engleski

Ten years on: Facilitating translator competence acquisition in blended collaborative projects

Current trends in the language industry require of professional translators to possess the ability to work efficiently in a wide range of specialized areas, at the same time as having the ability to switch between an increasing number of different roles (translator, reviser, project manager, terminologist, etc.), using the appropriate electronic tools and resources, and with enhanced awareness of professional ethics. In the past decade, blended collaborative projects have proved to be a useful method of helping students to acquire the kind of translator competence outlined above. Collaborative projects are authentic or simulated translation assignments in which students work together in a blended learning environment (a combination of classroom-based and online learning) to produce a translation appropriate to a concrete situation, taking into account its function, the client’s requirements, the end users, the type of text and the channel of publication. The focus of this talk will be a discussion of the relative virtues and challenges of such projects, drawing in particular on the lessons learnt from their application at the University of Zagreb since 2004. Some typical projects will be described, in which students translate both into and out of their first language, as is required in the translation markets of smaller language communities. Results of a survey will be presented, in which several generations of former students are asked to assess the extent to which blended collaborative projects have helped them to prepare for their future profession. Suggestions will be made as to how student feedback can be incorporated into the design of future projects.

translator competence, collaborative projects, blended learning

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