From 6 to 10 May 2013, Université Laval in Quebec hosted the 82nd Acfas congress, which brings together French-speaking universities from around the world. I presented a paper on enhancing educational technology in translator training to improve teaching and learning outcomes, and came away with six issues worth sharing.
The Experience
It was a great experience. I enjoyed being among my peers, exchanging ideas and debating questions about translation studies, technologies for translators, the translation industry, and translator education and training. I also met and networked with many colleagues in Canada, professors and PhD students alike. It was a pleasure to get to know them in person rather than only through their articles in international translation journals.
The event boosted my confidence (especially in presenting in French), put my progress in context, and served as a self-evaluation test for my ongoing learning pathway.
Issues That Caught My Attention
- It is not enough to be proficient in your subject field. You also need to convey and monitor other kinds of knowledge: pedagogy and andragogy, and how to use technology in your teaching, given that we live in a knowledge-based society.
- Virtual and distance learning in translation programmes is a trend of the future.
- Innovation in curriculum and course design is needed, including new types of content.
- Multilingualism matters, and so does translating into the non-mother tongue (L2).
- The university has a social mission in training translators: educating socially functioning citizens who can use their abilities throughout life, not merely convert words and structures.
- The translator's role vis-à-vis technology: we need to emphasise the translator's agency as a decision-maker in the industry, not just a word engineer.
These were the major points raised and discussed in the two days of sessions I attended.
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