Professional language training of the international relation students: the problems of teaching through translation

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УДК 378.016:811.11

PROFESSIONAL LANGUAGE TRAINING OF THE INTERNATIONAL RELATION STUDENTS: THE PROBLEMS OF TEACHING THROUGH TRANSLATION

S.V. Perova

The institutions of higher education provide necessary training for individuals wishing to enter professional careers. They strive to develop students' key competences, creativity, insight, and analytical skills. So-called

Language for Specific Purposes (LSP) - when a language is taught to students of non-linguistic specialities - is a major of higher education curriculum. University graduates, especially International Relations students are expected to be well-educated specialists with fundamental training in history, economics, political science, diplomacy and foreign languages. The professional sphere of the specialist in International Relations is the international political, economical and cultural community with all new shades of relations and socio-cultural implications the process of globalization has created. The changed socio-cultural priorities define the goal of the modern language training as the formation of both professional and key competences of the individual.

At the departments of International Relations foreign languages (usually English, German, and French) are studied as an applied discipline without theoretical courses in general linguistic subjects. The essence of professional language training of the International Relations students is to be practically prepared for the upcoming professional activities in their diversity. The essence and content of training doctrine have always defined and determined by the needs of the state.

The analysis of the theory and practice of professional language training of future specialists of International Relations has shown that its main components are: 1) the development of the professional competences; 2) the professionalism of language training; 3) the preparation of the students to act in the intercultural communication; 4) the usage of new technologies in the process of education.

It goes without saying that such a specific professional field as International Relations is the communication dependent one. The International Relations students require fluency in a foreign language (usually English) of major significance in international affairs because they are expected to be able to:

• explain the causes and consequences of key phenomena in International Relations;

• understand the strengths and weaknesses of different disciplinary approaches to the study of International Relations;

• communicate in a modern foreign language of major significance in international affairs;

• rigorously analyze and evaluate competing theories of International Relations.

It is indisputable that there are important works on teaching translation (V. Komissarov, L. Latyshev, N. Gavrilenko, L. Nelubin, S. Colina, D. Kelly, D. Stewart, M. Tennet) in recent years but the theses, manuals and course books on the problems of teaching translation are few in Ukraine (T. Hanicheva, G. Miram, A. Olkhovska, V. Sokolova, L. Chernovaty) and none of the papers are devoted to the problems of teaching translation of International Relations students. That's why this problem is of current importance, especially the issue of directionality in the classroom and the usage of so-called pedagogical translation.

The term “pedagogical translation” was mentioned by Jean Delisle as “intended to help the student acquire the rudiments of a language, or at a more advanced level, to perfect his style. It is never an end in itself, but always a means” [1, p. 107]. Consequently, this is translation primarily used as a language-learning activity rather than a translation-learning activity as such.

Pedagogical translation can of course be either from native to foreign language or from foreign to native language - there is no reason why translation as an aid to language learning should not be bidirectional. Nevertheless, in practice pedagogical translation seems to be more readily associated with translation into a foreign language, with the encoding rather than the decoding of the foreign language. This is the type of translation referred to by Newmark when he observes that “brief translations from native to foreign languages are useful for the consolidation and testing of spoken and written utterances”. Traditionally, pedagogical translation into a foreign language - translation as a foreign language learning exercise - has been known as `prose translation' in the English-speaking world, and theme in the French-speaking world [2].

There two points here. Firstly, many scholars have pointed out that this type of exercise goes back a long way, inspired by the manner in which Latin and Greek were taught within the framework of the grammar-translation method. Secondly, it is a widespread language-learning activity: whether effected by the translation of texts or of isolated sentences pedagogical translation can be defended as a language-learning technique, even if somebody is not enthusiastic about it as well as he / she can't be enthusiastic about dictation or about grammatical drills [2]. No gail can equally serve all passengers. We see eye to eye with J. Stoddart on the issue: “over 60% of world is bi- or multi-lingual, so translation is an everyday activity for many people, with extremely practical applications. The fact that translation has been frowned upon implies that take a very Euro-centric view language: since (most) countries are monolingual (at least officially), we seem to think this is the norm, not the exception, and that “good” practice should reflect this. This is hugely unjust to the millions people who speak two or more languages daily” [3]. So, the aim of our article is to describe the place of translation in the International Relations students audience, to find out its advantages and benefits for learners.

