Translation Companies Research Articles

Instrumental Competence Development of Internship Students in English Translation and Interpreting Department

This study explores the development of instrumental competence among students of the English Translation and Interpreting Department at Sakarya University during their internships. Instrumental competence, defined as the ability to effectively use technological tools in translation processes, plays a crucial role in modern translation education. The research specifically examines how fourth-year students' proficiency in Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) tools, machine translation systems, and digital resources evolves throughout their mandatory internships. Additionally, the study assesses students' perceptions of their academic preparation and how well university courses equip them to meet the technological demands of the translation industry. Using a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 students who completed internships in translation companies. The findings highlight that internships significantly enhance students' instrumental competence, particularly in using CAT tools and other digital resources. However, gaps were identified in the curriculum, particularly in offering practical experiences with advanced translation technologies. Recommendations are provided for improving translation education to better bridge the gap between academic learning and professional technological requirements. The study underscores the importance of internships in advancing instrumental competence, suggesting that hands-on experience with industry-standard tools is essential for students' success in the field, ensuring they are adequately prepared for real-world challenges.

Terminology management in computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools MemoQ as a case study

Today, translation is the systematic thread that brings different civilizations and cultures together and brings them closer together. In the light of the considerable and rapid advances in technology, the responsibilities of the translator or of the translation companies increase on a daily basis. This led software developers to find tools to help the translator achieve those standards and enrich the translation market with new skills to handle them. Among these tools, perhaps most noteworthy is computer-assisted translation (CAT) Tools. The present paper sheds the light on one of the most important features in computer-assisted translation (CAT) Tools that is terminology management, furthermore, by taking MemoQ application as a case study, it shows a practical guide to create and use term base within this application.

Bridging the gap between academic translation programs and industry demands: Stakeholders’ perspectives on future directions

Recent trends in the translation industry have paved way for the academic translation programs to embrace more sophisticated approaches to train translators. This shift in pedagogical approach is to prepare and equip translation students to develop and enhance their translation competencies to suit the current market demands in the industry. However, this research aims to explore the perspectives of relevant stakeholders in the translation industry on the potential areas for enhancement and future directions that can improve the consistency between academic translation training and industry demands. Regarding the objectives of this research, the total number of ninety-seven (97) individuals who participated in this research were administered a survey form, wherein they shared their opinions. Through the use of quantitative method, the research highlighted relevant insights from the participants’ responses including, academic curriculum relevance, industry cooperation, soft skill development, and continuous professional development (CPD). The results stress the need to expose translation trainees to current translation technologies during training, encouraging collaboration with translation companies, and putting an emphasis on the development of crucial soft skills. Above all, the research emphasized the adoption of a more learner-centered pedagogical approach in academic translation programs. With this approach, translation students are better equipped with the necessary competence to meet the needs of the dynamic translation market.

The Application of Parallel Texts in the Process of Proofreading: A Case Study about the Proofreading Practice in Transn

Parallel texts refer to the texts that originate from different languages and cultural environments but share similar or identical communicative functions. As a vital resource for bilingual research, parallel texts provide normative references for translation practice.In the proofreading practice commissioned by Transn Company (a famous translation company in China), in order to ensure consistency in translating terminologies, the author makes use of parallel texts to accumulate terminologies in source language and target language. Before proofreading, the author guides students to search for official translations of high-frequency terminologies on authoritative websites. During the proofreading process, the author instructs students to compare different types of parallel texts to determine the appropriate translation of Chinese culture-loaded words. After proofreading, students are divided into groups to evaluate their classmates' work and find the inconsistent expressions of terminologies. Then, the author will revise these inconsistencies and ensure the uniform translation of terminologies. Through this practice, the author explores how to use parallel texts to help students produce authentic translation that aligns with the reading habits of target language audience, thereby enhancing the quality of proofreading.

