Translator training in higher education: competence-based approach

Abstract

Professions of multilingual communication have developed rapidly over the last 20 years. A number of universities have launched Translation programmes (285 programmes in higher education in 2006). In 2012 the Bachelor study programme “Translation and Editing” was introduced at Mykolas Romeris University (Vilnius). Didactic function of the programme is to train broad range translators capable of translating texts from social science and humanities fields and also being able to edit their own translated texts. This formal Bachelor cycle study programme is dedicated to full-time students of undergraduate level. The paper discusses the key parameters of the programme: learning outcomes, competences and their main constituent components applied to translation profession over a wide semantic or professional range and designed to be developed within the course of the programme. The concept of “competence” embraces the combination of aptitudes, knowledge, behaviour and knowhow necessary to carry out a given task under given conditions (European Master’s in Translation, 2009; Dublin Descriptors, 2004; TUNING, 2010). Gile (2009) describing the components of Translation competence refers to Maillot’s (1981) and distinguishes four main areas of the competence (knowledge of languages, thematic knowledge and declarative and procedural knowledge).