Trainers’ Perceptions of Undergraduate Translation Technology Course Design and Delivery
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1603.27Keywords:
translation technology course, technological competence, trainers’ perceptions, course design, course deliveryAbstract
As a key driver in the global language services, translation technology has emerged as a central element of modern translation education. Consequently, training in translation technology has become an indispensable part of translation programs at the tertiary level to develop students’ technological competence. Nevertheless, there remains a marked disparity between the rising technological complexity of the translation market and the training provided in undergraduate translation technology courses, as perceived by trainers. To fill the gap, this qualitative study adopted Kelly’s (2005) translator training curricular design model as its theoretical framework and employed semi-structured interviews with 12 trainers from higher education institutions in Shaanxi Province, China, to examine their perceptions of the design and delivery of undergraduate translation technology courses. The results revealed that trainers reported a range of issues, including the imbalanced integration of technological competences, inconsistent content coverage, generally insufficient resources, and limited teaching and assessment methods. In particular, they made recommendations for addressing the most pressing challenges, namely, inadequate staff provision and the isolation of the course from the broader translation curricula. It is hoped that the findings of the study will shed light on the challenges faced by translation technology trainers and contribute to enhancing the design and delivery of translation technology courses in similar contexts.
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