Translator training and professionalisation of translation studies

Abstract

This doctoral thesis focusses on current trends in translator training and on the effects that technological advances are having on translation processes, the profession and ultimately translator education. I advocate that the future professional translator will always need to be a language expert, with an emphasis on mother tongue mastery, but someone who has also learnt to master the most widely used tools in the profession. This thesis contributes to scholarly work on the didactics of translation and translation training. The goal of my research is to facilitate a smooth transition of graduates into employment. My work gives an overview of the competences needed in today’s profession where employability, defined as the ability to adapt to changes and to be flexible, has a predominant role. This thesis is comprised of four research articles (three journal articles and one chapter in a book). The objective is not merely to describe training practices but to engage translation trainers and industry professionals in a dialogue for the benefit of the profession. Drawing from several theoretical frameworks and from sociology and education, I use mixed qualitative methods to gather data: documentary analyses (article I), focus groups (article II) and workplace observations and interviews (articles III and IV). My research design is hence qualitative and ethnographically-oriented. The entire research undertaking is based on examining a real-life scenario with the goal of facilitating students’ entry in the profession. The research analyses today’s translation competences, the impact of new technologies in the profession and the role of academia and industry in the training of translators.