Socio-cultural approach to future translators’ training

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Information and Communication Technologies West Ukrainian National University

Socio-cultural approach to future translators' training

Duda O.I., Candidate of Philological Sciences,

Associate Professor at the Department of Foreign Languages,

Rybachok S.M., Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor at the Department of Foreign Languages

Humovska I.M., Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professo at the Department of Foreign Languages

Abstract

The article is devoted to bridging the gap between academic training of future translators and interpreters and the requirements to professional translation activity in Ukraine. The article provides theoretical and methodological conceptions based on the socio-cultural approach to the system of future translators'training. The findings of the research allowed the authors to outline a set of important pedagogical conditions for training the students' professional skills of sociol-cultural significance to meet the demands of modern translation profession.

Modern professional training of translators should be based on a socio-cultural approach that allows considering the translators' training system as an aggregate of pedagogical conditions that ensure the development of its components. The combination of pedagogical conditions that form students' readiness for professional activity on the basis of socio-cultural approach provides for interdisciplinary integration in the process of foreign language training (interconnection and interplay of foreign language,cultural and humanistic disciplines); application of individualized learning technologies; cooperation among participants of the educational process (subject-subjective type of relations, training in small groups); subject-matter intensity of the educational environment (authentic literature, audio- and video-authentic courses with the tasks that reflect the peculiarities of the language, lifestyle, life, history, culture of the country of the language being studied).

To solve the gap between the educational process at a higher education institution and the professional activity of its graduates the modernization of methodological conditions, which contribute to the formation of students' readiness for the future profession is necessary. The paper contributes to the current understanding of translation education, especially in the context of Ukraine, by investigating factors influencing the professional training of future translators, who are able to match their behavior with the rules of behavior in foreign cultures, taking into account the cultural and social experience of the country, whose language is being studied.

Key words: socio-cultural approach, future translators, foreign language communication, set of pedagogical conditions, translators' training.

Анотація

СОЦІОКУЛЬТУРНИЙ ПІДХІД ДО ПІДГОТОВКИ МАЙБУТНІХ ПЕРЕКЛАДАЧІВ

Статтю присвячено одній з важливих проблем удосконалення якості вітчизняної вищої освіти - питанню подолання розриву між освітнім процесом підготовки студентів-перекладачів і їхньою майбутньою професійною діяльністю. Мета статті полягає в розробці та теоретико-методологічному обгрунтуванні системи професійної підготовки студентів - майбутніх перекладачів на основі соціокультурного підходу. Аналіз результатів дослідження дав змогу авторам виокремити комплекс педагогічних умов, які формують готовність студентів до майбутньої перекладацької діяльності на основі соціокультурного підходу. Сучасна професійна підготовка перекладачів повинна базуватися на соціокультурному підході, що дозволяє розглядати систему формування фахівців з перекладу у вигляді сукупності педагогічних умов, що забезпечують розвиток її компонентів. Комплекс педагогічних умов, які формують готовність студентів до професійної діяльності на основі соціокультурного підходу, передбачає міжпредметну інтеграцію в процесі навчання іноземної мови (взаємозв'язок і взаємовплив іноземної мови і блоку культурологічних і гуманітарних дисциплін); застосування технологій індивідуального навчання; співробітництво учасників навчального процесу (суб'єктно-суб'єктний тип відносин, навчання в малочисельних групах); предметну насиченість навчального середовища (автентична література, аудіо- і відео аутентічні курси із завданнями, які відображають особливості мови, побуту, життя, історії, культури країни, мова якої вивчається).

Для подолання розриву між навчальним процесом у вищому навчальному закладі та професійною діяльністю його випускників необхідна модернізація методичних умов, які сприяють формуванню готовності студентів до майбутньої професії. Стаття поглиблює сучасне розуміння перекладацької освіти, особливо в контексті України, шляхом дослідження факторів, що впливають на професійну підготовку майбутніх перекладачів, які здатні узгодити свою поведінку з правилами поведінки в іноземних культурах, враховуючи культурні особливості та соціальний досвід країни, мова якої вивчається.

Ключові слова: соціокультурний підхід, майбутні перекладачі, іншомовна комунікація, комплекс педагогічних умов, навчальний процесс підготовки перекладачів.

Introduction

Modem Ukrainian society is going through a series of complex socio-cultural transformations affecting all aspects of its life, and profound changes in the social, political, economic life of the country have a significant impact on the development of the educational system. New social needs have led to a change in the educational paradigm due to the trend of its humanization, which requires the development of the creative potential of the individual, active implementation of modern innovative technologies in high school, which would ensure the training of specialists for professional activity in a world without borders. This globalized world dictates its own requirements for the quality of training of future translators, which requires the selection and acquisition of a professional context, the content of which integrates the terminology and information about the socio-cultural specificities of foreign language communication. This necessitates language training of students - future translators on the material of authentic texts, which cover a wide range of written and oral messages, reproduced by native speakers and borrowed from their communicative practice. Knowing and understanding of the behavior meaning of a particular culture representatives contribute to understanding the mission of the translator - communicating with a sense of responsibility and peacekeeping duties to achieve intercultural understanding.

