The Application of Mobile Devices in the Translation Classroom

Tengku Sepora Tengku Mahadi ,Hossein Bahri

doi:10.7575/aiac.alls.v.7n.6p.237

Abstract

While the presence of mobile electronic devices in the classroom has posed real challenges to instructors, a growing number of teachers believe they should seize the chance to improve the quality of instruction. The advent of new mobile technologies (laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc.) in the translation classroom has opened up new opportunities for translator trainers to facilitate the process of translator education. The present paper investigates the use of mobile devices in the classroom particularly for translation pedagogy. A focus group interview of translation instructors with experience in using mobile tools in their translation classes was followed by a survey sent to a group of English Persian translation instructors of which 26 people filled out the questionnaire completely. The participants of the study provided both qualitative and quantitative data regarding the application of mobile devices in their translation classes. The results showed that the majority of teachers encouraged their advanced level students to use mobile tools for doing classroom assignments followed by note-taking, using terminology databases, searching the Internet, using language resources and contacting their group members. The findings highlight the potentials of mobile devices to have a positive impact on the translation classroom activities and underline the need for their systematic integration into the translation curriculum as part of the tools contributing to the development of technological competence. Keywords: application, mobile devices, translation classroom, translator education

Highlights

The widespread nonacademic use of mobile devices such as the common cell phone in college classrooms is a real challenge to educators
The participants were asked to fill out the 12-item instrument, which was developed based on a Likert scale and mostly asked the participants about their preferences for the types of classroom activities involving the application of mobile devices mostly encouraged by translation teachers
Teacher D: “... what I think was just briefly mentioned in our discussion is the students’ tendency to contact their friends on the social media through their mobile devices, which can potentially be encouraged by the teacher [to use the habit] for contacting their [academic/classroom] group members...This can associate the application of the device with more relevant and useful academic activities...”

Summary

Introduction

The widespread nonacademic use of mobile devices such as the common cell phone in college classrooms is a real challenge to educators. Yeshi & Aagard (2011) reviewed literature on the use of cell phones for college teaching and found that the majority of studies supported their application to enhance students’ learning and interaction even though they acknowledged the existence of some limitations. In connection with the teaching of translation, Farley et al (2015: 10) reported the findings of their research which showed that many students at the University of Southern Queensland frequently used their mobile apps in the classroom for language learning or translation purposes. These days mobile devices are acting as the toolboxes of modernday translators. These apps are only workable when they are installed on the translators’ toolboxes, i.e. their mobile devices

The Development of Technological Competence for Translators

Method

Results

Findings

Discussion & Conclusion