My first participation into a TRANSLATOR TRAINING CONFERENCE using the French Language !!

Conference will be held on 8th Mai, 2013 @ the Université Laval (Quebec-Canada). 


 

On the 8th of Mai, 2013, I will be giving my first communication in FRENCH at the ACFAS conference here in Quebec (Université Laval). It is compulsory to : speak in French and present the text in the French Language. I am a bit nervous, but hey! It should be fun.

The topic I will be presenting is quite new in the field of translation teaching/training, although it has been discussed in other fields such as educational technology, distance e-learning and e-learning. It is about the migration of TRANSLATION courses' contents given by faculty in face to face classrooms into an on-line environment ( Moodle, Blackboard..etc). Research literature highlights that teaching practise in both traditional and virtual or technology enhanced environments has some similarities BUT many differences in terms of teaching approaches, technics and choice of material to address students with various learning styles and characteristics. What I will present in the conference is the conceptual part of this pedagogical operation : DESIGNING YOUR COURSE OUTLINE with clear INTENDED  learning outcomes, type of activities to operationalize these activities in collaboration with students and (last) the type of planned assessment designed by faculty to measure those intended outcomes. I will be relting in Blooms's revised taxonomy (Anderson, 2001) version,a s well as John Biggs' (1999, 2007)taxonomy of Constructive ALignment between intended learning outcomes, activities and assessments components.

All the above will be applied to the field of translator training in a university context (Higher education). I will use a Course Outline of a Translation Course called (documentary research in translation practise) given by a professor at one of the Canadian universities. I have been granted approval to use his course outline(syllabus).

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HERE IS MY ABSTRACT (IN FRENCH)

13 h 30 - 16 h 00

Après-midi

Communications orales

Présidence/animation : Marie-christine Aubin Université York

Bâtiment – Local : Pavillon Charles-de Koninck – 1261

13 h 30

Fouad EL KARNICHI Université de Sherbrooke, FOUAD EL KARNICHI Université de Sherbrooke

Que nous apprend la conversion d’un cours en mode virtuel sur la pédagogie de la traduction?

(le résumé)

L’environnement des cours en ligne nécessite des compétences spécifiques et novatrices afin de fournir des conditions d’apprentissage significatives pour l’apprenant. Dans cette communication, en lien avec notre recherche doctorale, nous allons aborder la formation dans un environnement d’apprentissage en ligne des futurs traducteurs, en prenant l’exemple d’une formation donnée en présentiel et à distance. Plus précisément, nous allons examiner, à partir d’un syllabus, les changements au niveau pédagogique et structurel qui peuvent être effectuées pendant la migration d’un cours de sa version en présentiel en une version en ligne. Des recherches en formation en ligne nous indiquent les conséquences négatives issues de la conversion des cours d’un mode à l’autre lorsqu’on n’introduit pas de changements pédagogiques dignes du nouvel environnement d'apprentissage. Nous proposerons une analyse des objectifs du cours, des activités d’apprentissage et des mesures d’évaluation dans le plan de cours, qui sera effectuée selon le principe de l’ « alignement constructif » de Biggs (2007). Nous utiliserons aussi la taxonomie de Bloom dans sa version nouvelle publiée par Krathwohl et Anderson (2001) pour traiter des types d’apprentissages ciblés (comprendre, appliquer, évaluer, créer). Notre intention est d’adapter ces critères au contexte de formation des traducteurs dans un environnement en ligne et de présenter nos premières conclusions sur la conversion des cours en mode virtuel.

Fouad

Internship for translators....another brilliant extracurricular activity to count on!

About the internship programme as Sherbrooke University .

As part of my ongoing research activities, I visited three days ago the person in charge of placing student translators into various places in Quebec region and elsewhere ( in Canada) to gain experience and build their self concept as well as competences as future professionals. I was amazed at the way the translation industry has changed in Canada due to Globalisation and impact form technology (mainly the Internet).

