'Theory and / or practice in
translator's curricula. A
comparative-contrastive view from
Rijeka and Trieste’
Maja Brala-Vukanović
Rijeka University, Croatia
Trieste University, Italy
Aim:
• Offer a threefold perspective on the issue theory vs.
practice in translator’s curricula
• Former student at Trieste’s ‘School for translators and
interpreters’ (SSLMIT)
• Professor at an academic institution with a long (curricular
and other) tradition – Trieste
• Co-founder of a new academic programme in translation
(and professor) – Rijeka
Invitation for a discussion
Outline
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On translator’s competence ...
...in theory and practice
A look into practice – some questions
Trieste postgraduate curriculum
Rijeka postgraduate curriculum
Students’ feedback
Discussion (in place of a conclusion)
Translator’s competence
• Various views (theory oriented vs. goal / result
oriented) - DICHOTOMY
• Increasing integration of views
• Towards a competence based approach (at least for
the European Masters in Translation level)
• ’Competence’?
Competence based training
• Translator’s professional competence = set of
competences,
subcompetences
and
skills
(‘macrocompetence’, Kelly, 2002; ‘supercompetence’,
1976; Ramos, 2011)
• Defined as ‘the underlying knowledge system needed
to translate’ (PACTE research group, 2005)
Core components
• Language competence;
• Textual competence (txt reception, analysis,
production, quality assessment);
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Subject / thematic competence;
Cultural competence;
Research competence;
Transfer competence
Key question(s)
• How are these competences integrated / developed
within the curriculum?
• Which of these competences does the curriculum
rely on and which does it aim / manage to develop /
enhance?
• The two questions are often not kept separate and
the answers are lumped into one (promise)
Discussion about possible causes
• ‘Transfer competence’ identified as the distinguishing
domain of the translator (Neubert, 2000)
• ‘Knowledge about translation’ (strategic, instrumental
competence) is central (PACTE, 2005)
• Knowledge about translation vs. Knowledge of
translation ...
• Knowledge of (practice) gives rise to awareness of
(understanding, knowledge about)?
• What happens in practice?
Postgraduate course in legal
translation (Trieste, Italy)
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One year postgraduate course (second level Master)
Oriented: legal translation
Total 1500 hours (lectures, seminars, practice)
60 credits (CFU)
Intro to Private law 1
10 h
2 cr
Intro to Private law 2
10
2
Civil documents
25
5
Intro to Constitutional law
10
2
Intro to Criminal law
15
3
Criminal trial records
10
2
Right of translation in
criminal proceedings
15
3
Intro to Comparative law
15
3
Intro to EU law
15
2
Italian legal language
15
2
Legal terminology and
translation ENG-ITA
20
4
Translation 2nd lang – ITA
(Fr; Spa; Ger; Cro)
20
3
Intro to Comparative
Commercial law
15
3
Computer assisted translation
technology
5
1
Terminology and legal translation 20
(passive ITA – ENG)
4
Terminology and legal translation 15
(passive ITA – 2nd lang)
2
Seminars: Language officers in
the Italian Ministry of Internal
affairs
Conf.
10
2
The profession of legal/judicial
translator
Translating Academic Transcripts
Legal translation in the EU
Types of legal texts
Internship
250
10
Final exam
10
2
Postgraduate diploma in translation
(Rijeka, Croatia)
• One year postgraduate course (specialized Master C++)
• Broad orientation: EU/legal translation; IT tools;
simultaneous / consecutive ...
• Organized in three modules (Croatian; general;
translation)
• Total 380 (frontal) hours (lectures, seminars, exercises)
• 60 credits (CFU)
Croatian module: Standard Croatian for translators (15)
Basics of Croatian spelling (15)
Text and context (15)
General module: (all 15)
Language (transl.) module (all 60)
Translation studies
Written translation exercises A (1st L
– Cro)
Machine translation
Management system in the EU
Legal aspects of the EU
(Crosscultural) Pragmatics for translators
Specialized (ESP) translation (maritime)
Business corresponence for translators
Business negotiations for translators
Exercises in interpretation A (1st L –
Cro)
Written translation Exercises B (Cro –
1st lang)
Exercises in interpretation B (Cro –
1st lang)
Written translation exercises C (2nd
lang – Cro)
1st: ENG, GER 2nd: GER, FR, ITA
Students’ feedback
• RIJEKA:
• TRIESTE
• Theory
- Excellent reception of the
Croatian module;
- Very varied percepetion of the
general module (less good for
very
theoretical
subjects
‘Translation theory’; good IT,
business
correspondence,
mock conference
- Chaotic translation module
(too much work at home)
is less useful than
practice, but theoretical notions
about legal systems in different
countires are useful (should be
learned through texts);
• Practical work is very useful;
• Glossaries are handy – get
them for each language
Two interactive elements
1) COMPETENCE ACQUISITION (basic learning process:
theory? and practice) – DECLARATIVE KNOWLEDGE
2) COMPETENCE REINFORCEMENT (drill – academic
practice and professional practice ) – OPERATIVE
KNOWLEDGE
- Academia: 1 →→ 2
- Work (practice): 2 →→ 1
- Integrated learing process (just a slogan?)
- Fallacies: 1 – complexity, academism, irrelevance; 2 – chaotic,
inadequate, unsystematic, unverifiable, too reliant on individual
‘imported competences’ ...
Core components (1 or 2?)
• Language competence;
• Textual competence (txt reception, analysis, production, quality
assessment);
•
•
•
•
•
Subject / thematic competence;
Cultural competence;
Research competence;
Transfer competence ...
Strategic, instrumental, interpersonal – interaction with other
translators, clients, professionals ... (Kelly, 2002)
Interdiciplinary competence
• Putting different skills at the service of concrete translation tasks
• METHODOLOGICAL competence (Ramos, 2011) (‘strategic’ –
controls the application of other skills – self evaluation)
• Some skills guaranteed by selection procedure
• Other skills developed functionally through drill and ‘awarenes
through practice’ identificatory / analytical method (systematic
reflection on the translation process through practice)
• Become more aware of ‘entrance’ competences vs. ‘developed’
ones