Analysis of the research and publications on the issue under consideration. In this context, the analysis of psychological, pedagogical, and linguistic literature indicates that the training of translators requires additional study, since the translator's activity requires mastering foreign language as a communication tool and as a tool for achieving intercultural understanding, which reinforces the importance of the socio-cultural approach to the students' professional competence. In determining the content of training for translators at institutions of higher education, researchers address various aspects : formation of readiness of foreign language students for translation activities [1; 2]; socio-cultural training of future translators by means of folk pedagogy [4]; formation of professional and communicative competence of future translators [3-6]; interdisciplinary basics of fundamental linguistic training of translator [6-7]; shaping of professionally important translator skills of students in the process of training at the institutions of higher education, [8-10]; formation of professional orientation of future translators in the system of higher education [11]; professional formation of future translators in the process of higher education [3]; contextual approach in the process of forming professional competence of future translators [4]; pedagogical conditions for forming the basis of professional competence of future translators [7].

The formation of the socio-cultural component of translation competence is considered as one of the main goals of translation training. Modern concepts of teaching translation in a language higher education institution consider the socio-cultural component of translation competence, on the one hand, as an integral component of professional training of translators, and on the other hand, as a basis for effective development of such competence. In the general theory of teaching foreign languages, the problem of forming a socio-cultural component is not new. It was considered in the works of many scientists [1; 5; 6; ; 8; 11]. However, the same cannot be said of the methodology of teaching translation, in which this issue has not received due attention, given the practical lack of in-depth research in this area. This situation significantly hinders the development of theory and practice of translation training. educational translation sociocultural

So the role and significance of socio-cultural approach in the system of professional training of translators has not yet been the subject of a separate study.

Stating the task. Thus, the aim of our research is the development and methodological substantiation of the professional training system of students - prospective translators on the basis of socio-cultural approach.

Results and discussion

The conditions of the constant expansion and deepening of intercultural communication in the modern world in general and in Ukraine in particular, have led to the reform of foreign language education, its content based on UNESCO recommendations on education for peace, respect for human rights, orientation on the dialogue of cultures. The humanization ideas of education necessitate the solution of the main tasks: the development of students' conscious attitude to themselves as a cultural and historical subject; enriching their worldview; formation of social responsibility; training in self-analysis of their own actions. Successful implementation of these tasks is possible in the process of professional education, which is based on a socio-cultural approach.

Culture is studied by practically all social sciences, but the "mediator" and "consumer" of culture is, first of all, the sphere of education, the purpose of which is to provide individuals with cultural values, which contribute to the development of their skills. Thus, the role of culture in the educational paradigm, including in the linguistic sphere, is strengthened. Communication in a foreign language involves an understanding of cultural peculiarities and specifics of the country being studied in common with the culture of the native country. The concept of modernization of domestic higher education requires that the necessary conditions for achieving a new quality of professional education are intercultural communication and, as a result, the formation of socio-cultural competence. The expansion of our country's presence in international organizations has led to a demand for professionals with with excellent command of foreign languages to carry out translation activities.

However, the paradigm of current professional education in the sphere of foreign language communication, deserving significant changes, requires the resolution of the low tension between:

the need for translators, which meets the social demand, and the existing traditional language training of students;

the current demands placed on the translator's personality, on the level of his or her general linguistic culture, and the lack of readiness for the translator's activity, which must take place in the context of intercultural dialogue;

the current practice of forming students' readiness for translating activities and the need to identify tools that ensure the formation of abilities to solve specific professional tasks. The main contradiction between the current system of training translators in higher education institutions and the insufficient level of applied pedagogical tools used to form social and cultural competence of students - prospective translators - especially needs to be solved.

The profession oftranslator requires a high level of social and cultural competence, which is conditioned by the normative behavior in difficult professional situations that require translating in the context of the intercultural dialogue. Socio-cultural competence, as an indicator of readiness to perform professional functions, sets a personal sense of activity, as there is a a belief in the feasibility of choosing the means of its implementation. The professional training of future translators, who are able to match their behavior with the rules of behavior in foreign cultures, taking into account the cultural and social experience of the country being studied, must be based on a sociocultural approach.

And it is possible if:

the scientific concept of the students' professional training has been specified;

the specificity and peculiarity of the translator's activity has been determined;

the possibility of applying the socio-cultural approach to the professional training of students - future translators has been substantiated;

pedagogical conditions that contribute to the formation of students' readiness for the translation activity has been revealed;

the system of the practical training of the young professionals in translation on the basis of socio-cul- tural approach has been developed.

