Bridging the Gap between Academia and the Market

Laila Galal Rizk

Faculty of Al Alsun (Languages)

Ain Shams University

Current status of translation teaching in Egyptian universities

The skills gap between academia and the market

Bridging the gapAl Alsun –Arabize Cooperation

Model

Presentation Overview

Current Status of Translation Teaching

1. Lack of a systematic approach in developing translation courses.

2. Teaching of traditional domains, including political, economic, literary translation, etc.

Current Status of Translation Teaching

3. Little knowledge of new emerging areas in the field, including localization and machine translation.

4. No exposure to other translation-related roles, such as those of terminologist, computational linguist, localizer, and technical writer.

Current Status of Translation Teaching

5. Limited exposure to translation genres used in international organisations, the language policies of such organisations, and the working environment they provide for translators.

6. Lack of professional skills and issues in translation courses, including revising and editing, ethics, quality control, and client education.

Current Status of Translation Teaching

7. Unfamiliarity with the various types of tools currently used in the market, such as machine translation, translation memory, on-line dictionaries, and website automation technologies.

1.Learning and innovations

skills;

2. Digital literacy skills;

3. Life and career skills.

21st Century Skills: Learning for Life In Our Times Trilling and Fadel (2009)

1. Oral & written communication

2. Critical thinking & problem

solving

3. Professionalism & work ethics

4. Team work and collaboration

The Gap between Academia and the Market

5. Working in diverse teams

6. Applying technology

7. Leadership & project management

(Trilling & Fadel 7)

The Gap between Academia and the Market

Recommendations of Al Alsun Forum on “Academic Programs

and the Job Market”

Al Alsun, Ain Shams University

March 5, 2013

The Gap between Academia and the Market

Technology skills and applications. Writing and editing skills Arabic language skills Initiative and self-direction Productivity and accountability Leadership and responsibility

The Gap between Academia and the Market

Bridging the Gap between Academia and the Market

Paradigm Shift

Instruction Paradigm

Deliver instruction Improve the quality

of instructionLearning basic

skills & facts

Learning Paradigm

Enable learner Improve the quality

of students’ learningHigher order skills

Paradigm Shift

Instruction Paradigm

Curriculum development

Presentational use of technology (passive: ppt., webcasts, …)

Learning Paradigm

Learning technologies development

Developmental use of technology (active: manipulate, reflect, use, share, ….)

Introduce TT skills in translation courses (hands-on experience with machine translation, translation memory, localization software and terminology management systems).

Integrate higher order skills in the

translation curricula.

Bridging the Gap: Suggestions

Bridging the Gap: Suggestions Bring in the practical expertise of the

industry in content, curriculum design, pedagogies, and materials of translation courses.

Encourage the close collaboration between translation teachers and industry partners to ensure that courses possess the maximum of professional relevance.

Al Alsun –Arabize Cooperation

Model

Al Alsun –Arabize CooperationModel

Awareness-raising sessions: introducing new areas; providing a link between academia & the market.

Industry input in the curricula of the new Translation Program.

Al Alsun –Arabize CooperationModel

Collaboration on courses introducing localization concepts and tools.

Providing training opportunities for students.

Final Thought

Egypt’s position as an important educational and cultural centre in the Arab World.

Potential and large marketplace for translation and interpretation.

Translation courses should make learning relevant by addressing the gap between academia and the translation industry and enhancing the access of the labour market for translation graduates.

Thank you!