Practical knowledge vs translation theory: assessment of students’ knowledge
[Практические знания против теории перевода: оценка уровня знаний студентов]
Larisa G. Fedyuchenko
DOI: 10.18355/XL.2018.11.03.11
Abstract
The article focuses on the problems of teaching translation theory at the university level and the ways to eliminate the gap between the theory and practice of translation/interpreting. It revises different points of view on the problem and presents the two opposite opinions concerning the theory of translation, i.e. total rejection of translation theory and its justification. The article postulates, that theory and practice of translation/interpreting are interdependent and cannot function separately. The current paper asserts a lack of new educational techniques, which can integrate theory and practice. One of the ways to solve the problem is to rely on the volume and nature of the theory that the students of translation studies acquire during the course. Thus, the survey among the students of Tyumen State University (Tyumen, Russia) has been conducted, and its results show that the majority of them master practical knowledge faster and more willingly; as for the theory, the students learn some fundamental terms but have no clear understanding about their application. The results could be used in developing new teaching methods in the field, which in its turn will help to present translation theory as a means to explain a translation strategy and thus be flexible in decision-making process.
Key words: translation theory, translation studies, translation education, teaching methods, the linguistic theory of translation