Christina Schäffner Universities and professional associations - cooperation for quality assurance

Ways into the profession  University programmes  CIoL ’ s Dip Trans  Short courses  Career change  University programmes  CIoL ’ s Dip Trans  Short courses  Career change

Skills’s profile Translation competence  Language skills  Communication skills  Cultural skills  Technical skills  Research skills  Profession-related knowledge and skills Translation competence  Language skills  Communication skills  Cultural skills  Technical skills  Research skills  Profession-related knowledge and skills

Workforce research report: Key findings  14 out of 28 organisations (i.e. interpreting and translation companies/agencies) said their new recruits were job-ready, compared to 12 who said they were not but have immediate training needs.

Training Prepare graduates for the real world of the translation industry  Where?  What?  How?  By whom? Prepare graduates for the real world of the translation industry  Where?  What?  How?  By whom?

Real-world? Translation companies Translation agencies Translation departments in institutions Freelancers … Ideal world vs real world? Translation companies Translation agencies Translation departments in institutions Freelancers … Ideal world vs real world?

Quality assurance Translation industry: EN European Quality Standard for Translation Services ISO9001 National standards … Processes vs products Roles (revision, checking, …) Translation industry: EN European Quality Standard for Translation Services ISO9001 National standards … Processes vs products Roles (revision, checking, …)

Quality assurance Universities: Programme approval and subject reviews (Quality and Standards, QAA, HEFCE, benchmarking, …) Teaching informed by Research (RAE,…) Staff expertise and teaching qualification Constraints: time, credits, hours … Universities: Programme approval and subject reviews (Quality and Standards, QAA, HEFCE, benchmarking, …) Teaching informed by Research (RAE,…) Staff expertise and teaching qualification Constraints: time, credits, hours …

Teach what by whom? Kemble (2006) survey on levels of interaction with translation profession Vocationally-orientated programmes vs theoretically-orientated programmes (value judgement???) Kemble (2006) survey on levels of interaction with translation profession Vocationally-orientated programmes vs theoretically-orientated programmes (value judgement???)

Teach what by whom? Practical translation classes taught by professional translators? teaching experience/qualification? integration in programme development/monitoring/review? knowledge of the discipline of Translation Studies (EMT Conference)? Academic staff also translating? (RAE????) Practical translation classes taught by professional translators? teaching experience/qualification? integration in programme development/monitoring/review? knowledge of the discipline of Translation Studies (EMT Conference)? Academic staff also translating? (RAE????)

Teach what by whom? Use authentic texts (links with translation industry, professionals) Get authentic translation assignments Professional translators as guest speakers, run workshops, mentoring … Advisory panels to programmes Use authentic texts (links with translation industry, professionals) Get authentic translation assignments Professional translators as guest speakers, run workshops, mentoring … Advisory panels to programmes

Profession-related knowledge familiarisation with in-house procedures Project management marketing Dealing with clients, customer care Teamwork Simulation at universities - but better: placement in company familiarisation with in-house procedures Project management marketing Dealing with clients, customer care Teamwork Simulation at universities - but better: placement in company

Interaction and cooperation Joint activities (workshops, conferences, talks, informal meetings) between professionals and students e.g. Aston: translation quality; revision, finding clients, EU - ITI + students; EN ATC members + students Joint activities (workshops, conferences, talks, informal meetings) between professionals and students e.g. Aston: translation quality; revision, finding clients, EU - ITI + students; EN ATC members + students

Squaring the circle universities Translation profession Professional organisations

Awareness raising EN  "The translator shall transfer the meaning in the source language into the target language in order to produce a text that is in accordance with the rules of the linguistic system of the target language and that meets the instructions received. ” EN  "The translator shall transfer the meaning in the source language into the target language in order to produce a text that is in accordance with the rules of the linguistic system of the target language and that meets the instructions received. ”

Awareness raising EN lists ‘ Localisation ’ as an added values service, together with other services such as 'adaptation, rewriting, transliteration, technical writing, subtitling, voice-over'

Vocational vs academic?  Translation = Cognitive decision-making in social context  Translators operate in social contexts - subject to social, cultural, ideological, institutional norms and constraints  Academic qualification required in order to fulfil role as translator (cf. Bologna process, professional recognition)  Translation = Cognitive decision-making in social context  Translators operate in social contexts - subject to social, cultural, ideological, institutional norms and constraints  Academic qualification required in order to fulfil role as translator (cf. Bologna process, professional recognition)