Bringing values into translator training: a model for the development of a teaching philosophy statement for translation studies

Ivano-Frankivsk National Technic University of Oil and Gas

Current literature offers various definitions of a recently recognized pedagogical document called a Teach-Phil statement and describes approaches and steps involved in writing it [1; 2; 3; 5; 9; 13; 18].

Scholars recommend that a Teach-Phil statement should not overwhelm the readers. Though there is no set length for the statement, it is generally two-five pages single-spaced. However, the selected samples of Teach-Phil statements and dossiers [7; 20] show that some of the documents are more than ten pages if they include information on specific teaching strategies.

As this document communicates the individual teacher's identity, writers use a first-person, present-tense point of view.

Translation Studies and Translation Pedagogy

As current pedagogical literature highlights the connection between a statement of Tech-Phil and the practice of teaching particular academic subjects, our study will focus on TS as a discipline that forms the translator's professional mindset and reflects the change in the translator's role in the world.

TS as an academic discipline emerged after J. Holmes published his prominent paper entitled «The Name andNature ofTranslation Studies» in 1972. He describes translation as interlingual transfer and intercultural communication and TS as an interdisciplinary field that deals with the theory, description, and application of translation [11]. J. Holmes designates two large classes of TS, each having several groups:

1) pure TS:

a) descriptive TS or translation description: product-oriented, process-oriented, function-oriented;

в) theoretical TS or translation theory:

i. general TS dealing with limited aspects of translation theory:

ii. partial TS: medium restricted (human translation), machine translation), mixed or machine- aided translation), area restricted (language and culture restrictions), rank restricted (lower linguistic levels: word, word group, sentence), text-type restricted (specific types are genres of lingual messages), time restricted (cross-temporal translation), problem restricted (limits of variance, invariance, equivalence);

2) applied TS: translator training, translation aids, translation criticism [11].

As we see, TS embraces contrastive linguistics, comparative literature, cultural studies, history, philosophy, psychology, semiotics, and translation pedagogy. It is translation pedagogy that can help train translators able to catalyze international communication, translators that are not, as D. Kiraly puts it, «linguistic hermits, sitting alone behind a typewriter and surrounded only by dusty tomes» but «embedded in a complex network of social and professional activity» [15, p. 12). Therefore, translation pedagogy should transgress the concept of the translator's «invisibility» [25, 1995] and cater to moulding an entirely new profile of the English-language translator's identity in the 21 century with its multiple modernities where translation tends to become a powerful tool for global interaction and make, as M. Cronin stipulates, «connections, linking one culture and language to another, setting up the conditions for an open-ended exchange of goods, technologies and ideas» [6, p. 41].

To become effective mediators between different linguistic and cultural communities, translators-to-be must develop soft skills and trade-related hard abilities to deal with an ever-changing market environment to cope with the exponential expansion in state-of-the-art translation technologies and work styles. That means that translator education and training programs and learning and training environments need to be reoriented from teacher- and product-oriented transmissionist approaches to student- and process-oriented approaches. Contrastive theoretical content approaches in TS should be reasonably balanced with objective-based training, the translation task and project-based approach, the social constructivist approach, competency-based training, and focus on professional aspects.

Having many years of experience in a professional faculty, I believe it is essential to educate people, fuel their inquiry and stimulate their desire to imagine, analyze, think, and make judgements to achieve ongoing personal and professional success. My cognitive machinery was designed for viewing the world of communication as large canvasses painted in broad strokes, hiding crucial bits and pieces. These details have always been phantoms of delight to me. I have been trying to pique my students' interest by revealing implicit meanings of utterances and developing their enthusiasm for the subject I teach.

My diverse teaching and learning experiences in multicultural environments helped me formulate the main ideas that underpin my pedagogical approach by reflecting on numerous theoretical and philosophical tenets of teaching and learning. I call them «TS-SPIRAL Teach-Phil».

On the one hand, TS-SPIRAL is an acronym that stands for the fundamental values I apply in my TS classroom as part of a teaching team. On the other hand, it is a metaphor describing a continuous and gradual increase circling the center point - the student, the translator-to-be.

