Between patchwork quilts and vortices : incorporating intra-curricular professional interactions into translator education

Massey, Gary; Ehrensberger-Dow, Maureen

Publication type:	Conference paper
Type of review:	Not specified
Title:	Between patchwork quilts and vortices : incorporating intra-curricular professional interactions into translator education
Authors:	Massey, Gary Ehrensberger-Dow, Maureen
Conference details:	1st CTER Congress, Krakow, 14-16 March 2016
Issue Date:	2016
Language:	English
Subject (DDC):	418.02: Translating and interpreting
Abstract:	In a recently published chapter, Kiraly and Hofmann (2015) criticise the compartmentalised “patchwork quilt” of courses in the linear, subcompetence-oriented curricular design resulting from the Bologna Process. Instead, they propose an emergentist multi-vortex model of competence development (Kiraly 2015) in which strategic workplace competence plays a prominent role and work placements are a key factor in merging “fragmented” subcompetences into a unified translator meta-competence. The experiential aspects of the model parallel reports from recent language industry forums (e.g. LIND-Web Forum 2013; Translating Europe Forum 2014) which call for the closer integration of universities and the industry to bridge the skills gap by improving student contact with professional practice and heightening awareness of workplace requirements. This has led to initiatives such as EGPS[1] and ELIA Exchange[2], which set out to forge closer links between the language industry and educational institutions by providing, among other things, international platforms for internship and mentoring partnerships. Yet the constraints faced by many programmes and institutes, in the form of modularisation, credit allocation, study duration as well as administrative and staffing issues, place severe limitations on implementing such extra-curricular solutions, necessitating alternative measures to enhance student employability, professionalism and ultimately translator competence. In this paper, we report on ways in which curricula can be designed to provide a flexible range of intra-curricular opportunities for students to interact with professional practice. Alongside authentic experiential learning scenarios such as real-world translation assignments in collaborative project groups and simulated student companies, measures include targeted staff recruitment and development, close cooperation with professional associations and local LSPs as well as the deployment of combined CPD and graduate program resources. From our perspective, structured interactions with professional practice as part of a holistic approach to curricular development are a viable way of preparing students for the realities of the translation workplace.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/2457
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Licence according to publishing contract
Departement:	Applied Linguistics
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Translation and Interpreting (IUED)
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Angewandte Linguistik

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Massey, G., & Ehrensberger-Dow, M. (2016). Between patchwork quilts and vortices : incorporating intra-curricular professional interactions into translator education. 1st CTER Congress, Krakow, 14-16 March 2016.

Massey, G. and Ehrensberger-Dow, M. (2016) ‘Between patchwork quilts and vortices : incorporating intra-curricular professional interactions into translator education’, in 1st CTER Congress, Krakow, 14-16 March 2016.

G. Massey and M. Ehrensberger-Dow, “Between patchwork quilts and vortices : incorporating intra-curricular professional interactions into translator education,” in 1st CTER Congress, Krakow, 14-16 March 2016, 2016.

MASSEY, Gary und Maureen EHRENSBERGER-DOW, 2016. Between patchwork quilts and vortices : incorporating intra-curricular professional interactions into translator education. In: 1st CTER Congress, Krakow, 14-16 March 2016. Conference paper. 2016

Massey, Gary, and Maureen Ehrensberger-Dow. 2016. “Between Patchwork Quilts and Vortices : Incorporating Intra-Curricular Professional Interactions into Translator Education.” Conference paper. In 1st CTER Congress, Krakow, 14-16 March 2016.

Massey, Gary, and Maureen Ehrensberger-Dow. “Between Patchwork Quilts and Vortices : Incorporating Intra-Curricular Professional Interactions into Translator Education.” 1st CTER Congress, Krakow, 14-16 March 2016, 2016.