Attitudes of translation agencies and professional translators in Saudi Arabia towards translation management systems

PurposeEffective translation has become essential for seamless cross-cultural communication in an era of global interconnectedness. Translation management systems (TMS) have redefined the translation landscape, revolutionizing project management and execution. This study examines the attitudes of translation agencies and professional translators towards integrating and utilizing TMS, with a specific focus on Saudi Arabia.Design/methodology/approachThe study's design was based on a thorough mixed-methods strategy that purposefully combined quantitative and qualitative procedures to create an array of findings. Through a survey involving 35 participants (both project managers and professional translators) and a series of interviews, this research explores the adoption of TMS, perceived benefits, influencing factors and future considerations. This integrated approach sought to investigate the nuanced perceptions of Saudi translation companies and expert translators about TMS. By combining the strengths of quantitative data's broad scopes and qualitative insights' depth, this mixed-methods approach sought to overcome the limitations of each method, ultimately resulting in a holistic understanding of the multifaceted factors shaping attitudes within Saudi Arabia's unique translation landscape.FindingsBased on questionnaires and interviews, the study shows that 80% of participants were familiar with TMS, and 57% had adopted it in their work. Benefits included enhanced project efficiency, collaboration and quality assurance. Factors influencing adoption encompassed cost, compatibility and resistance to change. The study further delved into participants' demographic profiles and years of experience, with a notable concentration in the 6–10 years range. TMS adoption was linked to improved translation processes, and participants expressed interest in AI integration and mobile compatibility. Deployment models favored cloud-based solutions, and compliance with industry standards was deemed vital. The findings underscore the evolving nature of TMS adoption in Saudi Arabia, with diverse attitudes shaped by cultural influences, technological compatibility and awareness.Originality/valueThis research provides a holistic and profound perspective on the integration of TMS, fostering a more comprehensive understanding of the opportunities, obstacles and potential pathways to success. As the translation landscape continues to evolve, the findings from this study will serve as a valuable compass guiding practitioners and researchers towards effectively harnessing the power of technology for enhanced translation outcomes.

NEKI PROBLEMI SAVREMENE FILOZOFIJE

The influence of philosophy in the modern era is no longer as visible in today’s century as it was in the last. Philosophers themselves have been worried about her future and her confinement to universities for decades. Also, vast majority of people no longer see the purpose and benefit of philosophy itself, and in that context, there has been talk of a crisis in philosophy itself for a long time. It has long been oppressed by contemporary media culture and university totalitarianism. Philosophy should be given free rein and not confined to standard forms. In the Balkans, philosophy had a much greater influence until the 1980s than it does today. A large country, like Yugoslavia, was much more favorable for the work of large publishers and translation companies, for the simple reason that the market was much larger. With the collapse of the state, the vast majority of publishers, who could boast of significant philosophical work, either shut down or significantly reduced the scope of their work. This stopped the process of efficient translation of works from foreign languages and reduced the number of possible places for the publication of local thinkers. Recently, there has been a certain degree of increase in publishing work, but it seems that their visibility is still not at the previous level, not because of modern media possibilities, but because of modern media culture.

Machine translation of Chinese internet literature: infringement, exploitation or empowerment

This article analyses the use of machine translation for the translation of Chinese internet literature within fan communities. It underscores the ethical dimensions of user-generated translation, considering fan perspectives. While recognising MT's role in enabling monolingual translators to partake in translation, ethical concerns such as potential infringement and exploitation are addressed. The proposed solution involves collaborative efforts with established platforms or even translation companies. The global market for Chinese internet literature presents prospects for MT integration and collaboration with fans. However, effective utilisation necessitates crucial educational support.

Inclusion of Spanish-Speaking Families in NICU Symptom Research Using a Community Advisory Board.

Admission rates of Hispanic/Latinx families to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are rising, yet knowledge regarding their experiences is limited. Non-English-speaking families are often excluded from research because study measures are not available in their language. The inclusion of these families in NICU research is crucial to understand the impact of cultural and language barriers in infant and family care, and the translation of study measures into Spanish could better ensure that these families' perspectives are included. However, previous research has utilized the standard translation-backtranslation method with which problems have been noted. This article describes the planning, preparation, and action phases that were completed with the use of a community advisory board (CAB) to prepare and transcreate research study materials from English to Spanish for pilot testing. Community members of interest were invited to form the CAB, and 2 meetings were held to review study materials in the English and Spanish versions. Prior to the second meeting, a professional translation company translated study materials from English to Spanish. Feedback from the CAB ensured consistent content and reading levels, and culturally appropriate language usage. The CAB also provided suggestions to the research protocol and advised sensitive methods of recruitment and measure administration. More accurate and culturally appropriate transcreation of study measures can reduce barriers to research participation and facilitate better communication with non-English-speaking families in health equity research to better inform evidence-based interventions and clinical practices across diverse groups.

