ICT for Translation & Interpreting

ICT for Translation & Interpreting: The relevance of new technologies for the training of expert linguists

Expert linguists are more and more in demand in an increasingly globalised society, yet there is a growing shortage of competent, trained language experts. This worrying situation has been highlighted recently in the Paris Declaration (2010).

To tackle this crisis, we need to consider training provisions with care. The current school of thought on teaching strategies for skill-based professions leans towards experiential and situated learning, methods which have been used with success in translators and interpreters programmes over the years. These methods aim at enabling learners to “bridge the gap between the theoretical learning in the form of the instruction of the classroom and the real-life application of the knowledge in the work environment”

Using ICT for expert linguists training resources : production and accessibility 

Many of the researchers and teachers exploring the model of situated learning have accepted that the computer can provide an alternative to real-life setting, and that such technology can be used without sacrificing the authentic context which is a critical element of the model

Empowering students and fostering team-work and professional skills

Kolb (1984) identified a dichotomy in learning styles, between learner who apprehend the process as “active doers” and those who are “reflective watchers”. The analysis refines the pattern into fours types of learners (learner-reflectors, learner-theorists, learner-pragmatists and learner-activists), which correspond to different entry points in the learning cycle: expert linguist training needs to be designed to ensure that all types of learners can engage with the tasks, something which ICT facilitates. 

Conclusion 

ICT can add to the quality of the training of expert linguists in a time when such specialists are in great demand. The variety of pedagogical tools provided by these new technologies facilitate the production of authentic materials, enabling a valuable situated learning approach. ICT also offer flexibility, and the means to adapt the learning process to suit different types of learning patterns so that learners can all engage with the process.