Chapter 1. Basic translation competence
-
Christiane Nord
Abstract
Students often decide to take up translator training despite having little or no proficiency in the foreign language they wish to choose for translation. There are two ways to tackle this problem: either by offering integrated preparatory language courses (INT) as part of a “translation” or “translation studies (TS)” programme, which is basically intended to train students for the profession in four or five years, or by requiring a satisfactory degree of language proficiency (e.g., minimum B2 or C1 according to the Common European Framework, CEFR), which may be acquired anywhere outside the programme (EXT), possibly even in the country where the language is used. The latter choice would entail taking an exam to ensure that the level of competence was sufficient to act as an entrance qualification for translator training. The INT model can be organised in two possible forms: either as a separate preparatory language tuition phase before the start of the actual translation or TS programme (INT-SEP), or a mixture of language tuition and translation teaching (INT-MIX). In this chapter, I will discuss the pros and cons of these forms. I will try to show how language teaching in translator training programmes can be geared towards translation competence without using translation as a tool for language acquisition (translation-oriented language teaching, TOLT).
Abstract
Students often decide to take up translator training despite having little or no proficiency in the foreign language they wish to choose for translation. There are two ways to tackle this problem: either by offering integrated preparatory language courses (INT) as part of a “translation” or “translation studies (TS)” programme, which is basically intended to train students for the profession in four or five years, or by requiring a satisfactory degree of language proficiency (e.g., minimum B2 or C1 according to the Common European Framework, CEFR), which may be acquired anywhere outside the programme (EXT), possibly even in the country where the language is used. The latter choice would entail taking an exam to ensure that the level of competence was sufficient to act as an entrance qualification for translator training. The INT model can be organised in two possible forms: either as a separate preparatory language tuition phase before the start of the actual translation or TS programme (INT-SEP), or a mixture of language tuition and translation teaching (INT-MIX). In this chapter, I will discuss the pros and cons of these forms. I will try to show how language teaching in translator training programmes can be geared towards translation competence without using translation as a tool for language acquisition (translation-oriented language teaching, TOLT).
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of abbreviations viii
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Theory-oriented approaches
- Chapter 1. Basic translation competence 12
- Chapter 2. Advantages of cognitive linguistics in the teaching and learning of foreign languages in TI programmes 23
- Chapter 3. Foreign language teaching in translator and interpreter training 40
-
Part II. Practice-oriented approaches
- Chapter 4. Free voluntary reading as a language and knowledge enhancement tool and its impact on interpreting students’ self-perceived B language fluency 54
- Chapter 5. Listening comprehension in translation and interpreting programs 76
- Chapter 6. Combining subtitle creation and subtitle alignment in foreign language teaching 97
- Chapter 7. Redefining English language teaching in translator training through corpus-based tasks 112
- Chapter 8. The scaffolded language emergence approach in translation programs 138
- Chapter 9. Teaching contrastive legal grammar for translators 156
- Chapter 10. Task-based L2 skill development for TI trainees 177
- Chapter 11. Do translators need a different knowledge of their target language? 196
- Chapter 12. Foreign language acquisition writing exercises fostering translation trainees’ language and translation competence 215
- Chapter 13. Using action-oriented methods in foreign language classes to enhance translation competence 240
- Chapter 14. Developing translation sub-competences by implementing Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) 263
- Index 287
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of abbreviations viii
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Theory-oriented approaches
- Chapter 1. Basic translation competence 12
- Chapter 2. Advantages of cognitive linguistics in the teaching and learning of foreign languages in TI programmes 23
- Chapter 3. Foreign language teaching in translator and interpreter training 40
-
Part II. Practice-oriented approaches
- Chapter 4. Free voluntary reading as a language and knowledge enhancement tool and its impact on interpreting students’ self-perceived B language fluency 54
- Chapter 5. Listening comprehension in translation and interpreting programs 76
- Chapter 6. Combining subtitle creation and subtitle alignment in foreign language teaching 97
- Chapter 7. Redefining English language teaching in translator training through corpus-based tasks 112
- Chapter 8. The scaffolded language emergence approach in translation programs 138
- Chapter 9. Teaching contrastive legal grammar for translators 156
- Chapter 10. Task-based L2 skill development for TI trainees 177
- Chapter 11. Do translators need a different knowledge of their target language? 196
- Chapter 12. Foreign language acquisition writing exercises fostering translation trainees’ language and translation competence 215
- Chapter 13. Using action-oriented methods in foreign language classes to enhance translation competence 240
- Chapter 14. Developing translation sub-competences by implementing Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) 263
- Index 287