PROFESSIONAL APPROACHES TO QUALITY ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION: IMPLICATIONS FOR TRANSLATION TEACHING AND LEARNING

This paper provides a critical overview of the approaches to the assessment and evaluation translation quality across professional practice. The analysis is aimed at singling out the professional knowledge, skills and communicative abilities and attitudes necessary for a translator in the field of education to control and evaluate the quality of translation. The identified features of the top-down approaches, which are based on centralized quality management, allowed us to determine the components of the professional competence of full-time and freelance translators of translation companies and translation departments of organizations. They relate to ensuring the quality of human and technical resources, quality control of the process and evaluation of the translation product, feedback. The characteristic features of the bottom-up approaches made it possible to outline general and specific knowledge, skills and communication abilities and attitudes of independent professionals determined by the increase in demand for fast, high-quality translation services at a low price. The components of a freelancer’s professional competence include knowledge of crowdsourcing technologies, the ability to demonstrate compliance with translation industry standards, critically evaluate information and one’s own strengths and weaknesses. Consideration of approaches to determining quality levels and requirements for them is conditioned by the importance of relevant knowledge and skills to self-control and selfassess translation quality. Results of the comparative analysis of professional translation quality measurement systems LISA QA Model 3.1, SAE J2450. QT21 D3.1: Harmonized Metric became the basis for developing a typology of translation errors and building a model for evaluating the quality of translation of educational texts.

Are we teaching what they need? Going beyond employability in Translation Studies

As lecturers and researchers in translation and interpreting, we are aware of the need to design curricula so that students are well equipped, and able to respond to the requirements of modern society. In the world today, there is an evident gap between what is actually taught in higher education and what should be taught to meet student needs. Even though various studies have already focused on the impact of constructs, such as self-regulation, empathy, or creativity, on performance quality, there is still a long way to go. In order to bridge this gap and highlight the role of the university as a transformational agent, our study uses LifeComp, the European framework for the personal, social, and learning to learn key competence. The objective of this research was firstly to discover the transversal competences that are most highly valued by employers in the language industry sector; and secondly, to identify the competences that need more attention in curricula. For this purpose, a questionnaire-based study was designed and administered to translation companies based in Spain. The results obtained indicate that these competences are necessary to foster employability as well as real wealth creation in a lifelong learning context. This study is part of a broader project within the LifeComp framework, in which a competence-based psycho-educational intervention was designed and is now integrated in the translation and interpreting degree programme at the University of Granada (Spain).
 Keywords: Competence-based learning, LifeComp, Curriculum design, Higher education, Employability

Yerelleştirme Kavramının Akademi ve Sektör Açısından Değerlendirilmesi

As a result of globalization, technological products and services have become accessible all over the world. Localization is one of the processes that is applied to offer these products and services to different markets. It has become more visible since the widespread use of the Internet and begun being subjected to studies in various academic fields, with translation studies (TS) being one of these fields. Localization is a service that was already provided in translation companies. Aside from this, it has also become visible over time in research in the field of TS. Researchers have approached localization from the perspective of TS. What localization means in terms of TS and the types of localization that follow current developments have formed the content of academic studies. Also currently accepted as a profession by Turkey’s Vocational Qualifications Authority, localization continues to be provided as a common website service in many translation and localization sectors under their Our Services tab. Localization can be said to be a common area for higher education and sector work. This study first examines Turkish studies on higher education and compiles the evaluations on the definition of localization and its subtypes as accepted by researchers. As the study aims to clarify the definition and features of localization, the study’s content includes the relationship between localization and translation. In order to evaluate how the localization sector defines localization, the study presents the definitions from websites that provide this service that we have determined within the scope of our limitations using numerical data and presenting them in bar graphs. As a result of the examination, some of the concepts regarding the definitions websites provide for localization have been determined to be the same or similar to these concepts with regard to higher education. However, the industry offers diversity by including different concepts. The diversity of concepts that are included in the definitions from websites providing localization services is thought to be due to the sector’s perception of translation. However, the sub-types of localization offered by the sector have also been determined to differ with respect to higher education in line with our analysis.

