Jung Ying Lu-Chen and Suzanne M. Zeng
University of Hawaii at Manoa
International Conference of Translation and Interpretation Studies (1998)
Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework for designing web-based and web-supported translating and interpreting (T&I) courses. This paper reports the efforts we have made at the University of Hawaii Center for Interpretation and Translation Studies (CITS) to convert traditional T&I training courses into web-based and web-supported ones in order to prepare students for the changing needs of the future. After briefly introducing the knowledge and skills we feel are needed for future translators and interpreters, step-by-step, decision-making procedures are presented to help educators design training courses that merges pedagogy and the web. Although the framework established in this paper can be applied to different languages for web-based T&I training, examples will focus on Japanese, Chinese, and English, as these are the languages used at CITS. We conclude with student feedback and suggestions for future prospects.
1. What do translators and interpreters need?
As the international community uses more and more advanced technology to communicate through cyberspace, translators and interpreters are beginning to face more challenges. A quick needs analysis of the profession can be obtained right over the web. For example, most of the 130 translating and interpreting (T&I) companies listed on the TranslatorÆs Home Companion require translators or interpreters to have internet access. To join Aleph, for example, a translator needs to meet the following requirements:
a. language skills (self-ranking)
b. education, translation experience, and areas of specialization
c. internet access (e-mail and web for delivery of completed translations)
d. word processor (retaining the same formatting as the original document)
e. translation quality and payment requirements
Besides the traditional translating skills needed for their profession, we see that it is imperative the translator have the knowledge of the web and understand which computer software and technology is needed for formatting and delivery. Requests for translations of web sites is also increasing. With the rapid growth in globalization and an ever increasing market for Asian language translation, knowledge of computers, printing, desktop publishing, and the internet/web are almost a must when clients (including printing companies) have no access to Asian (2-byte) language computer programs.
As for interpreters, the use of the web and internet is becoming the most convenient and fastest way of obtaining information needed in both languages. Interpreters need to prepare for jobs by gathering information on a number of things, such as the background of a conference, company, or person, special terminology in both languages, medical procedures, scientific concepts, etc. The more prepared an interpreter is, the better he/she will perform.
2. What needs to be covered in a training program?
The training program at the Center for Interpretation and Translation Studies at the University of Hawaii is very much aware of these needs and is trying to incorporate these skills into the learning process. To prepare translators and interpreters for the 21st century and to increase their competitive edge, CITS believes that a translating and interpreting curriculum needs to include models and principles of the basic concepts of T&I (Gile 1995, Larson 1987, 1991, Nida 1977), ethics and professionalism (Hammond 1992, Samuelsson-Brown 1993, Gonzalez, Roseann, et al 1992, Mikkelson 1996), T&I techniques and strategies (Baker 1992, Dollerup and Lindegaard 1994, Picken 1989), and technological skills needed for the final-product (OÆHagan 1996). Students should also be introduced to internet resources, such as listserves, where one can request or discuss special terminology as well as ethical and professional issues, and the web, with its vast resources for interpreters and translators to not only gather information, but publish information as well.
3. How to put your course online?
The integration of the web into T&I training courses has been an on-going and evolutionary process at CITS. We have been continually creating and modifying our concepts and pedagogy through trial and error, and have come up with a framework with which to work. The framework proposed below are the basic steps we feel are important in approaching a web-based translation or interpretation course.
3.1 Set clear goals and objectives
The goals and objectives of the course need to be clearly stated in the very beginning. We must ask ourselves what we want our students to be able to do by the end of the course. We must consider if the course is a language-specific one or a generic one, teaching only the principles involved. Who are our potential students? Where are they located (purely web-based course)? What are their expectations? What are the prerequisites for this course? These basic questions can determine how the course may be conducted. Without this fundamental step, our efforts may become disoriented and the end product ineffective. With clear objectives, we may discover that we can accomplish more without the use of the web!
3.2 Select course content
After prioritizing and deciding the essential topics to be covered, the next step is to decompose the objectives into discrete components to be included in the course curriculum. The time frame is an important factor at this stage in determining how much time is allowed to reach our objectives. One may need to reorder the topics not only according to the interrelationship of the topics, but according to the difficulty of the tasks and skills involved as well.
3.3 Analyze tasks
The third step involves a task analysis of the course content to be delivered. What are the tasks that students need to be able to accomplish? For example, we may consider translating in a professional sense consisting of at least the following tasks: comprehension, transfer, research, testing, revisions, formatting, delivery of documents, etc. How do we create assignments in accordance to the tasks required for completion?