The profession of International Relations specialists means regular contacts to foreign partners. The good knowledge of language (especially language of the host country, the native language of the business partner) and key rules of the communications allows a speaker to conduct conversation without the translator and causes respect of the interlocutor. That's why it is necessary to pay attention not only to the professional terminology, but also to the features of another language culture, including the culture of the communication, verbal and nonverbal displays of professional and everyday culture. The importance of students' translation competence that is necessary for the future professional usage of the foreign language is obvious.

In order to get the view of the problem under consideration we analyse a number of coursebooks in English for International Relations [4; 5; 6] and come to the conclusion that the lower-level coursebooks include the translation technique as a classroom activity while the advanced-level ones don't. There seems to be two points here. The first is the materials are designed with international markets in mind, including multi-lingual classes, where using translation would be unwieldy. The second is the learners who have reached an advanced level of proficiency in English are considered not to need translation as a tool for acquisition, since they are already able to manipulate the language system successfully and do not need mother-tongue reassurance as they gain new language.

Let's have a look at some of the issues central to the translation process because they are important for understanding the mistakes in International Relations learners' production. The errors they commit in speaking and writing are all unquestionably due to translating - consciously or not - directly from their mother tongue. professional training competence studying

Any language is conveyed through the combination of signs, these being the letters or sounds the writer or speaker uses to convey some meaning. These signs vary from language to language. To be able to translate the definite message the translator must decode the signs of the source text to understand the message, then analyse the message for meaning and transpose the contents into the target language and, finally, reformulate the message using the signs of the target language. Undoubtedly, the closer the source language is to the target language, the easier it will be to transfer meaning successfully. Difficulties arise when the source language and the target language are more distant, or when the so-called “meaning-patterns” of the target language differ from the source language, the case they are likely to influence target production.

Translation goes beyond simply linguistic equation of meaning, since in practice anyone involved in the process must be aware of the paralinguistic implications of the message being conveyed. A good example is the translation of the English pronoun you. Although context often indicates the relationship between the speaker and the hearer, English makes no distinction between the number, nor shows levels of formality, using periphrasis to overcome the category of number. In order to recode you into Ukrainian or Russian the translator must decide whether ти / ты or Ви / Вы is more appropriate. The translator has to take strategic decisions. These encompass the semantic and pragmatic features of the text, and address one of the most controversial issues of translation: how close should the target text be to the source text? The translator must decide whether his / her version should be nearer the source text, and thus risk the source language fluency, or be a freestanding example of discourse in the target language, and risk being an unrecognizable version of the source text.

Without doubt, one of the issues central to the translation process is linguistic equivalence. This concept rules that every lexical item carries with it a set of culture-bound connotations, which makes the process of translating one message accurately into another very difficult. Native speakers are aware of these connotations and so there is little scope for serious misunderstanding between them. However, when non-native speakers use language, they may be unaware that some target language expressions are not fully equivalent to a source language term, which can lead to misunderstanding. Compare the English proverb “After death the doctor” and its Russian and Ukrainian translation “Дорога ложка к обеду”, “Як мертвому припарка”. As well as being interlingual, non-equivalence may also occur on an intralingual level, for example, the different concept of bathroom for the British and the American speakers.

Taking into consideration everything was said above we can not agree more with Jonathan Stoddart but point out pros and cons of using translation as a resource of teaching students. The disadvantages are:

- Translation focuses solely on two skills (reading and writing).

- Translation can only be used in a limited number of situations. It can be a useful practice activity, (especially if the text is chosen for the linguistic features it contains), and also for testing or evaluation, but cannot be used for, say, presenting new language.