Here I would like to share the key components that ground my Teach-Phil:

- TS: translation, TS;

- S: student, standard, system, strategy, syllabus;

- P: principles/policy, process, possibility, practice, passion;

- I: innovation, inquiry, integration, initiative;

- R: resources, research, reflection;

- A: achievement, assessment;

- L: long-life learning.

To empower translators-to-be to play the seminal role of mediators between cultures and raise their conscience concerning the responsibility they will play in establishing all sorts of international relationships, I ground my Teach-Phil primarily in J. Holmes' concept of TS. Discussing translator training, he writes, «The task of the translation scholar in this area is to render informed advice to others in defining the place and role of translators, translating, and translations in society at large» [11, p. 182].

In my teaching practice, I also take into account A. Chesterman's model of TS, which consists of four big branches: 1) textual (texts of different genres); 2) cultural (values, ethics, ideologies, traditions, history, examining the roles and influences of translators and interpreters through history, as agents of cultural evolution); 3) cognitive (mental processes, decision-making, the impact of emotions, attitudes to norms, personality, etc.); 4) sociological (translators'/interpreters' observable behaviour as individuals or groups or institutions, their social networks, status and working processes, their relations with other groups and with relevant technology, and so on [4].

SPIRAL

S: student, standard, system, strategy, syllabus

The tools that help me design and facilitate profound learning experiences for students are professional and educational competency-based standards. As I was actively involved in developing national academic standards in information records management and translation studies and harmonizing international occupational standards in translation and interpreting, my students know the expected outcomes that will make them competitive in the global market.

To ensure the necessary quality of instruction and help students understand the intertwined puzzling issues of the world, I view the teaching-learning process as a system that is open and pluralistic, though complex and constrained. For me, a classroom is a system in which I collaborate with students in the shared construction of meaning in the context of community expectations uniting all the components of the learning process: the student, learning objectives, course content, and effective media supporting learning experiences. I also encourage my students to explore language as a system in which text is examined in terms of new ideas, notions, norms and deviations.

One way to actualize my objectives and facilitate learning is by employing various instructional strategies. They depend primarily on the class's size, students' past knowledge and instruction objectives. For large class sizes, I deliver lectures, providing students with lecture notes, engaging them in active listening, relating to previous material, and presenting relevant evidence-based case studies.

In my Communication Theory course, the flipped classroom approach creates a learner-centred learning environment where students manage their learning, and become more active and intuitive in class. Students analyze the content, characters' communicative intentions, speech acts, non-verbal behaviour, and linguistic deviations. Students watch videos concerning strategies in various contexts, negotiation skills, conflict resolution, communication laws, models and principles of assertiveness. Presentations, small group discussions, role-plays, case studies, and projects based on well-known movies encourage higher-order thinking and enhance partnerships between teachers and learners.

In my Translation Practice class, I highly value learning by doing. We compare and contrast parallel texts to identify points of similarity and divergence between them, practise voice-over, and analyze cross-cultural pragmatic aspects of the source text with an emphasis on recreating the author's intent in the target language. Students learn to understand the synergy of discourse texture, apply the Cooperative Principle and the theories of meaning, identify the illocutionary force of utterances (what is presupposed and what is stated), and the purpose of communicators.

In language education, I believe that increasing learner metalinguistic awareness (which, if strategically triggered, always provides much space for progress) is critical in learning a foreign language. For this reason, I draw student attention to specific characteristics of the target language that may resonate with them and serve as a catalyst for further acquisition, thus promoting students' self-direction, self-regulation, and self-evaluation.

In undergraduate courses, a particular focus is on cognitive processes related to extracting and analyzing information and metacognitive learning strategies presupposing critical analysis of the results, seeking alternatives, changing study techniques, and using the syllabus as a roadmap and a guide to understanding the course content principles, policy, and practices used.

P: principles/policy, process, possibility, practice, passion

As the subject matter of theoretical courses can be challenging to students, my syllabus includes a standard-language ethics principles/policy expressed through «1 will/ You will»:

"I will: provide the opportunity to learn and develop your intellectual curiosity; create an environment of mutual respect; support your mental health and resilience; help you organize and connect your knowledge; help you recognize your growing edges and potential; provide timely feedback; set realistic learning goals; help you build confidence; demand quality; assess you on the frequency of participation and ability to work with others, and behaviour; respect your investment of time and money. I shall not engage in any discrimination.