3.4 Select communication channels
The technology component comes into play at this stage. We may need to ask ourselves: What technology is available to accomplish our goals? What are the most effective channels to accomplish the tasks and objectives? What is the role of the web in our design of the curriculum? Does the web serve as a supplement to the course or is it the main channel of communication? What interactions or interactivity can be incorporated into the course based on available communication channels? Do we conduct the class synchronously or asynchronously? What are the languages involved? What are the hardware requirements? Are software or fonts available for students?
3.5 Assess students
At this stage we can ask: How can students be assessed through the various communication channels selected? How do we measure participation? Are examinations, oral presentations, journals, weekly assignments, peer assessment, or student projects feasible in our specific context?
3.6 Design and pilot the course
After decisions have been made concerning the above questions, the time comes to convert the ideas into a real product. We then must ask: What kind of server should we choose, Unix, Mac, or NT? Which web creation software is more suitable for the computers and languages we are using? Does the software support Asian fonts? Is there technical support from our own institute? How much money or time do we have? Do we need further training on technology? Where can we get this training? When and how should we pilot the course in order to get feedback from students and colleagues?
3.7 Predict problems and seek solutions
When we are actively designing and implementing the web into our courses, we can predict some of the problems and difficulties that students will encounter while doing their assignments. For example, with Chinese, one of the most annoying problems is the number of different Chinese operating systems that are available and in use all over the world. China, Taiwan, and the U.S. use more than three different operating systems and two different coding systems, not to mention two different sets of characters within each code and 20 other fonts in each set of characters. Compatibility of the systems and software causes problems in task assignments, readability, and email transference. Yet these problems are encountered in the real world as well and need to be dealt with. Another major problem is student access to computers with Chinese, Japanese or Korean capability. Asian language fonts are not found on most campus computers.
3.8 Modify the course
With the endless changes and upgrades in computer systems, software and other technology, one must be prepared to constantly adjust a web-based or web-supported course. The course must be modified and transformed as solutions are found to various problems, and student feedback is incorporated into the new design phrase. Over the past two years, CITS has migrated from the Macintosh server to the NT server, and web creation tools, language operating systems, and mailing systems have changed a number of times. One must be prepared to deal with these changes as they come.
3.9 Keep up with pedagogy and technology
Of course, one cannot modify the course unless we keep abreast of the ever-changing technology and the current pedagogical theories and applications in the T&I field. Perhaps this is one of the most challenging components of putting a course online. The technological world alone changes every few weeks. For example, for web-creation editors, CITS has gone from using HTML language, to BBEdit (Mac version), ClarisWorks (Mac version) and FrontPage (PC version) in only two years! At the present stage, we are considering changing to Dreamweaver. Our best strategy is to keep our eyes open (or know someone who does), and be ready and willing to learn new things everyday.
4. Where do we go from here?
Perhaps the greatest reward to all of the time and effort we have placed in including the web into our teaching curriculum has been the positive feedback we have received from the students. Students at CITS found the web a challenging and exciting tool. Student projects have connected them to the real world. Some have volunteered their time to work with us in using the web to compile T&I resources, and others have gotten in contact with T&I companies listed on the web, inquiring about job opportunities through the web from the small, almost isolated island of Hawaii. Seeing the success of the web in enhancing the curriculum and motivating student learning, we have decided to move on to explore the possibility of a stand-alone, web-delivered translation course.
This semester, our Center began to pilot an English-Chinese translation course entirely over the Web. Struggling through the difficulties of dealing with Chinese fonts and software, we are still investigating new channels of communications (WebCrossing, WebCT, etc.) which can better fulfill our needs. Next semester we will do the same for Japanese-English translation, giving people who live in another state or country access to learning translation techniques right from their home over the web. At the same time, we are designing pre-tests to serve as pre-requisite filters for web-based translation courses. We are also developing a set of T&I assessment criteria for our courses, aiming at producing a set of assessment sheets to be used at different stages in the training process.
CITS is working on collaborating with translation agencies (e.g. WorldPoint/Aleph) that use web-translation software, to give students first-hand experience at on-line translation of web pages. As for research, we have just completed an investigation on cross-cultural differences and similarities in Japanese and American web-page design. This can be done for other languages as well.
To continue our efforts in keeping ahead of the needs of T&I in the 21st century, we are conducting experiments in transinterpreting (translating simultaneously over the web for computer/video conferencing) and overcoming the difficulties of the slow input methods of Asian languages. Teacher training is also on our agenda, as we see this as critical for the future of T&I studies. We hope to be able to report on our continued progress in discovering new, useful methods in T&I training, particularly for Asian languages, perhaps at the next International Conference of Translation and Interpretation Studies.
References
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Joy Lu-Chen 