The Human Factor in Translation Programmes

Is strengthening students' linguistic and translation skills enough for a quality translation curriculum? And what do employers actually want from a graduate translator?

A recent study carried out here in Canada at the Université de Montréal (Echeverri, 2008) found that translation companies and government organisations employing translation students under internship schemes are very satisfied with their linguistic and other text-based skills, but find them lacking in critical aptitude, reflection and interpersonal abilities.

So, if we take these results seriously and review our programmes, what should we improve?

Objects versus people

Our research shows that attention goes, most of the time, to the objects (content, curriculum, courses) and not to the human factor (faculty and students). Yet there is ample literature calling for faculty development and training schemes (Echeverri, 2008; Kelly, 2005; Kearns, 2006), because the knowledge framework needed in a translation classroom differs from the one delivered in a language classroom.

Understanding how translation students learn, and what their learning styles are, matters just as much. We need to find out what prior knowledge students bring about translation as a profession, a practice or, as some see it, an art. A clear, explicit and accessible study plan can help here, provided it is presented to students in a way that engages them and gives them a road map for their learning path. University students are adults, and educating adults requires a certain tact on the part of the educator.

Three knowledge bases

Finally, you cannot teach a translation course well if you still need further training in any of three areas:

• pedagogy;
• content (translation-specific knowledge);
• real-world professional experience.

These three poles need to be integrated for a sound translation education or training scenario in a higher education context.

Takeaway: the human factor, rather than content or subject matter alone, is in my view the key to raising quality in translator training programmes. I welcome your thoughts.