In Canada, the employer No1 is the Translation Bureau (The government) due to the fact that ALL documents should be in both French and English. So, the entity did not only offer internship for students, but also : 1- recruit them ; 2- and give financial support for universities to maintain the translation programs. Recently, according to the man in charge of the SERVICES de PLACEMENT (placement services), the governments reduced the budget. Why? well! they went global as well. They started outsourcing their work to countries where translation is done cheaper...and with Quality as well ( North African francophone countries, for instance). This had obliged the internship service in all universities in Canada to seek placements for their students elsewhere (the Private sector). Here, they found another problem ! ...difficulty to find a place, especially if the internship is PAID. In Canada students get paid for their internship. For small translation agencies, this would be an overhead. So, things could not be easy as they were with the internship process with the Federal Bureau of Translation.

This means that translation programs need to be conscious of this shift and develop new contents, teaching and training methodologies and pedagogies to respond to that....BUT gradually! not too slow though!...I am aware that as long as translation is taught within a university context, it will always be behind in catching up with the industry...This is quite understood!

For sure, matching our pedagogies and course contents to respond to new working patterns in the market of translation will always be a concern for faculty....especially with the technological impact and changing working patterns in language industry (Translation, interpreting , revision...etc). It is crucial to shift our attention to develop human resources and competencies (teacher development scheme) to cope with ( in our proper rhythm as academics as well as professionals) the ongoing practises....as long as these practises are not only market bound but also EDUCATIONALLY sound...because, we are, before anything else an educational institution that empowers and builds human capacities to serve a SOCIAL PURPOSE a well as.

Fouad

My first day within a translation classroom in Canada (Université Laval- Quebec).

Lat week at the Department of translation of Université Laval (Quebec)....

Finally, my co-director invited me last Thursday to attend her class (Revision & proofreading) with her MA students. This time there was no lectures, but 5 student-led extracurricular research activities about the practise of revision and proofreading in the job market. Students carried out either telephone or on site interviews with translators/revisers working in various translation agencies/companies in Quebec/Canada. Very innovative move on the part of faculty.

To be honest, I thoroughly enjoyed the 3 hrs I spent in the classroom interacting with the students and exchanging knowledge / information that is crucial to students development and building of 'self concept' as per Kiraly( 1995, 2000). There were about 11 students, all mature , some of them married with kids..so they were taking their studies (translation and revision ) seriously.

As a researcher, practitioner as well as an educator in the field, I realised how important can an extracular (especially if it is really related to the professional world of translation) be for an aspiring translation trainee...On a pedagogical level, it empowers students potential and maintains students' confidence to persevere in their learning pathways, finalise their course and achieve significant learning and performance outcomes.....and when they are in the market, they will be embasssadors of a discipline that suffers from an IDENTITY CRISIS and that it needs new leaders and voices to regain its resepct and status.

In the Arab world, we need these type of practises. I know that contexts (social, political and economical) are not the same, but I am quite sure that there will be a way to do it with either BA or MA students in translation . Certainly , we need to review our ways of training future translators and learn from other practises- and see how they can be doable in our context of teaching ( socio-economic, institutional ). The focus will be always on identifying&understanding students characteristics and how they learn  !. If we find this formula , we may ensure that they will achieve durable and significant learning onnot only during their study time but BEYOND!.

Fouad

Canada has a long tradition in translation practice and trainingg . The federal Governmnets Translation Bureau is the largets recruiter in the country. They require to have a BA in Translation (compulsory) for any candidate. Why? that is because the 4 yrs training at the university folows a rigorous and practical process. In canada , you may either take a 'coop BA' MODE of instruction which includes pais internship for abou 3 yrs, or take a traditional BA course with contents on linguistics, translation theory and practice as well as translation technologies but no field work. So, students gain experience in teh field ( companies , agencies) and get paid for it.

A second point i would like to refer to is the importance of taking degrees or getting further professional development. I personally see resistence againt this as degrading our professional status as social actors. Why shouldn't we have the same professional status like other (traditional and old professions like medecine or law?), doctors themselves started their parctice (in ancient times) learning by doing (hit and miss principle), but they developped as professions over time and were institutionalised via education and training (social and political recognition). Why us translators need to be always timid and lacking self esteem to make our voices heard in the community? we are doing the same social jobs like doctors and lawyers or engineers... transfering what is not known to be known via language, creating powerful relations between nations and people via puting them together via linguistic communication...building knowledge heritage..ect. We need education at higher level as well as doing' teh artisanal job'. Professions , all of them , underwent a similar process: from learning by doing (artisan way) to theorising and institutionalising the profession...to GAINING SOCIAL RECOGNITION AND RESPECT. We cannot saty invisibles and acting behind the scenes all the time.

