Accepted communication
(Forum organized by the
English and Translation Society at Sultan Qaboos University)
ABSTRACT
Innovating in translator training: A
pilot course proposal on developing professional and entrepreneurial abilities
for future translators
Globalization and technology had
changed the translation market upside down. We notice the emergence of many
working patterns due to this change; such as the phenomenon of tele- work or
online freelancing and self-employment. This practice requires a combination of
both academic and business competencies. Nevertheless, as far as I know, the
entrepreneurial aspect of our practice is not something that is taught within
university level translation units or departments in the Arab world. Only few
translation programs in the west and Europe managed to embed such type of
courses as workshops or ‘elective’ course (and not as a core course), despite
the fact that it is the type of competencies that employers insist on in the
market place.
Our recent review of many translation
programs in the Arab world does not contain courses or modules that address
these types of new practices. The focus is always on developping linguistic
skills and other types of cognitive abilities. In this intervention, I will
introduce an innovative way of how to embed such a course in a translation program
and the pedagogical approach to adopt to facilitate such a course on training
students to engage in online freelancing and empower them to gain these types
of meta-cognitive competencies that will accompany them for a lifetime, such as
the case of setting up their own business as a team of students (an agency or
company) or as an individually owned business.
NB: Due to logistical reasons, I put on hold the preparation of this communication and prepare it (perhaps ) in another context/ other type of audience.
Fouad
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