Teaching Non-Fiction Translation: The System of Exercises and Tasks

Abstract

Basing on the analysis of the general system of exercises and tasks for translator/interpreter training, the authors offer a threecomponent system of exercises and tasks for teaching non-fiction translation. The components discrimination is based upon their aims, which fall into one of the three categories. The first one is related to the acquisition of skills and subskills, which are required for the translation process, but do not involve translation proper. The second category includes the translation actions and operations that can be automatised, while the third one incorporates translation skills, which are based on the actions and operations of the first two categories. Taking into account the said discrimination, the authors suggest a system composed of three subsystems: (1) preparatory exercises, (2) those intended for the translation automatic components formation, and (3) for the development of translation skills. The authors offer a list of skills and subskills required at each stage of the translation process (the source text analysis, the translation proper and the target text editing), as well as describe the content of groups, types and subtypes of exercises within each subsystem. The prospects of further research are outlined.

Content-Based Approach in Teaching Technical and Scientific Translation

“…Upon reviewing the methodological insights of fellow educators specializing in scientific and technical translation (Chernovatyi, 2019;Maat, 2019;Karaban, 2018, Calvo, 2015Bassnett, 2013;Cherednychenko, 2007;Kingscott, 2002, Mykolaieva, 2002, we defined several criteria that properly selected texts for practicing technical translation skills among students must adhere to (Table 3): Table 3.…”

“…1.1) 6) be chosen from the corpus of original technical and/or scientific texts (refer to Fig. 1.2) 7) be up-to-date to reflect the current state of knowledge and technology in the relevant fields 8) consider the principle of and reliability of educational materials, trustworthiness of the publication or source SPECIFIC SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL TEXT CRITERIA 1) bare peculiarities of scientific and technical discourse texts, their genre and stylistic markers 2) convey lexical, syntactic and morphological peculiarities of source language scientific and technical literature TEACHING-SPECIFIC TEXT CRITERIA 1) include a variety of text types such as manuals, research articles, reports, and technical documentation to expose learners to different styles and formats 2) align with the specific learning objectives of the translation course, focusing on the skills and competencies that students need to develop 3) be of varying levels of complexity to cater to different proficiency levels of learners 4) encourage collaborative learning and discussions, fostering an interactive and engaging learning environment TRANSLATION-SPECIFIC TEXT CRITERIA 1) be thematically selected to meet the needs of target readers 2) be culturally relevant to the target audience, helping understand not only the technical language but also the cultural context in which it is used 3) be available for assimilation with the target culture 4) cover a range of linguistic registers (from formal to informal) to prepare learners for the diversity of language styles they may encounter in professional contexts 5) demonstrate variability and differentiation of linguistic means depending on the genre of the text (special terms and terminological phrases) 6) analysis of the difficulties of conveying the pragmatic specificity of the text of the original in the translated text 7) make it possible to learn how to overcome translation difficulties Considering the theoretical advancements articulated by both domestic and foreign specialists in the field of scientific and technical translation (Chernovatyi, 2019(Chernovatyi, , 2013Karaban, 2018;Li, 2017;Olohan, 2015) and drawing upon our own pedagogical experiences in instructing translation disciplines related to specialized languages and diverse branches of science and technology (Mazur, 2015;Radetska, 2009), it can be argued that the primary skill to cultivate in prospective translators is proficiency in working with text. This is particularly applicable to scientific and technical texts, which embody distinctive traits such as informativeness, logical coherence, precision, objectivity, as well as clarity, comprehensibility, generalization, unambiguity, brevity, evidentiality, and persuasiveness.…”

“…Bassnett (2013), who examines the ways translation is currently utilized as a developing interdisciplinary activity and extends her analysis into developing of the latest information technologies and new media forms; Olohan (2015), whose book introduces readers to the typical contexts in which scientific and technical translators work and focuses on practical assignments based on typical scientific and technical texts (technical instructions, data sheets, patents, scientific research articles and abstracts, popular science press releases, and news reports). Besides, other scholars (Karaban, 2018;Nebot, 2008;Chernovatyi & Kovalchuk, 2019) investigate the translator's competence development and are the authors of numerous papers, mostly focusing their practical attention on lexical and grammar challenges of scientific and technical translation, showing different approaches to technical translation skills development (corpus-based, transformational etc. ); the issue of translator training has been touched upon in a number of other papers, encompassing a consciousness-raising approach (Li, 2017), progressive and reflexive methods (Calvo, 2015), and cognitive approach (Maat, 2019).…”

Translation Assesssment: Is There Anything to Be Tested Objectively?

“…Despite some obvious similarities between leading up-to-date translation competence model suggested by PACTE group (Hurtado, 2015) and EMT competence framework (EMT Competence Framework, 2017) based on thorough big-scale empirical research they still differ in a number of components as well as in their categorisation and interpretation. Moreover, not all of the singled out components of these translation competence models can be easily utilised for domestic translation training and assessment practice, especially in terms of activity-based approach according to which knowledge, sub-skills, skills and sub-competences should be distinguished and attributed to particular training stages (Chernovaty & Kovalchuk 2019).…”