TRANSLATION TECHNOLOGY AND PRACTICE IN TRANSLATOR TRAINING

Abstract. The paper presents the experience of the Department of Translation Technology and Practice at AKM-WEST at Northern (Arctic) Federal University. Since the foundation of the department on 24 September 2018, its responsibilities include the implementation of disciplines aimed at practice-oriented activities and professional adaptation of students. However, AKM-WEST, a translation company in Moscow, take part not only in teaching a range of specialized subjects but also in elaborating NArFU Independently Established Standards of Higher Education in linguistics and curricula based on these standards. The bachelor’s degree NArFU Independently Established Standard corresponds to the Russian Professional Standard in Translation draft that was worked out with the direct participation of the AKM-WEST representatives. The new curriculum Translation and Translation Studies elaborated based on this Standard also takes into account the 3-year experience of teaching students with the direct and systematic participation of the professionals. This experience embraces adjustments of the previous curriculum by elaborating practice-oriented author’s courses, such as Professional Ethics, Information Technology in Translation, Automated Professional Translation Systems and assigning Project Module courses to professionals well informed about recent trends of the translation market, as well as newest translation technologies and software. Even if these courses belong to different modules of the curriculum, systematic participation of professional permitted to construct a coherent approach to practice-oriented training. The new curriculum corresponding to NArFU Independently Established Standards of Higher Education has a special Professional Training Module aimed at forming professional competences, which embrace skills permitting to fulfill professional activities efficiently taking into account innovative translation technology which are now inseparable from the translator’s work. This curriculum includes such subjects as Russian Language for Translators, Modern Technology in Translation and Localization, Voice Training and Hygiene, Introduction to Mnemonics, Technical Translation and Special Translation. As the result of double participation of translation professionals (through elaborating normative documents and practical training of students), this curriculum has a logic and consistent structure of practice- oriented subjects. However, it is evident that the rapid development or translation technology demands constant updating of the curriculum in order to meet the requirements of translation industry.

Keywords: translation training, professional orientation, professional adaptation, Independently Established Standard, NArFU