اقتراح خلال ندوة في الرباط بتحويل مناهج الجامعات إلى منظومة مهارات,

اقتراح خلال ندوة في الرباط بتحويل مناهج الجامعات إلى منظومة مهارات

اقتراح خلال ندوة في الرباط بتحويل مناهج الجامعات إلى منظومة مهارات

شارك فيها خبراء من عدة دول وبحثت موضوع بطالة الخريجين

الرباط: خديجة الرحالي
أثار اقتراح تقدم به اللورد شامان، الممثل التجاري لبريطانيا لدى المغرب، خلال ندوة عقدت في الرباط حول تشغيل خريجي الجامعات، اهتماما من طرف المشاركين. وقال شامان إنه يجب تحويل المنظومة المعرفية (المناهج) في الجامعات إلى منظومة مهاراتية. وناقش خبراء على مدى يومين مشكلة التشغيل التي يعانيها خريجو الجامعات في العالم العربي، وجرى التركيز خلال الندوة على مسألة المناهج التي تعتمدها الجامعات ومدى تلبية هذه المناهج لمتطلبات سوق العمل، وركزت أغلب المداخلات على ضرورة أن تراجع الجامعات العربية مناهجها وتخصصاتها. وقال حسن الداودي، وزير التعليم العالي والبحث العلمي في المغرب، إن «موضوع تشغيل خريجي الجامعات في صميم الإشكالية التي تعاني منها جميع الدول؛ وليس فقط الدول العربية». وأشار إلى أن المشكلة باتت مطروحة حتى في أوروبا، حيث يعاني خريجو الجامعات في إسبانيا وفرنسا من البطالة. ودعا المسؤول المغربي إلى «تكوين مجتمع معرفي لتعزيز فرص العمل»، وقال «إننا نعيش أزمة خانقة تتحمل الجامعة جزءا منها»، مؤكدا أن إشكالية مجتمعنا هي مشكلة الثقافة، متسائلا «هل جامعاتنا لديها ثقافة العلم؟». وقال إن المنطقة تعيش «في أزمة خانقة قد تتحمل الجامعة جزءا صغيرا منها، لأنه حينما تكون الدورة الاقتصادية ضعيفة تتضاءل فرص العمل». على صعيد آخر، قال إن «المغرب يطمح إلى أن يكون قطبا على المستوى الجامعي والبحث العلمي بشقيه التنموي والنظري، ويسعى إلى استقطاب جامعات أوروبية، لتفتح فروعا لها في المغرب».
ومن جانبها، قالت أماني أبو زيد، ممثلة البنك الأفريقي الإنمائي، إن «موضوع قابلية تشغيل الخريجين في هذه الظرفية التي نعيشها مشكلة كبيرة»، وقدرت عدد الشباب العاطل في المنطقة بنحو 200 مليون شخص (عدد سكان العالم العربي 339 مليونا)، وتوقعت أن يتضاعف عددهم بعد 20 سنة. وأشارت أبو زيد إلى أن هدف البنك الأفريقي للتنمية هو إعادة توجيه استراتيجية دعم التعليم وتقوية المهارات والمعارف، وقالت إنه يركز على دعم التعليم الجامعي. ودعت إلى التركيز على البحث والتنمية في المنطقة العربية، والتنسيق في ما بين الدول لحل مشكل التشغيل.
وعن الموضوع نفسه قال كليف الديرتون، سفير بريطانيا في الرباط «إن مشكلة البطالة في المنطقة تتفاقم»، وإن «القطاع العام لا يمكنه استيعاب كل الخريجين، وخبرات الخريجين ليست مؤهلة لتشغيلهم». وقال نجيب الغياتي، مدير التربية في منظمة الـ«إيسيسكو»، إن «المستجدات التكنولوجية المتسارعة وتحديات العولمة الاقتصادية والمتطلبات الجديدة والمتجددة لسوق العمل تفرض مراجعة المنظومة التعليمية بشكل عام، ومنظومة التعليم العالي على وجه الخصوص».
يشار إلى أن الندوة انعقدت تحت عنوان «قابلية الخريجين للتشغيل: منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا نموذجا»، بإشراف المجلس الثقافي البريطاني في الرباط، بالتعاون مع المنظمة الإسلامية للتربية والعلوم والثقافة (إيسيسكو)، ووزارة التعليم العالي والبحث العلمي المغربية، والبنك الأفريقي للتنمية. وشارك في الندوة خبراء من المغرب ومصر وباكستان وإندونيسيا وفلسطين واليمن وتونس ولبنان وليبيا وبريطانيا.