- Translation is usually product-focused, with emphasis on final versions. This gives students no scope for discussing meaning, especially if the translation is set for homework. Students see it as a mechanical, dull activity because they are not aware of the benefits of translation as a process.

- It places high emphasis on accuracy, contradicting current methodological thinking. This brings into question the whole problem of how to evaluate translation. Evaluation is highly subjective, since there is no universal canon dictating which source and target structures equate. It is therefore difficult to say what is correct and what incorrect, although, presumably, rendering cat as chien would be considered an error. It is easy to focus on the weaknesses of the translation, rather than on its strengths.

- The teacher is required to have a high level of competence in the students' language. Also, translation can only be used successfully in monolingual teaching situations. There are a number of “paratextual features” in any source text which will cause the translator difficulties. For example, when writing formal letters, our International Relations students may use the valediction “With respect” rather than the standard “Yours faithfully/sincerely”, because the former is closer to the conventional form of Ukrainian.

- Many texts used are decontextualised, and graduation is often overlooked. Advanced students may be able to cope with most, if not all, texts on a linguistic level, but may have more problems decoding and recoding messages between source and target texts.

- To translate successfully requires a deep knowledge of both source and target culture. The transposition of ideas and concepts becomes very difficult if the target culture is unknown, or only partly known. In fact, our International relation students have poor knowledge of English-speaking countries culture and traditions.

- Students risk becoming over-reliant on translation and will be unable to acquire new language fully until they have translated it [3].

That might have been the case once, but applied linguistics has taken a great interest in translation recently, and it benefits students in the classroom. The advantages of using translation as a teaching resource are the following:

- Translation is ideal for studying the language system: its focus can be altered to make it genre, lexis, structure or function-specific.

- It encourages learners to think about meaning and form concurrently. This is because in translation they have already been provided with what they have to say, but need to say it in the target language.

- There is a wealth of ready-prepared, fully authentic texts at our fingertips with examples of all kinds of real language in use for learners to notice. This is surely a better way for learners to build up a holistic picture of the language system than giving them strings of language manipulation exercises. If necessary, or with low levels, texts can be made semi-authentic to highlight specific features of the target language, especially if translation is being used as a practice or evaluation activity, or for remedial and revision work.

- Translation can be used at all levels, and from the first lesson if required.

- It is a very humanistic approach, since all students are able to follow the development of the lesson.

- Translation helps students notice non-equivalent linguistic, semantic and pragmatic features of the second language. It is very important for non-linguistic students as International Relations students are.

- Using translation can help teachers draw students' attention to ingrained errors, such as false cognates, word order or time-tense distinctions.

- Translation gives students excellent practice in the subskills of reading and writing.

- It can help make learners'' writing more sophisticated if they think of what they want to say in their mother tongue and then, with help, transpose those ideas into the foreign language. Students are unaware of the implications of decoding and recoding a message, or of any of the problems such as equivalence, or loss and gain. Making students more aware of these concepts will sensitize them to the pitfalls of word-for-word translation which frequently occurs in their writing. Students need to be focused on the pragmatic functions of language, rather than on the linguistic features it displays, and, in my view, translation fulfils this objective well.

- Translation can be made a truly integrative activity, practising all four skills, and encouraging students to manipulate the target language together, through drafting, editing and reviewing, which makes translation less mechanical and product-focused.

In conclusion, it should be mentioned that translation can be a very valuable classroom activity. It is especially beneficial in the monolingual classroom of International Relations students. Translation is very useful for drawing learners' attention to the linguistic, semantic and pragmatic features of the target language. Naturally, it shouldn't be the panacea for every group of students and should be avoided while teaching the advanced level students. We cannot give up the best of traditional forms and methods of professional language training of students in order to revive the language practice. We consider the prospects of the further research work are in developing the greater use of the case studies, project-based, role-playing and business games in the professional language training of the International Relations students.

References

1. Delisle J. Terminologie de la traduction / Translation Terminology / Terminologia de la traduccion / Terminologie der Uberserzung (codir.) / Jean Delisle. - Amsterdam : John Benjamins, 1999. - 451 p.

