On Freelancing Practice in Translation

An online  workshop in tele-translation work (online freelancing) I gave in 2011 . ATIDA ( Arabic Translation an Intercultural Dialogue Association).

Here is the Link to the (prelimenary) syllabus  .

http://atida.info/training/course_details.php?course_id=66 (The prsentation was given in Arabic)

The workshop was in Arabic/English & sometimes Arabic Dialect (informality allowed given the nature of the intervention). About 48 participants were online. ATIDA decided to offer the course free for promotional reasons. It was a challenge to manage the online facilitation  due to the massive flow of questions I received. A moderator (with whom I should have prior arrangement to organize the activities ) was not available. So, on the spot I had to pick up, amongst all this flow, ONLY relavant questions. Under no circumstances I could have replied to all queries in 1h 30min. On the other hand, that shows how the audeince were interactive and dynamic. Some of them were replying and helping  their classmates on their queries in the chat box (asynchroneous learning object)  which I totally amired : interaction took place not only between me and them BUT also between students themselves; I mean students who did not know each other . I guess that is the type of collaboration that some Pedagotrads like Kiraly ( 2000, 20003) had been talking about, but not in  a technology enhanced learning space ( online or distance learning context).These Arabic speaking students came from all different countries ( including some had participated from Spain, Germany and France).

I learnt few things I will avoid next time when I undertake the same workshop either online or face to face ( in a classroom context). Online facilitation or intervention is different from f2f in terms of learning design, teacher's role and teaching/learning physical environment ( Wall &Bricks against the online platform  or LMS (Learning managemnet system). Training for instructors who want to undertake such initiatives is necessary.

 A Power Point version of the course is available for those interested . Please contact me @ fouadelkarnichi.gmail.com.

Fouad ELKARNICHI