المصدر
جريدة الشرق الأوسط

Philip Kerr Webinar - The Return of Translation

تطوير الكفاءات الاحترافية لدى المترجم المتدرب

Innovating in translator training: A pilot course proposal on developing professional and entrepreneurial abilities for future translators

Globalisation 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 programmes 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 programmes in the Arab world do not contain courses or modules that address these types of new practices. The focus  has always been on mainly developing linguistic skills and other types of cognitive abilities. This applies in other western or Asian countries as well. My ongoing research is on how to embed such type of workshop/ course in a translation programme and the type of pedagogical approach(es) to adopt to facilitate such course on training students to engage in developing self-directed and autonomous skills and abilities in entrepreneurial activities in translation (or other language jobs: interpreting, revision, proofreading , transcription) constructing as well as empower them to gain these types of meta-cognitive competencies that will accompany them for a life time, such as the case of setting up their own business as team of students (an agency or company) or as an individually owned business.

Online translation practice: professional aspects (Presentation)

Summary Slides from the old version or workshop content ( in 2010)

 The course is initially given in Arabic, but a new version in English will be available in next few days. Although the presentation is is in Arabic  , the course activities and case studies as well as demonstrations are in English. 

The course will be advertised sometimes this week for people who are interested in registering . There are fees to be paid either to assist to the live webinar or buy, later on, a registered video copy.

I Also have an old version (2010) of the same topic which I presented to a group of over 40 students online in collaboration with ATIDA :

Arabic Translation and Intercultural Dialogue Association - ATIDA

which was successful. The new version is mode detailed and elaborated than the previous either in terms of contents or teaching/training methodology.

THE NEW VERSION

ممارسة الترجمة الحرة و المستقلة عبر الانترنت هل سبق لك ان سمعت بالترجمة عبر الآنترنت و لكن ترددت بقصد أو غير قصد عن البحث عن كيفية البحث عن المعلومات حول الموضوع أو لاتعرف كيف وأين تجدها؟ أو تريد أن تجرب ممارسة الترجمة بجانب عملك الخاص؟ أو اذا كنت طالب جامعي في الترجمة و تريد أن تؤمن مستقبلك من الآن و تبدأ بممارسة الترجمة عبر الآنترنت و تصبح سيد أو سيدة  أعمالك في المستقبل(be your own boss :)؟ سوف نجيب في هذا  العرض التقديمي  عن كل الأسئلة المقدمة أعلاه

Description

خلال ساعة من المحاضرة / الورشة سوف تأخذ (عزيزي الطالب)نظرة عامة حول طبيعة الترجمة الحرة و كيفية مزاولتها وممارستها عبر الانترنت من منزلك...فالبداية صعبة في كل مبادرة... لكن هذا العرض التطبيقي و الواقعي الذي سوف يتم عرضه هنا سوف يساعدك على  مزاولة خدمات الترجمة الحرة...وبالتوفيق للجميع.
This content was created by Fouad El karnichi.

Target audience

توجه هذه الورشة إلى أي شخص يرغب ممارسة مهنة الترجمة الحرة والعمل من المنزل  ، سواء تعلق الأمر بالطالب الجامعي الذي بدرس  ميدان الترجمة أو تعلق الأمر بموظفين آخرين أو بوكالات الترجمة غير الافتراضية والكلاسيكية والتي تريد أن يتعلم موظفوها كيفية الولوج في مسار الترجمة الحرة وإدراج هذا القطاع ضمن باقي الخدمات التي يقدمونها على الأرض وفي نفس البلد 

Learning objectives

الأهداف التعليمية: مع نهاية المحاضرة و الورشة سوف يكون المتدرب قادرا على بداية تدبير خدمات الترجمة على منصة بروز دوت كوم أو غيرها من المنصات وتسيير مكتبه أومكتبها الافتراضي بثقة و التواصل مع و الا حتكاك بالزبون أو تسويق الخدمات الترجمية وتنظيمها ووضع الأثمنة المناسبة وأخلاقيات الخدمة.