2. Stewart D. Vocational translation training into a foreign language [Online resource] / D. Stewart // Intralinea. - 2008. - Vol. 10.

3. Турчин Д. Б. English for International Relations / Англійська мова для міжнародних відносин : навч. посіб. для студентів вищих навч. заклад. / Дмитро Турчин. - Вінниця : Нова Книга, 2011. - 256 с.

4. Кубъяс Л. Н. Английский для специалистов-международников = English for Experts in International Relations / Л. Н. Кубъяс, И. В. Кудачкина. - М. : АСТ : Восток-Запад, 2006. - 576 с.

5. Linklater A. The English school of international relation: a contemporary reassessment / Andrew Linklater, Hidemi Suganami. - New York : Cambridge University Press, 2006. - 292 p.

Annotation

У статті подається огляд досвіду професійної підготовки з англійської мови студентів, які навчаються за фахом „Міжнародні відносини”. Зазначено, що суть, мета і зміст професійної мовної підготовки здійснюється в межах компетентнісного підходу. Розглянуто основні компоненти професійної мовної підготовки студентів- міжнародників: розвиток професійної компетентності, професіоналізм мовної підготовки, готовність студентів спілкуватися в умовах міжкультурної комунікації, використання новітніх технологій у процесі навчання. Поняття „переклад” досліджується як мета і як засіб навчання іноземної мови студентів у вищому навчальному закладі. Висвітлено позитивні та негативні сторони застосування навчального / педагогічного перекладу, а також доведено доцільність застосування такого виду роботи на різних етапах підготовки майбутніх фахівців у сфері міжнародних відносин. Подано рекомендації щодо застосування навчального / педагогічного перекладу під час професійної мовної підготовки студентів.

Ключові слова: професійна мовна підготовка, компетентнісний підхід, переклад, педагогічний переклад, студенти-міжнародники.

Статья представляет собой обзор опыта профессиональной подготовки по английскому языку студентов, обучающихся по специальности „Международные отношения”. Указывается, что сущность, цели и содержание обучения профессиональной языковой подготовки осуществляется в рамках компетентностного подхода. Основные компоненты профессиональной языковой подготовки студентов-международников: развитие профессиональной компетентности, профессионализм языковой подготовки, готовность студентов общаться в условиях межкультурной коммуникации, использование новейших технологий в процессе обучения студентов. Понятие „перевод” рассматривается как цель и как средство обучения иностранному языку студентов высшего учебного заведения. Освещаются положительные и отрицательные стороны обучающего / педагогического перевода, а также доказана целесообразность применения этого вида работ на разных стадиях подготовки будущих специалистов в области международных отношений. Даются рекомендации по применению обучающего / педагогического перевода во время профессиональной языковой подготовки студентов.

Ключевые слова: профессиональная языковая подготовка, компетентностный подход, перевод, педагогический перевод, студенты- международники.

The article provides the review of the experience of professional training in the English language of International Relations students. It has been stated that the essence, the purpose and the contents of the professional language training is carried out within the limits of the competence-based approach. So-called Language for Specific Purposes (LSP) - when a language is taught to students of non-linguistic specialities - is a major of higher education curriculum. The analysis of the theory and practice of professional language training of future specialists of International Relations has shown that its main components are: the development of the professional competences; the professionalism of language training; the preparation of the students to act in the intercultural communication; the usage of new technologies in the process of education. The notion of “translation” has been explored as a goal and as a means of learning a foreign language in the institution of higher education. The issue of directionality in the classroom and the usage of so-called pedagogical translation has been taken into consideration. The advantages and disadvantages of pedagogical translation have been illustrated.

The expediency of applying such type of work on different stages of International Relations students training has been shown. It's been mentioned that translation can be a very valuable classroom activity. It is especially beneficial in the monolingual classroom of International Relations students. The recommendations on the students' teaching through traslation have been given.

Key words: professional language training, competence-based approach, translation, pedagogical translation, International Relations students.

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