Abstract
This chapter discusses the issue of Translation and Interpreting (T&I) education in the global age. Its focus pivots on why, what, and how to train T&I students for the job market. In order to facilitate global trade and communication, the majority of T&I students ought to be trained as T&I practitioners or other language professionals instead of researchers of translation studies. Accordingly, the designing and structuring of the T&I curricula should be closely linked to the practice of translating and interpreting in the real world so that T&I students will enjoy their study at school, as well as the pathways paved for their future career. The methodology advanced by Kiraly (1995, 2003) based on the principles of cognitive apprenticeship is recommended, as it is closely related to translating and interpreting practice and helps T&I students effectively acquire the translating and interpreting skills employed in the T&I profession.
TopBackground
Although the history of Translation Studies (TS) is very short in comparison with that of other academic disciplines, there have been fervent debates about the application of T&I theory to practice since the early days when TS became an independent academic discipline, particularly those concerning the “market” value of Translation and Interpreting Studies (T&I Studies) (Shreve, 1995; Heltai, 1997; Osers, 1998; Viaggio, 1999; Nida, 2000; Neubert, 2000; Chesterman & Wagner, 2002; Ho, 2008; Pöchhacker, 2010; Gile, 2010).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Heterogeneous Cultures: Cultures that hold totally different values of tradition, convention, custom, and social behavior.
Cognitive Apprenticeship: The method advocating learning in a domain by enabling students to acquire, develop, and use cognitive tools in authentic domain activity through social interaction.
Professional Translation: Translation in a specialized subject domain, such as business, technology, law, medicine, etc.
Globalization: The free movement of capital and the increasing domination of national economies by global financial markets and multinational corporations, which changes the world economy and social lives of people.
Tacit Knowledge: Knowledge acquired by learning how to do things through practice; AKA “procedural knowledge”.
Canonical Translation: Translation of classics (including works in philosophy, politics, history, economics, science, literature, etc.).
Declarative Knowledge: Knowledge of content and information that is explicitly defined; AKA: “codified knowledge”.
Added-Value of Translation: The value that translation creates in the process of commodity circulation or provision of commercial or social services to foreign language users.