The modern translator has to deal with manifestations of various themes and styles. On the one hand, translators work with texts authored by outstanding masters of the word, who use rich language resources, make extensive use of catchphrases and quotations, allusions to popular anecdotes and mythological stories, children's poems, and Bible sayings. On the other hand, sometimes translators have to work with careless texts, the authors of which do not logically and clearly present their own opinions, including instructions for use of devices, technical documentation, etc. [5; 6]. Only knowledge of the topic and context and the availability of relevant knowledge can help the translator in such cases.

The correlation of different types of knowledge determines the individual picture of the translator's world , which is a condition for the successful implementation of interlingual and intercultural communication. Accordingly, the completeness degree of the knowledge system (background, thematic, contextual, terminological one) determines the degree of development of the translation competence sociocultural component.

An important prerequisite for learning translation is the awareness of the need for future translators to be in two different socio-cultural areas at the same time. In order to realize the mediating function of translation and preserve the influence of the original, the translator must recognize socio-cultural information in the original, and then find ways to implement it in translation. The translator will cope with this task only if he is able to quickly coordinate the information and social components of the planes of the two cultures. It is equally important to understand the in-depth content of the original text, which is possible only if there is a sufficient amount of knowledge of contact cultures, as well as appropriate adaptation of the original text, depending on the recipient [28]. These factors are important components of the sociocultural component of translation competence [1; 2].

An important prerequisite for learning translation is the awareness of the need for future translators to be in two different socio-cultural areas at the same time. In order to realize the mediating function of translation and preserve the influence of the original, the translator must recognize socio-cultural information in the original, and then find ways to implement it in translation. The translator will cope with this task only if he is able to coordinate quickly the information and social components of the planes of the two cultures. It is equally important to understand the in-depth content of the original text, which is possible only if there is a sufficient amount of knowledge of contact cultures, as well as appropriate adaptation of the original text, depending on the recipient [8]. These factors are important constituents of the translation competence socio-cultural component [1; 2].

Based on the above, we can conclude that the process of teaching translation must take place in the context of "dialogue of cultures", i.e. adaptation of future translators to another kind of culture. Thus, the socio-cultural component of the translator's competence includes a system of culture-specific knowledge (background, topics, etc.) and the appropriate terminological units, which denote the concepts that belong to the mentioned system. Therefore, the importance of determining the list of fields and the selection of authentic representative texts, which would satisfy the need of mastering the maximum possible amount of background knowledge and terminology contributing to the socio-cultural component of the literary competence of the future translators, is evident.

The socio-cultural aspect of translation teaching requires the development of a new model in the learning process, taking into account the importance of a socio-cultural component. The sociocultural component acts not only as a means of professional development of the future translator for intercultural communication - the ultimate goal of language training and applying. It effectively acquires knowledge and skills in his future translation activity, determines the education of his personality. Didactics of translation will integrate different approaches of goals, content, principles and learning technology. The domestic linguistics achievements can be successfully used in translators training. The proposed model of students' preparation for translator activity allows to integrate modern didactic approaches such as personal activity and socio-cultural ones into the process of teaching.

Socio-cultural approach is a concept that fixes the understanding of culture as a wide range of social phenomena, which are the results and means of social functioning and development. Because in the modern period it is cultural factors that determine both the economic potential of society and the stability of the political system, as well as the ecological and demographic systems. The socio-cultural approach demonstrates the process of intercultural interaction because of connection not only with the concepts of general or national culture but also with the customs of the social sphere, with the stereotypes of everyday life. A similar approach is implemented in the educational process as the communicative methods that provide consideration of linguistic activity within social and cultural contexts. The approach is realized in consideration of extra-linguistic factors of the communicative act and the use of native speakers' authentic samples of the language.

Conclusions

To solve the gap between the educational process at a higher education institution and the professional activity of its graduates the modernization of methodological conditions, which contribute to the formation of students' readiness for the future profession is necessary. Modern professional training of translators should be based on a sociocultural approach that allows to consider the translators' training system as an aggregate of pedagogical conditions that ensure the development of its components. The combination of pedagogical conditions that form students' readiness for professional activity on the basis of socio-cultural approach provides for

interdisciplinary integration in the process of foreign language teaching (interconnection and interplay of foreign language and cultural and humanistic disciplines);

application of individualized learning technologies;

cooperation among participants of the educational process (subject-subjective type of relations, training in small groups);

subject-matter intensity of the educational environment (authentic literature, audio- and video- authentic courses with the tasks that reflect the peculiarities of the language, lifestyle, life, history, culture of the country of the language being studied).

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