Prerequisites

اللغات :العربية و الأنجليزية
بعض النصوص و الروابط المختارة  لتعزيز التعلم وصقل  الكفاءات خلال  هذه الورشة متوفرة باللغتين العربية و الأنجليزية

Program

الجزء الأول

ما معنى الترجمة الحرة أو الاشتغال كمترجم مستقل من المنزل؟ هل أنا مستعد وهل لدي القابلية لمزاولة هذا النوع من الخدمة؟ وهل أنا مستعد للتعلم والصبر والاستفادة من تجاربي وتجارب الزملاء الآخرين حين أبدا العمل كمترجم ومقدم خدمات الترجمة في العالم الافتراضي واقع الترجمة الحرة في العالم العربي ونختم هذا الجزء باستعراض مباشر له لكيفية فتح ملف على صفحة بروز دوت كوم لبناء مشروع مكتب ترجمة شخصي على الويب و كيفية استخدامه للدخول و الاحتكاك مع مقدمي خدمات الترجمة و اشياء اخرى تنفع المترجم الناشئ في تطوير مهاراته الترجمية المتعلقة بعالم الترجمة الاحترافي.

الجزء الثاني

بداية تاسيس وتفعيل خدمات مكتب الترجمة على الانترنت - المكان ولوازم التسويق - الاختصاص - تحسين المهارات - تدبير الوقت أثناء العمل من المنزل كمترجم حر - الأثمنة والتفاوض -الجودة في تقديم الخدمات - العلاقات مع العملاء ووكالات الترجمة.

وتهدف إلي تقديم المتدرب إلى عالم الترجمة الحرة عبر الإنترنت وشروط الالتحاق به ولوازمهالاحترافية، وكذا تعليمهم كيفية بناء مشروع الترجمة الحرة وتأسيس المكتب وتسويق الخدمات وتنظيمها ووضع الأثمنة المناسبة وأخلاقيات الخدمة

Teaching Teaching & Understanding Understanding (1/3)

Is it important to get a degree in / and an ongoing professional development in translation?

 Many of the translation community members working in the field, especially the cohort who  learned by DOING as artisans do, would not be keen to like the idea and prefer to insist of the importance of practise although it would take less time learning and acquiring those  skills if they took some initial training first. It is an ongoing discourse that has been going for ages now.In fact, all opinions are respected  and considered. It is normal that we do have multiple perspectives...but the trick is whether these differences can be synergised.

Yes, I personally think that  it is important to have  a degree in translation and YES it is also important to get professional development. I personally see resistance against this as degrading our professional status as social actors. Why shouldn't we have the same professional status like other traditional and old professions like medecine or law?; doctors themselves started their practise (in ancient times) learning by doing (hit and miss principle), but medicine developed as a profession over time and was institutionalised via education and training (social and political recognition). I guess, then, that we are following the same doomed cycle of life....we are heading there!!! it is the destiny of all types of professions....We getting there! perhaps we did already, especially that the field is now well established in academia under the name of TRANSLATION STUDIES...

Why us translators need to be always timid and lacking self esteem to make our voices heard in the community? we are doing the same social jobs like doctors and lawyers or engineers.We contribute to the well being of society and economy alike...via transferring what is not known to be known via language, creating powerful relations between nations and people via putting them together via linguistic communication...building knowledge heritage..ect. Focusing only on doing' the artisanal job' or ' doing tranlsation' or ' being skillful' is not enough.... We need to keep developing and upgrading our competencies and skills through education and training ...we need to know the technique and be able to find out senses and reflect on our proper practise to make sense of it as human beings. Professions , all of them , underwent a similar process: from learning by doing (artisan way) to theorising and institutionalising the profession...to GAINING SOCIAL RECOGNITION AND RESPECT. We cannot stay invisible and acting behind the scenes all the time.

