2015, Vol.16, No.4

The Journal of Translation Studies 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 1.49

pISSN : 1229-795X
https://journal.kci.go.kr/kats

The aim of this paper is to analyze socio-cultural features of Korean society and their influence on Korean translation teaching style (student-centered vs. teacher-centered) in comparison with France. This study is primarily based on information collected through interviews, Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ) and class observation. Whilst the study does not cover translation education of the two countries in its entirety, findings suggest that socio-cultural factors in Korean society - including hierarchy, collectivism, and the tendency of learners to refrain from classroom discussion in favor of teacher-centered teaching methods - has in part induced students adopting a passive attitude toward learning. In addition, the Korean education system is based on rote memorization with MCQ test. Furthermore, the use of MCQ has weakened Korean students’ creativity in translation. Comparatively, it seems that such situations are not as prevalent in France where classes are more often student-oriented, with two-way communication between teachers and students and that the teaching style is influenced by the socio-cultural background of France. It is also characterized by strong individualism, emphasis on flexible/creative thinking, and non-hierarchical interpersonal relations. To improve translator education in Korea and overcome some challenges associated with sociocultural factors in Korean society, three suggestions are offered: a combination of student-led class discussions with constructive input by teachers, enlisting theory to enhance the students’ creative capacity and problem-solving skills, motivating students to foster more proactive learning.

In this essay, I explore the meaning and potential of teaching translation and popularizing the use of translation studies (TS) in a university setting. TS has managed to establish roots for itself, slowly but surely, over the last two decades in Japan. Universities are offering more and more courses that treat translation within the context of intercultural communication, literature, and linguistics, and invigorating academic societies. The effects of translation education on students are diverse and beyond simple foreign language learning: Translation is vital in enabling people from different cultures and even different lifestyles to interact. Japanese industries want global talents to have the ability to apply their knowledge and skills especially in science and technology in the appropriate contexts, and to benefit others by sharing information as they work in groups to formulate designs for technological innovation. These human resources have to render their messages of information in the proper format and communicate it in a way that suits their intended audience. In other words, what people need to transcend professional boundaries and collaborate with a diverse community in international society is the “ability to translate.” Learning how to translate, then, helps free people from the shells of their individual thinking patterns and acknowledge the need for flexibility and adaptability from a meta standpoint.

In April, 2015 Nagoya University of Foreign Studies (NUFS) in Japan launched a new graduate program: ‘Master of Arts in Public Interest Interpreting and Translation’ (修士公益通訳翻訳, Shūshi Kōeki Tsūyaku Hon’yaku). The program aims at fostering interpreters-translators, who would engage in work in the judiciary, public administration, healthcare, education, disaster management and other public interest-related settings. Even though this genre of interpreting and translation (especially in legal and healthcare settings) has gained much attention in recent years both in Japan and overseas, there are still many problems and challenges to tackle. As there are few educational courses that train interpreters-translators in non-conference and non-business fields, those working in the abovementioned settings often find themselves with no guidance or development opportunities, having to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills on the job. This paper gives an overview of the situation in public interest interpreting and translation in Japan and introduces the new program at NUFS with a discussion of the problems and challenges interpreters-translators, as well as those educating them, face.