Where do translation students go? A study of the employment and mobility of Master graduates

ABSTRACT Faced with technological disruption, the employability of translation graduates demands careful analysis. Interpretations of major previous surveys suggest that only about one third of graduates find employment as translators or interpreters, although about half of them tend to find employment using multilingual communication skills in various capacities. This reality check has major implications for any attempt to adjust training programmes to the demands of translation companies: it becomes very important to assess the wider range of jobs and the transferable skills that they require. A survey of graduates from the Chinese-English Master of Translation at the University of Melbourne offers detailed insight into the wider range of employment but differs from previous surveys in two respects. First, the international mobility of students means that multiple national differences have to be taken into account. And second, the 20% of graduates that undertook further study after the Master justifies part of the training being to meet the criteria of academic institutions. These two aspects may be generalisable to other training programmes and should help revise the way curricula are conceptualised.

Use of Internet Marketing Channels (on the Example of the Market of Translation Services in the City of Krasnoyarsk)

The speed with which marketing is developing and changing is a difficult task for both individual marketing specialists and companies that have to compete with each other and with the global market all the time. The Internet becomes the main platform here and provides an opportunity to search for effective channels of interaction with the consumer of services. Channels of interaction should be constantly improved, focusing on consumers, their behavior, lifestyle. Service providers need to search, analyze, introduce new Internet channels or improve old ones for business development. At the same time, the number of channels used may vary depending on the business area. The translation business is one of the representative examples, as it is focused not only on the local, but also on the global market. The purpose of this article is to analyze the use of Internet marketing channels by translation companies in the city of Krasnoyarsk, to identify their diversity and the possibility of application in other areas of services. The object of the study is the market of translation services in the city of Krasnoyarsk, and the subject is the use of Internet marketing channels. The results of the analysis are presented to the heads of translation companies to select the most productive Internet marketing channels to promote their services on the market.

The Attitude of the Lithuanian Translation Market Participants towards Machine Translation and Post-editing

The article presents the results of the research project funded by the Research Council of Lithuania, the aim of which was to find out the attitude of Lithuanian translation market participants – companies and freelance translators – towards machine translation and post-editing. Currently, there is no objective information on the application of machine translation in companies providing translation services in Lithuania or the attitude of translators to machine translated texts and the challenges posed by post-editing as a service. There is also no information on the competences that need to be developed by translators and translation students so that they can adapt to this new reality and work successfully on the market. To reach this aim, two questionnaires were prepared: one for translation companies providing translation services (n1=42) and the other for translators (n2=61), and two surveys were carried out. A qualitative analysis of survey data confirmed that among market participants there is a strong belief that as machine translation programs progress, the importance of competences ensuring quality post-editing will grow rapidly. Among the most important competences for post-editing, both groups of respondents singled out knowledge of text linguistics, native and foreign language proficiency, and knowledge of the field of translation. However, the surveys have also revealed that at least one third of market participants have a negative view toward machine translation and see it as a threat to the quality of translation (agencies) and/or their jobs (translators). It is expected that the conducted research will contribute to the promotion of a more favourable attitude of translators to machine translation technologies and will encourage further research in post-editing in Lithuania.