This is a course I taught in 2010 for posgraduate students in translation in Morocco. I was a bit surprised when all students in the MA class had never heard of the term. So, I decided to go easy on them  and re-design the course as well as  its activities. I, then, decided to imbed an introductory part to the field to explain the diffrences between ' Translation Theory(ies)' and ' Transaltion Studies'. MA students need and must have a dose of insights from Translation Studies. It is the contents, knowledge and epistimologies highlighted in translation studies as a discipline that could help studenst TO REFLECT on their MA research projects as well as their translation decisions and choices (process part). MA courses should be a polishing phase for the skills and competencies gained at the BA level. At MA level we do more reflection and critical work on texts, including research endeavours.

At the end of the semester, Students gained a conceptual that positioned them in academia and practice. They felt they exist and have an identity (institutionalised in many countries) which they were not aware of. Also, they felt that they can do research on many types of topics not only 'metaphor' or ' grammatical issues' or ' syntactic comparaisons' or ' pragmatic issues...'...they felt they can even do research on their own translation processes, on professional aspects of translation as welll as technology and translation ...ect

It was a rich experience for them.

Fouad

التعليم «عن بعد» في الجامعات العربية.. هل أصبح «عن قرب»؟

Distance learning in Higher education (The Arab World)

Please check the link
http://www.aawsat.com/details.asp?section=55&issueno=12501&article=717717&feature=1#.USXA3TDI8Rw

Empowering Future Student Translators/ Novice Translators on facing real world risks after their graduation:

(a personal experience and initiative on my Students)

I will share with you an initiative I took a couple of years ago in the hope to find a possible solution to the pleague of exploiting new freelance translators (students...) that has been haunting our profession for quite a while..It is not only the translation agencies that demean us ...the issue is social as well....society underestimates who translators are and what they do ?. Whose fault it is : US.

Coming back to my initiative : I designed and facilitated a training course on translation ethics and professional realities at the university I worked in (Arabic/Englis MA programme in Morocco) . Its aim was to empower future translators and engage through authentic real life scenarios to get acquainted with the potential UNJUST and  PATHETIC behaviors from translation agencies onlien or in their home countries. I used material that extracted from  online resources in addition to my own expereinces inmy early days of translation. This type of study material, plus the personal expereince of the trainer (myself) may make students think critically and intelligently about how they will posture themselves in the onlien translation market. The objective is that they will be able toTRANSFORM the existing deploring status quo (liek negotiating a JUST and fair pricing rate and be the ones who decide what to ask for for providing langauge services and not the opposite) when they are on the field after graduation. Again , I stress that this is a risk calculation strategy for future translators who might be thinking of working for their own. Like in any business , there is always a margim of risks...it is normal practice.

My idea was that the solution remains with what the new cohorot of student can do to improve and transform(eventually) the way thngs are in the translation market. That is what happen when parasites get into a trade as artisans who never sought to get professional development or have never though of taking a decent ( I reapeat : a decent) university translation programmes. This does not mean that the current translators ( freelance translators, especially virtual translators) cannot do anything about it,  on the contrary, they need to put their heads up and get professional developments and get INFORMED....our profession should not be seen only as an 'artisanal activity', it moved far beyond this...conferences are held on translation and translators, academic programmes (even PhDs) and research on translator behavior and practice are mushrooming....we need to participate in this trend of institutionalisation to improve our status as social actors and gain the respect. Society has its own way to perceiving things. Let us play the game as well.

Some of my students now succeeded in forming  teams of translators and have their own virtual or physical agencies ..BUT THEIR BUSINESS APPROACH AND PHILOSOPYY IS DIFFERENT....(So the educational and social objectives I designed in my training course has been fulfilled/ tehre has been an impact: students achieved a meaningful and life long learning experience) ...we hope to have to more examples like this, for it is a viable solution to the problem we dicuss in this forum. IT all starts with EDUCATION ( Know how ' to do things' . 'to be someone  and ' to become like that person (translator)'.............

Fouad

Do we need a Translation degree to work ?...THE CANADIAN CONTEXT.

