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Off topic: Language teaching and learning for translators/interpreters
Thread poster: aleintra
aleintra
aleintra  Identity Verified
Local time: 20:26
Spanish to German
+ ...
Apr 28, 2019

Hi,

after working as a freelance translator for several years I moved to translation teaching and research a few years ago. One topic I am currently researching is language training for translators/interpreters.

I would therefore be very grateful for comments on the following questions:

1) As translator/interpreter how do you go about learning a new language? What materials or strategies do you use?
2) What do you remember as particularly useful (or u... See more
Hi,

after working as a freelance translator for several years I moved to translation teaching and research a few years ago. One topic I am currently researching is language training for translators/interpreters.

I would therefore be very grateful for comments on the following questions:

1) As translator/interpreter how do you go about learning a new language? What materials or strategies do you use?
2) What do you remember as particularly useful (or useless) from your language training during your translation/interpreting degree? Should these language courses be different from general language courses?
3) What advice would you give students in translator/interpreting training programmes regarding their language learning?

I would be very grateful for any comment on any of these questions.

Best regards,
Astrid ▲ Collapse
 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 20:26
French to English
answers Apr 28, 2019

1)
I don't learn new languages to be able to translate from or into them. I do learn languages other than my working pair, but not for professional reasons. It took me a long time to reach a level of French such that I could confidently translate, and that was when I was young. I doubt I could get another language up to speed nowadays.
2)
For the translation degree, we were told that we would not be taught languages, we were supposed to already have a good enough level. The co... See more
1)
I don't learn new languages to be able to translate from or into them. I do learn languages other than my working pair, but not for professional reasons. It took me a long time to reach a level of French such that I could confidently translate, and that was when I was young. I doubt I could get another language up to speed nowadays.
2)
For the translation degree, we were told that we would not be taught languages, we were supposed to already have a good enough level. The course only focussed on translation techniques. To be admitted to the course you had to already have a degree in languages or prove otherwise that you had an excellent level of all languages in your pairs.
3)
Never assume your language skills are good enough. Always keep on learning. You can never know it all, but you need to know as much as possible. An interest in languages helps of course. I wouldn't have thought it necessary to specify but I've had interns at work who failed to demonstrate the slightest interest in language. I did try to point them in another direction but I do worry that I was too kind and patient with them. ▲ Collapse


Ahmed Abdel-Aziz
Michele Fauble
Sheila Wilson
 
Maxi Schwarz
Maxi Schwarz  Identity Verified
Local time: 13:26
German to English
+ ...
carts and horses Apr 28, 2019

When I entered university for a university degree after graduating from high school, the prerequisite was mastery of one's working languages. It takes a number of years to have that amount of language proficiency, and I can't seen learning how to translate or interpret before having that. It's like doctors first learn anatomy, or accountants first having basic math. This is why the question puzzles me.

I do know something about teaching second languages since I also have a B.Ed. ... See more
When I entered university for a university degree after graduating from high school, the prerequisite was mastery of one's working languages. It takes a number of years to have that amount of language proficiency, and I can't seen learning how to translate or interpret before having that. It's like doctors first learn anatomy, or accountants first having basic math. This is why the question puzzles me.

I do know something about teaching second languages since I also have a B.Ed. with two levels of specialization in 2nd language teaching, on postgraduate. But I had never thought of putting this together with translation, which I'd think comes after that. I may not be understanding the question. ▲ Collapse


Michele Fauble
 


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Language teaching and learning for translators/interpreters






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