You will: check your attendance and notify me of a discrepancy; keep up with lectures, readings and assignments; provide feedback and ask questions; prepare adequately for every class and participate in discussions providing valuable insights; complete projects on time; have the approval to turn in the assignment late; use reliable sources of information; account for all sources cited in your research paper; contribute to your learning outcome; respect my investment of time and effort.”

I believe these principles define the essence of process-oriented learning, scaffolding students with new ideas. I experiment with videos and audiobooks, invite English-speaking natives, and involve students in dramatizing to enhance their listening comprehension and speaking skills inside and outside the classroom. Collaborating with the British Council, I supervised the Virtual English Club, where the participants could discuss social innovations, acquire skills in public speaking, develop job profiles in communication and translation services, have mock job interviews, and design language-learning products.

Process-oriented learning is the possibility to make a student the nucleus of all we do, open their minds to the unexpected, transgress, and face real- life challenges. As B. Hooks argues, the classroom, «with all its limitations, remains a location of possibility. In that field ofpossibility we have the opportunity to labor for freedom, to demand of ourselves and our comrades, an openness of mind and heart that allows us to face reality even as we collectively imagine ways to move beyond boundaries, to transgress. This is education as the practice of freedom» [12, p. 207].

This practice of freedom (freedom of speech, thought, and development) reveals students' creative energy. Evidence-based praxis/practice enhances their critical evaluating skills through hands-on experience and exposure to actual practitioners.

The last P stands for the passion for being a professional. I am proud to be a teacher. Even with the limitations and restrictions imposed by the Covid pandemics and war in Ukraine, I teach students, I teach the subjects, and I teach the students about these subjects, thus shaping their minds and lives. I strive to instill a passion for inquiry that can help learners move beyond boundaries to become good professionals and encourage them to be thoughtful synthesizers of their knowledge and critical thinkers. In brief, translators-to-be should become active self-educators cultivating a sense of ownership in their learning.

I: innovation, inclusion, integration, initiative

I can say without any exaggeration that catalytic innovations are a priority in TS. As today's translators should be multi-professionals facing the demand for rapidly growing volumes of text to be translated within a relatively short time and at a low cost, TS students should be taught how to use Computer Assisted Translation (CAT) tools, cloud-based Software-as-a- Service (SaaS) solutions and Web-enhanced communication tools. In addition, to cope with worldwide competition, learners must learn how to apply telecol- laborative translation work modes and enhance their online communication and social networking skills. Therefore, I balance ongoing or in-service training, work in teams, autonomous work, document management, software localization, desktop publishing and the like. I support the learning and teaching community through many venues such as presentations, workshops and short- and long-term programs. As an adviser, I challenge my colleagues and students to reach their full potential through informed discourse and the pursuit of excellence in a framework of academic freedom that reflects the following values: student success, high standards of excellence, civic engagement, well-roundedness, inquiry into social justice, inclusion, etc.

Innovation is impossible without initiative as a journey of self-realization for young and mature students. Therefore, I always welcome student-initiated forms of work, including professional festivals, translator forums, and panel discussions. My workshops are devoted to innovations in course content, classroom management, technology integration into classroom teaching, interdisciplinary relations and transdiscipli- nary integration, and soft skills development. We discuss deep learning, massive open online courses as part of the blended learning, flipped classroom techniques, cooperative strategies, communication with the Z generation, mixed and augmented realities, classroom management and virtual reality, quality of innovations, etc. I employ integrative learning activities with my younger students to connect prior information and abilities from several disciplines to solve problems or develop new knowledge or understanding. I also believe in contextualizing language by including all modalities in a balanced manner (listening, speaking, reading and writing).

R: resources, research, reflection, relationship, role

To facilitate learning and knowledge acquisition, I thoroughly choose the necessary informative, illustrative and technological resources to accommodate students via visual, audio, and kinesthetic media. I integrate fiction and non-fiction, phonics activities and presentations, and contrasts between prescriptive and descriptive grammar. I like to work with controversial and multi-layered texts, videos, tables and charts that are challenging to interpret. To capture students' interests and cultural experiences, I regularly update my textbooks and guides, integrating fresh theoretical and practical material to meet real- world issues and the current challenges in international communication.

