'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 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); 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) One year postgraduate course (second level Master) Oriented: legal translation Total 1500 hours (lectures, seminars, practice) 60 credits (CFU)

Intro to Private law 110 h2 cr Intro to Private law 2102 Civil documents255 Intro to Constitutional law102 Intro to Criminal law153 Criminal trial records102 Right of translation in criminal proceedings 153 Intro to Comparative law153 Intro to EU law152 Italian legal language152 Legal terminology and translation ENG-ITA 204 Translation 2nd lang – ITA (Fr; Spa; Ger; Cro) 203 Intro to Comparative Commercial law 153 Computer assisted translation technology 51 Terminology and legal translation (passive ITA – ENG) 204 Terminology and legal translation (passive ITA – 2nd lang) 152 Seminars: Language officers in the Italian Ministry of Internal affairs The profession of legal/judicial translator Translating Academic Transcripts Legal translation in the EU Types of legal texts Conf. 102 Internship25010 Final exam102

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) Translation studies 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 Language (transl.) module (all 60) Written translation exercises A (1st L – Cro) 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: - 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) TRIESTE Theory 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