Response to a colleague on a professional forum on LINKED IN

Here is what I said: 
(http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem)

 **********************************

Canada has a long tradition in translation practice and training alike. The Federal Governmnet's Translation Bureau is the largest recruiter in the country. To be recruited you need  to have a BA in Translation (compulsory). Why? that is because the 4 yrs training at the university folows a rigorous and practical process. In Canada , you may either take a 'coop BA' model  which includes paid internship for about 3 yrs, or take a traditional BA course with contents on linguistics, translation theory and practice as well as translation technologies but no field work. So, students gain experience in the field ( companies , agencies) and get paid for it.

A second point I would like to refer to is the importance of taking degrees or getting further professional development. I personally see resistance against this as degrading our professional status as social actors. Why shouldn't we have the same professional status like other traditional and old professions like medicine or law?. Doctors themselves started their practice (in ancient times) learning by doing (hit and miss principle), but they developed as professions over time and were institutionalized via education and training (social and political recognition). Why us translators need to be always timid and lacking self esteem to make our voices heard in the community? we are doing the same social jobs like doctors and lawyers or engineers...So, getting disciplinary knowledge and be informed is important for our lifelong learning and social status.

Our social contribution needs to be recognized. We are: transferring what is not known to be known via language, creating powerful relations between nations and people via putting them together via linguistic communication...building knowledge heritage..ect. This is serious and it is not only about doing the business of doing Excellent translations and keeping clients...this is good , but its is not the end of the story...we need to look at our profession from various angles.We need education at higher level as well as doing' the artisanal job'. All professions undergo similar processes: from learning by doing (artisan way) to theorizing and institutionalizing the profession...to GAINING SOCIAL RECOGNITION AND RESPECT. We cannot stay invisible and act and carry on acting behind the scene all the time. We need to act . We need to gain a type of metalanguage to talk about our work and profession that we could well enhance within professional or academic training contexts ...and - most of all- in participating to conferences and symposiums about translation...like we do in here in LINKED IN as an online community.

FOUND IN TRANSLATION: The making of a skilled interpreter: What we know about expertise development in interpreting

FOUND IN TRANSLATION: The making of a skilled interpreter: What we know about expertise development in interpreting

RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms

List of online or distance courses in Translation and Interpreting

No wonder the trend is growing. In Europe, Asia pacific, south Africa and North America, we find full BA programmes (not only certificates and MA's) , which are fully recognized by employers....I mean, those Dipolmas that are deliverd by traditional universities themselves in a fully ONLINE or Semi-Online (Hybrid) format.

(None of the universities  from the Arab world is on the list...perhaps the trend is still new or else!)

Please check below link:

http://www.languages-and-translation.com/online-and-distance-learning-courses-for-translators-and-interpreters/



Fouad

About mentoring students or novice translators...away from classroom....in the real world..

About mentoring translation students or novice translators....away from classroom context...in the real world..

I forgot to mention this point earlier in my blog. The event goes back to 2011 when I was lecturing in the MA course in Professional Translation at Hassan II  University- Morocco. At the end of the year, I decided to set a team of 4 competent students who I felt could be mentored to carry out some of the paid freelance assignments I was receiving from time to time  from clients over the internet. These students have been insisting all over the year to show them how to do cyber freelancing in translation or revision. At the beginning of the program, I was not sure yet that they were ready for it, as this activity requires special skills, attitudes and aptitudes , which I felt they did not have at that stage. So, I decided to venture with them and invite them to participate in one of my upcoming but suitable project . 

They were excited . When the documents came,  divided the work on them and supervised their activities and process. This was via e-mail and telephones. So, my support was handled at distance using online information and communication tools. For the students, this was a special experience. They were  doing real and authentic translation to be sent to clients in another country. It is not a translation to be returned back or checked by the teacher. It is real.

For me, I took a risk. My image in front of the client Is at risk. Neverthless, I took the decision until the right time and for the right project. Being the first time to work with an unknown and novice co-workers was also a risky move. We need to take calculated risks in life, some times.

After fixing the deadline and being strict on it via close monitoring, I revised the assignments to secure quality in the translation and its format. Then, the following week we met in a coffee and I was thrilled by the way they really enjoyed the experience. They said < now we feel we can do it> . If they can do it online , they can easily do it face to face in an office like in-house translators.

Sure, they did not have all the qualities required to be a proper entrepreneur in managing online translation projects , but they tried part of the project lifecycle (doing translation) and were involved via e-mails and phone calls or (Skype) in the actual operational phase of the project. So, they knew how it works.

