The Role of Translation Education and "Humanities Plus" in Liberal Education
During the past few years, many scholars have been re-evaluating both the “what” and the “how” of liberal education. These re-evaluations have sought to define liberal education in ways that go far beyond the classic formulations of the Yale Report of 1828 and Cardinal Newman’s Idea of a University. In particular, the new definitions emphasize the need for pragmatic and experiential education along with Newman’s “cultivation of the intellect.” For several reasons, translator education fits this modern approach to liberal education quite well. First, as students develop translation competence, they hone the critical thinking skills associated with traditional liberal education. Second, as students fulfill translation internships in community settings, they gain practical experience that helps them see how their critical thinking skills apply to the professional world. The Spanish translation major at Brigham Young University illustrates how such an experiential program can work.
Redefining Translation Competence in an Electronic Age. In Defence of a Minimalist Approach
Since the 1970s the notion of “translation competence” has been viewed as at least 1) a mode of bilingualism, open to linguistic analysis, 2) a question of market demands, given to extreme historical and social change, 3) a multicomponent competence, involving sets of skills that are linguistic, cultural, technological and professional, and 4) a “supercompetence” that would somehow stand above the rest. The general trend among theorists has been to expand the multicomponent model so as to bring new skills and proficiencies into the field of translator training. This trend may be expected to continue with the increasing use of electronic tools. Here it is argued, however, that the multicomponential expansions of competence are partly grounded in institutional interests and are conceptually flawed in that they will always be one or two steps behind market demands. On the other hand, a simple minimalist concept of translation competence, based on the production then elimination of alternatives, can help orient translator training in times of rapid technological and professional change.
From Achievement to Proficiency Through Classroom Instruction: Some Caveats.
Proficiency testing-particularly oral proficiency testingand its implications for teaching are frequently encountered topics in recent professional literature and conferences. The ACTFL Provisional Proficiency Guidelines and the ACTFL/ETS Oral Interview procedure have finally given us a common terminology and standards for assessing the proficiency of foreign language majors, teachers, and other professionals with a need for fluency in a second language. Learning no longer needs to be measured in meaningless terms of semesters of study or credit hours, but can be assessed in terms of real-life practical communicative skills which are usable outside the classroom.