The Integration of Professional Translators’ 21st Century Profile in Teaching Translation at Batna University

Abstract

The present study aims at developing a translational language teaching model that focuses on both linguistic knowledge and other 21st century skills. Translators are alleged to possess a specific profile that is compatible with the demands of the current epoch. Ergo, this study is targeted towards inquiring (1) whether the 21st century translating competences required abroad apply to the Algerian milieu, (2) the translating skills that Algerian professional translators possess, (3) the role of these skills in improving trainee translators’ translating competences, and (4) whether equipping translation trainees with these skills compensate for the non-mastery of languages used in translation. As a start, this article pinpoints the variegated roles of translators in the wake of globalisation. Moreover, it highlights the concentric role of Competency-Based Approach in designing a feasible curriculum for translation. Therefore, after ascertaining the fact that Batna Translation Department adheres to the traditional teaching of translation, and after examining the profiles of Algerian public service, freelance, and part-time translators through questionnaires, we devised a Translational Language Teaching Model that incorporates both the teaching of languages and 21st century translation competencies. Doing so may enhance learners’ translation profiles to be multilingual decoders who can perform other mediatory tasks in three languages similarly. Yet, Algerian translators’ mother tongue is Algerian Arabic, and none of the aforementioned languages plays that role, for they are all taught as second/foreign languages. Thus, the suggested Translational Language Teaching model is deliberated to be a ‘realistic’ programme for teaching the translation whose initial aim is to overcome translators’ weaknesses.

Keywords: 21st century skills, competency-based approach, curriculum, linguistic knowledge, mother tongue, translational language teaching model