I lay particular emphasis on research as a core activity in my work. I keep myself current in educational research and research in communication and translation studies. My research is driven by practice, and my practice is enriched through research as it shapes my decisions about how and what to teach. As a teaching team member, I use theory and research on collaboration and collective decisions. My students are also engaged in team projects, researching areas of the course content that interest them. Their evidence-based, integrative, analytical, capacity-building research helps them develop the required reflective skills by connecting the experience gained with course content, learning styles, skills, and values. Reflection as the instrument «by which experiences are translated into dynamic knowledge» [16, p. 53] is crucial for students' self-examination and self-evaluation.

As practice shows, in joint research and collaborative learning, students develop new relationships. I consider them a cooperative enterprise where all participants feel a sense of connection, discover one another's values and life priorities and share a sense of responsibility for individual and group success. Students who have access to more stable relationships tend to be more socially adept, behave more positively, and engage more in their academic work.

In this environment, the teacher acquires new roles: information provider: lecturer, teacher in a practical class setting;

role model: on-the-job role model, teaching role model;

facilitator: mentor/, personal adviser/tutor t, learning facilitator/student supporter;

assessor: student assessor, curriculum evaluator; planner: curriculum planner, course organizer; resource developer: study guide producer,

resource material creator [10].

A: attitude, achievement, assessment Reflection also helps students build positive attitudes toward learning and choose the proper time management, and understand the ways of measuring their progress. They should be aware of assessment tools (both formative and summative) that determine their achievements. Trust and transparency are cornerstones of fair assessment that provide helpful feedback to improve teaching and learning. I am sure that to promote a growth mindset in students, it is necessary to give them more than one chance to demonstrate their competence. We should allow learners to develop their skills until their proficiency matches their genuine ability rather than evaluating their discrete-time performance.

L: long-life learning

The last tenet of my Teach-Phil is self-motivated and voluntary long-life learning, which is necessary to navigate a longer, more turbulent work life, provide choices, and influence the future. To quote C. Bedford, «You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives.» (Bedford cited in [22, p. 7]) I teach my students to be perpetual learners. Life often provokes changes, upsets the status quo, forces us to adapt, and imposes demands. It also creates new opportunities. I am ready to take advantage of unexpected opportunities, seek fresh ideas, hone my skills and contribute to others. I believe my students will be prepared too.

Conclusion

The innovative practice of developing a personal Teach-Phil statement is becoming more and more frequent in the academic market. It synergizes the teacher's authentic self, disciplinary culture, and institutional context. Our TR-SPIRAL Teach-Phil is a metaphor that aligns TS content with learning experiences, objectives, beliefs, opportunities for faculty-student engagement and the evolution of student success. It also reflects the author's life's calling, capacity to evolve as a teacher, and enthusiasm to engage students' hearts, equip their minds and find their differences and greatness.

It would be appropriate to continue to monitor the trend of using the teaching philosophy statement as indicators of teaching achievement, competence and potential. Additional guidelines should be offered to develop a rubric in order to ensure that evaluators take a systematic and fair approach to assessing Teach-Phil statements in TS.

References

1. Alvarez, A., Ventura, D., Moreno, B., Natividad, R. Teachers' philosophical views: Towards a development of philosophical framework in education. International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education. 2019. No 10(3). Pp. 4112-4119. URL: https://doi.org/10.20533/ijcdse.2042.6364.2019.0501

2. Beatty, J., Leigh, J., Lund Dean, K. (2009). Philosophy rediscovered: Exploring the connections between teaching philosophies, educational philosophies, and philosophy. Journal of Management Education. 2009. No 33(1). Pp. 99-114. URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/1052562907310557

3. Carraway C., Scott B. Common Themes Emerged from Teaching Philosophies and Methods of Effective Postsecondary Teachers. NACTA Journal. 2017. Vol. 61. No 1. Pp. 27-32. JSTOR. URL: https://www.jstor.org/ stable/90004101. Accessed 6 Jun. 2022.

