‘No news is good news?’ The role of feedback in the virtual-team-style translation production network

Abstract Professional translation is now predominantly carried out in virtual-team-style production networks where communication between language service providers (LSPs) and freelance translators’ practice is increasingly restricted to computerised methods. Although some literature deals with interactions between different participants in the translation production network, little attention has been paid to the ways in which they exchange feedback on translation products. Using observation and interview methods, this article examines how feedback is perceived and dealt with by freelance translators and LSPs’ project managers. Our results suggest that, although both groups share the value of feedback to some extent, feedback does not always reach translators and the translators are not always aware of the rationale behind it. By drawing on the Job Characteristics Model (JCM) (Hackman and Oldham 1980), which was developed in organisational psychology, we argue that incorporating feedback in the job constructs of freelance translators’ work may help to enhance translators’ motivation.</jats:p

An empirical study on the use of note-taking for Consecutive Interpreting in the teaching of written translation

ABSTRACT In this article, I argue that the teaching of note-taking as used in consecutive interpreting can form an effective component of the teaching of written translation, specifically for understanding the clause relations within an English text and reproducing them in a Japanese translation. The present study aims to test the validity of this claim and to discuss its implications. The study includes an account of an experiment designed to investigate whether knowledge and experience of note-taking influences students&apos; translation products and processes. The outcome of the experiment suggests that the use of note-taking can possibly have a positive effect on the teaching of translation, especially in relation to understanding and reproducing clause relations within the text

Employment, skills and tripartite relations : the evolution of skill development systems in Japan and Singapore

The study addresses the historical processes by which interactions between the state, business and labour influence the evolution of skill development systems. Such systems consists not only of education and training providers, but also of employment practices, the wage structure and the articulation of qualifications in the labour market, which form the broad incentive mechanism for individuals and firms to train. Individuals and firms responding to formal, and informal, rules and incentives create a generalised pattern of training behaviour, which provides the distinctive character of each skills system.\ud The study argues that relations and interactions between the state, business and labour have a major influence on shaping the rules and incentives, which are referred to here as institutions. The study demonstrates that a skills development system is an historical product, reflecting the evolution of power relations, contested interests and economic and social changes. While the system is often influenced by changing skill demands stemming from economic, political and technological challenges, it is also shaped by how the stakeholders respond to these challenges by creating or changing the institutions that make up the system.\ud An analysis of the evolution of the skill development systems in Japan and Singapore demonstrates the influence of these types of historical processes. While the dominant theoretical perspective used in analysing skill systems in East Asia emphasises the instrumental role of the state, the analysis of Japan and Singapore highlighted considerable differences in the state's role. The study acknowledges the usefulness of the developmental state perspective, but finds that viewing the skills system through the lens of tripartite interactions revealed the influence played by nonstate forces -in particular in the case of Japan but to some extent also in Singaporewhich have not been sufficiently accounted for previously. The skill development system in each country reflects unique accumulation of historical conflicts, compromises and agreements between the stakeholders. Therefore, this explains the different systems in Japan and Singapore. \u

Disruption in translator-client matching: paid crowdsourcing platforms vs human project managers

The paid crowdsourcing business model has brought a disruptive change to the translator procurement environment, offering clients algorithm-based automated systems as an alternative to conventional human-mediated project management services. This article analyses the conceptual/epistemological differences between the two from the viewpoint of knowledge management and considers the implications for future development of the industry.El model de negoci per subcontractació massiva (crowdsourcing) pagada ha provocat un canvi disruptiu en l'àmbit del reclutament de professionals de la traducció, perquè ofereix als clients sistemes automatitzats basats en algoritmes com a alternativa als serveis tradicionals de gestió de projectes fets per persones. Aquest article analitza les diferències conceptuals/epistemològiques entre tots dos models des del punt de vista de la gestió del coneixement i planteja les seves implicacions en el futur desenvolupament d'aquesta indústria.El modelo de negocio por subcontratación masiva (crowdsourcing) pagada ha provocado un cambio disruptivo en el ámbito del reclutamiento de profesionales de la traducción, porque ofrece a los clientes sistemas automatizados basados en algoritmos como alternativa a los servicios convencionales de gestión de proyectos mediados por personas. Este artículo analiza las diferencias conceptuales/epistemológicas entre los dos modelos desde el punto de vista de la gestión del conocimiento y plantea sus implicaciones en el futuro desarrollo de esta industria

Identifying and Utilizing the Class of Monosemous Japanese Functional Expressions in Machine Translation

PACLIC 23 / City University of Hong Kong / 3-5 December 200

Introduction to the special dossier section "Translation and Disruption"

No abstract available