In canada, after the student graduates from the BA programme in translation, and if he wants to be certified by the certification body, he or she needs to undertake a 6 month Mentoring process she or he needs to pay for prior to getting certified. 

Would it be possible to integrate that activity in the translation curriculum given its direct application nd relevance in professional translation? how it can be organized at the budget and logistic level in the institution that delivers the program?

Fouad

Effat University (Important Conference)

Effat University (Saudi Arabia)

Conference on learning design and technology

10th L&T 2013: Cloudscaping The Global Learning Environment

Learning and Technology 2013: Tenth Conference on

Cloudscaping The Global Learning Environment

February 24-26, 2013 G

Rabi Awal 14-16, 1434 H

Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

My abstract for the conference was accepted , and I am going to contribute with a big part of my ongoing PhD research on innovative approches in Online learning & teaching design in Translator Training and Education.


It is great to see such initiatives towards innovation and best research practices in the region.



The link:
http://www.effatcollege.edu.sa/Research/LearningAndTechnology2013/Pages/Learning-And-Technology-2013-%28The-Global-Learning-Environment%29.aspx

TRANSLATION HISTORY : ISLAMIC TRADITION

Project based and collaborative translation was practiced in the ninth century in Baghdad .The philosopher Al-Kindi was himself financing translation projects to translate Greek Philosophy into Arabic or Syriac(since he was not proficient in Latin) and he was handling himself the proofreading, adaptation or revising processes : a similar role of TODAYS' TRANSLATION PROJECT MANAGERS. So, translation practice was also sponsored by the elite in Baghdad and not only the Khalifas.

Please listen to below AUDIO link extracted from the BBC website.

لماذا لا نستعرض و نتحدث عن تفاصيل  تاريخ حركة و ممارسة  مهنة الترجمة  في العالم  العربي- الاسلامي خصوصا أثناء العهد

 العباسي داخل قاعات الأقسام الدراسية. يتحدث   في هذا المقطع بعض مؤرخي التاريخ الاسلامي باعرق الجامعات الاوروبية - كاكسفورد-عن حركة الترجمة ابان العهد العباسي . رايي أنه يلزم ادماج ولو بشكل جزئي جانب التاريخ كمحتوى في أقسام الترجمة لأن الالمام بتاريخ المهنة يقوي الاحساس بالهوية و ترسيخ روح الانتماء الى مجتمع المترجمين .ليست الترجمة مجرد حرفة و انما أصبحت ايضا علم وميدان للبحث . فاذا كان تدريس الطب أو القانون ينطلق من خلفية تاريخية و نظرية واضحة فنفس الشيء يمكن أن يصير مع علوم الترجمة......

فبعد ان استمعت الى المقطع و بعد بحثي في بعض المراجع تاكدت أن الفيلسوف العربي و المسلم الكندي كان قد مول مشاريع الترجمة (بحكمه كان ينحذر من عائلة غنية) لترجمة الفلسفة اليونانية الى العربية او الأسيرية آنذاك...و كان يحرس على مراجعة الترجمة الى العربية ليؤقلمها الى الثقافة الآسلامية بحكم أن للفلسفة  الأغريقية مرجعيةمختلفة ولكن لم تكن متناقضة كثيرا مع مبدا الوحدانية في الآسلام.....فقد كان الكندي يقوم بدور مدير مشاريع الترجمة  ويشرف شخصيا على تدبير الجودة  من خلال التنسيق مع المترجمين أو فريق الترجمة ...أي أن المقاربة المعروفة بالترجمة  الجماعية المرتكزة على المشاريع كانت تمارس قبل ابان القرن التاسع الميلادي - الثاني الهجري ببغداد....فهي أذن ليست  بممارسة جديدة من نوعها وينبغي اخبار السيد و الرفيق دون كيرالي بهذا.     

الرابط / LINK
file:///C:/Users/fouadelka/Desktop/b00dp4d8.htm





Note :
The salary of a Translator in the 9th century (AD) Second/Third (AH) was 500 GLODEN dinars ( given by Khalifa al mamoun ) equivalent to todays' ( 24.000 US $ !!). After 1000 YEARS...not much difference from the current salary for a recently graduate translator !!!



Fouad