Translation competence and tools: Why does not technology substitute translation training?

Sara Piccioni

Italy

Università "G. D'Annunzio" di Chieti-Pescara

Gianluca Pontrandolfo

Italy

Università di Trieste

Submitted: 2016-11-30

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Accepted: 2017-04-18

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Published: 2017-07-11

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4995/rlyla.2017.6990
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Keywords:

ICT for translation, language corpora, translator competence, instrumental competence

Supporting agencies:

This research was not funded

Abstract:

This article presents the results of an experiment jointly carried out at the Universities of Trieste and Chieti (Italy) with the aim to explore the relationship between translation competence and the use of ICT (including language corpora). Two groups were involved in the experiment: a group of students specialising in translation (Trieste) and a group of students with limited translation training (Chieti). Both groups carried out two translation tasks (into and from their native language), while compiling a questionnaire illustrating the reasoning behind the translation of a number of problematic points previously identified by the authors. Results shed light on the decision-making process involved in translation and on the link between translation quality and type of ICT resources used. In particular, data suggest that ICT resources do not compensate the gap in language skills, specialised knowledge and specialised training in translation. The final discussion proposes a number of classroom considerations that address the problems detected in the experiment.
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