Translation industry: analytical review of trends, structure, requirements for translators

This paper deals with a complex analysis of the current trends and conditions of the development of the translation industry in the world and in Ukraine, the structure of the translation services market, profiles of its participants, requirements for translators. The results of the research will be taken into consideration in the process of the development of methods of teaching translation of texts on educational issues to student philologists for defining the structure and the content of the translator competence and the development of the assessment system for measuring its level. The results of the critical review of the relevant academic papers, study of investigations conducted by independent analytical agencies and survey reports released by professional translator organizations, content-analysis of translation companies and private and public translation departments web-sites show that the Ukrainian market of the translation services is a part of the global language industry which rapid evolution is influenced by external (globalization, economic recession, development of e-commerce and digital technologies, increasing amount of information) and internal (international connections, competitive environment, chaotic nature of business) factors that determine the peculiarities of translation services providers profiles, their relationships with translation buyers and collaboration with each other. The obtained results are of great importance for the organization and realization of the educational process as the translation industry realia incorporation into it will contribute to graduates’ awareness of the translation services market and their ability to meet its needs and requirements.

How Incorporating Deliberate Practice in Work Placement May Contribute to Developing Expertise in Translators

The article explores some of the ways in which work placement that accompanies or follows academic instruction may contribute to stimulating trainee translators’ professional development. Inspired by general and profession-specific concepts and components of expertise proposed by researchers in the field of cognitive sciences and translation studies as well as her own experience as a translator, translation trainer, and work placement mentor, the author presents some of her observations and preliminary highlights of her ongoing research to emphasise how individualised support for trainees’ conscious effort in the course of work placement in a translation company may help novice translators hone their skills and at the same time assume responsibility for their own development, thus empowering them and setting them on track to become experts. In her considerations, the author refers to the minimal concept of translation expertise propounded by Muñoz Martín (2014) and to the notion of deliberate practice as posited by Ericsson et al. (1993) to propose how deliberate practice may be implemented as one of the significant elements of translation work placement in a student-centred course of learning, where various aspects of the actual workplace setting contribute to increased readiness for conscious effort in trainees. This paper may prove of use to translator trainers as well as work placement mentors/coordinators, both on the part of the academic institution, and within the organisation accepting trainees, when they shape or revise their curricula or work placement agendas.

Low Enrollment of Adult Patients in Clinical Trials: Is Communication Still a Problem?

BACKGROUND-Currently, only 3-5% of all adult cancer patients participate in clinical trials (CT), in contrast to 60-70% of pediatric cancer patients. Low enrollment to CT has negative consequences like increased cost of study conduct, late emergence of standard therapy, and premature closure of study. Current literature suggests that enrollment into CT has been historically low for racial and ethnic minorities, women, and the elderly. Genevieve Frank reported in a paper about the survey study done with 6,000 cancer patients that 85% of the participants were either unaware or unsure that participation in CT was a treatment option.We conducted a self-report survey study among 125 patients at Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center (TCCC). Study objectives were to determine their level of awareness about the availability of clinical trials at TCCC, willingness to participate, the barriers that would impact their decision to participate in a CT and to examine differences between Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients with regard to these factors.METHODS-Patients included in the study were 18 years of age or older and able to give written informed consent. Patients with cognitive impairment, psychiatric or addictive disorders were excluded. The consent form and survey were translated into Spanish by an accredited translation company. Diagnostic and demographic data from patient medical records were collected. Surveys included questions designed to identify factors that might influence a participant's willingness or pose barriers to participation in CT. In an initial analysis of responses, 12 questions were chosen to reflect “willingness”, and 12 different questions were selected to reflect “barriers.” All answers were either YES/NO or AGREE/DISAGREE, coded as 1/0, making it possible to sum responses within each set to provide a “Willingness Score” and a “Barrier Score” for 115 participants, based on completed responses. 12 diagnostic or demographic variables were dichotomized to assess their relationship to willingness or barriers regarding participation in trials using a series of T-tests.RESULTS-There were 125 evaluable surveys. 64% of our surveyors were female, 87% had cancer diagnosis and 63% were in active treatment. It was astonishing to know that 85% pts did not know about CT before they participated in the survey. 64% did not know about the availability of CT in TCCC. 85% answered that they never discussed about CT with their health care providers. 77% reported never receiving brochures about CT. The most notable barriers were opposition to CT with a placebo arm (68%), or with randomization (60%). 35% indicated distrust of research from pharmaceutical companies. Interestingly, half answered that family disapproval would not be a barrier. Also on the positive side, 70% expressed trust in government funded research, 79% felt researchers did not take advantage of people, 80% believed CT could offer good treatment options, and 70% disagreed that being in a CT was to be treated as a guinea pig. 77% would participate for the chance to improve quality of life, and 65% for the chance to reduce their side effects. At a nominal p<0.05, participation was found to be more likely for those married or partnered, and for those with more than a high school education. Barrier scores were significantly higher for non-married, non-partnered individuals, or when annual income was reported as <$40,000. Those with Medicare as primary insurance showed a trend toward willingness for participation in clinical trials (p=0.079). Other factors examined, such as gender, age, race, ethnicity, cancer diagnosis, number of prior treatments, stage of diagnosis were not statistically significant.CONCLUSIONS-Our study indicated a clear communication gap between patients and their health care providers about the discussion of CT. This impacts patient's enrollment in CT. Open label, non randomized, non placebo containing studies were more favored by patients. Unlike other published results, we did not find differences in willingness to participate by sex, race, ethnicity (Hispanic vs non Hispanic) or age, while those with partners, higher level of education and income favored participation in CT. The limitation of our study is that the small sample size is small and enrollment was based at a single institution. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Beyond Translation: Caregiver Collaboration in Adapting an Early Language Intervention

