maintain & develop staff skills as tools
evolve & become more complex

Solutions (1)
!

UTFS support:
" Research

by award-holder into industry

requirements (EU, ESA, UN, commercial &
not-for-profit sectors)
" Curriculum to reflect & foster skills needed
" Integrated with EU-funded eCoLoRe project
to provide training materials
(www.ecolore.leeds.ac.uk)

Solutions (2)
!

Industry involvement in curriculum design

& delivery:
" Visiting

speakers & lecturers

" Input to assessment: ESA consultancy
" Input to course content: One World Trust
website translation (real world clients)

Solutions (3)
!

Recreate industrial context in training

environment:
" Multilingual

team projects: tight deadlines,

range of file formats, project management
skills
" Wider range of relevant skills & knowledge:
invoicing, planning, technical support

Solutions (4)
!

New approaches to staffing:

" Team

teaching: demonstrators, MA
graduates, industry figures & academics
" UTFS funding to design & deliver high-level
staff training
" Leeds Rewarding & Developing Staff scheme

Benefits & drawbacks (1)

!

Staff:
" Ongoing

professional development, rewarding

" Time, recognition
!

Students
" Equipped

for workplace, range of careers,

reputation of course
" Challenging, frustrating, imposed?

Benefits & drawbacks (2)

!

Leeds University
" Reputation

internationally, recruitment
" Cost, outside traditional teaching & research
models
!

Translation industry
" Qualified

& critical users, spreading

knowledge & skills
" Cost, uneven development

Training tomorrows
translators
Any questions?