4. Chesterman A. (2009) The Name and Nature of Translator Studies. Hermes: Journal of Language and Communication Studies. 2009. No 42. Pp.13-22. URL: DOI: https://doi.org/10.7146/hjlcb.v22i42.96844

5. Chism N. V. N. Developing a philosophy of teaching statement. Essays on Teaching Excellence. 1998. No 9 (3). Pp. 1-2.

6. Cronin M. Translation and Globalisation. London and New York: Routledge, 2003. 197 pp. URL: https:// lantrans.weebly.com/uploads/2/1/1/6/21169610/translation_and_globalization.pdf

7. Documenting Your Teaching. URL: https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/knowledge-center/

general-teaching-resources/documenting-your-teaching/

8. Examples of Teaching Philosophy Statements. URL: https://teaching.uwo.ca/awardsdossiers/teachingphilos- ophy.html

9. Goodyear G. E., Allchin D. Statement of teaching philosophy. To Improve the Academy. Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press, 1998. Vol. 17. Pp. 103-22.

10. Harden R.M., Crosby J.R. (2000) The good teacher is more than a lecturer: The twelve roles of the teacher. AMEE Education Guide. 2000. No. 20. Pp. 3-17.

11. Holmes J. S. The name and nature of Translation Studies. In Holmes, J.S., Translated! Papers on Literary Translation and Translation Studies. Amsterdam: Rodopi. Pp. 67-80.

12. Hooks B. Teaching to transgress. Education as the practice of freedom. New York: Routledge, 1994. 216 pp. URL: https://sites.utexas.edu/lsjcs/files/2018/02/Teaching-to-Transcend.pdf

13. How to write a teaching statement that sings. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2015. 16 pp.

14. Kenny, N., Berenson, C., Jeffs, C., Nowell, L., Grant, K. Teaching Philosophies and Teaching Dossiers Guide. Calgary, AB: Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, 2018. URL: http://www.ucalgary.ca/taylorinstitute/resources/

15. Kiraly D. A social constructivist approach to translator education; empowerment from theory to practice. Manchester, UK & Northampton MA, St. Jerome Publishing, 2000. 207 pp.

16. Korthagen, F. A. J. A reflection on reflection. In F. A. J. Korthagen, J. Kessels, B. Koster, B. Lagerwerf & T. Wubbels (Eds.), Linking Practice and Theory: The Pedagogy of Realistic Teacher Education. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers, 2001. Pp. 51-69.

17. Merriam S. B., Caffarella R. S., Baumgartner L. M. Learning in Adulthood: A Comprehensive Guide, 3rd ed. (San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons/Jossey-Bass 2012. 560 pp.

18. Pratt D. D. Personal philosophies of teaching: A false promise? Academe. 2005. No 91(1). Pp. 32-35.

19. Saljo, R. (1979). Learning in the learner's perspective. I. Some common-sense conceptions, Reports from the Institute of Education, University of Gothenburg. 1979 Vol. 76. URL: https://infed.org/mobi/ learning-theory-models-product-and-process/

20. Sample Teaching Philosophies and Dossiers. University of Calgary. Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning. URL: https://taylorinstitute.ucalgary.ca/resources/sample-teaching-philosophy-statements

21. Schonwetter D. J., Sokal L, Taylor K. l. (2002) Teaching philosophies reconsidered: A conceptual model for the development and evaluation of Teach-Phil statements. International Journal for Academic Development. 2002. No 7:1. Pp. 83-97.

22. Strickland J. Linkedin Memoirs. Lulu.com, 2014. 360 pp.

23. Structuring Your Teaching Philosophy Statement - Teaching Resources. Structuring Your Teaching Philosophy Statement - Teaching Resources. URL: https://carleton.ca/tls/teachingresources/developing-your-pedagogy/ structuring-your-teaching-philosophy-statement/

24. Toossi B. The philosophy of foreign language teaching and teacher with special reference to translation. Bulletin de la Societe Royale des Sciences de Liege. 2017. Vol. 86, special edition. Pp. 165-174.

25. Venuti L. The Translator's Invisibility: A History of Translation. London: Routledge, 1995. 368 pp.

Размещено на Allbest.ru