Spanish-speaking families in the United States must often overcome multiple challenges to support their young children’s early language development (e.g., language and cultural barriers, financial stress, limited learning resources, etc.). These challenges highlight the need for early language interventions tailored to the needs of Spanish-speaking families and developed in collaboration with them. For diverse populations, early language interventions which are both translated into the relevant languageandculturally responsive are the most effective for improving child outcomes. However, few interventions meet both criteria, demonstrating a need for materials that are accessible across both language and culture. The current study describes the five-phase process of creating a linguistically and culturally relevant Spanish adaptation of Duet, an early language intervention. The adaptation of the Duet intervention modules involved multiple language experts, including Spanish-speaking developmental psychologists, a translation company, and Spanish-speaking caregivers of infants and toddlers. Fourteen caregivers were recruited to participate in two, 3-h focus groups. Input from caregivers was a particularly important step in the adaptation process, as caregivers hold knowledge about everyday experiences with their children. Through this process, the authors aim to shed light onto the importance of collaborating with the community and present a possible framework for others who are adapting interventions.

A self-efficacy scale for measuring student progress in translation company simulations

AbstractApplying factor analysis on survey data, this paper develops a concise scale of translation service provision self-efficacy aimed for diagnosing learning needs and assessing progress in pedagogical translation company simulations. First, a model of translation service provision activities based on the translation service provision standard ISO 17100 and a business process model of translation service is constructed and operationalized as a draft scale. The draft scale is then tested in an international survey (n = 380) conducted in connection with translation company simulation courses in university-level translator education. Exploratory factor analysis is used to identify dimensions and adequate items for a concise scale that comprises two four-item subscales: a project management self-efficacy subscale and a translation-production self-efficacy subscale. The scale is validated through confirmatory factor analysis. It is expected to be useful as a light-weight measurement instrument for frequent testing or as a compact part of more extensive scales.

A Study on Translation Majors’ Cultivation Mode of “Internet + Language Service”

In recent years, with the continuous development and progress of information technology, international exchanges and cooperation have become more and more frequent. This has also promoted the establishment and development of China’s language service industry, making the translation industry’s production and service methods change a lot. Translation companies are gradually transforming into translation service companies or language service companies, which also puts forward new requirements for language service talents. Nowadays China’s undergraduate education for translation majors falls behind in a certain extent. The cultivation of talents is fairly out of touch with the society, which cannot meet the requirements of social development and construction. Therefore, how to make good use of the “Internet +” environment to build a training model for translation professionals has become urgent for colleges and universities, because it can match the requirements of the market and solve the problem of translation talents’ low quality. The professionalization and specialization of evaluation methods cultivate a group of professional translators who meet the needs of the society in the new era.