Alignment of Translation Technology Training with Professional Practice in Mexico: A Glimpse into the Situation

Abstract

An exploratory study about the use of translation technologies in translation programs in Mexico reported that few professors teach technology in few translation courses. Some reasons for this were that they had not been well trained in their academic programs when they were students, or they lacked a more comprehensive knowledge of these technologies (Peña Aguilar 2018). Effective training was not possible for most of these instructors as students, and they seemed to be reproducing similar learning insufficiencies with future translators. Because of this, another survey-based project was devised to identify the use that professionals who graduated from Mexican translation programs are making of translation technologies. What could be their disposition towards the use of translation technologies? The results indicate that professional translators do not resort to the use of ‘core’ translation technologies very often, but do use other electronic resources useful for accomplishing their tasks. One in two translators thinks their income has increased due to their technology knowledge, and they learn about these technologies on their own. Additionally, they are partly enthusiastic and neutral about using translation tools of this type. Professional translators think they could have learned about translation environment tools (TEnTs) at university (and they wish they had), but university instructors are still not teaching these technologies as much. So, there is a need reported by a few professionals, but not being dealt by some university programs. This could tell about the need to change or revise translation programs or, at the very least, the need to have a change of attitude on the side of university instructors. In contrast, those that are doing their part would hopefully find some reasons to keep up.

Keywords

• translation technologies
• translation training
• translation environment tools
• computer-aided translation
• CAT

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