Professionalisation of translator training in the people's republic of China

Abstract

This paper deals with the problem of professionalisation of translators. It looks at the system of professionalisation that has developed in Chinese universities that train translators. The essence of the concept of 'professionalisation' is specified in the context of this study. The trend of recent years towards an increasing number of higher education institutions authorised to offer the Master of Translation and Interpretation (MTI) programme has been noted. The focus is on marketisation is an important factor in MTI training. The most important teaching methods for effective professionalisation are presented: specialisation in a particular field, case-study, the comparative analysis method, method of combining theory and practice, process-oriented approach, the product-oriented approach, the computer assisted translation method, the translation workshop method, the translation corpus method, the consciously practical method. The main advantages of the translator training system are identified: the continuity of the professionalisation process – from the beginning of university studies to further training during the career, the practical orientation of the majority of the courses, the wide range of practical training opportunities in different organisations and institutions, the specialisation in specific fields (technology, medicine, economics, etc.), the use of effective teaching methods to develop practical skills in interpretation and translation. The important role of on-campus learning centres and off-campus internship bases set up by colleges and universities to facilitate internships for students is noted.