The Linguist is a languages magazine for professional linguists, translators, interpreters, language professionals, language teachers, trainers, students and academics with articles on translation, interpreting, business, government, technology
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22 The Linguist Vol/54 No/5 2015 www.ciol.org.uk FEATURES fellow translators. "The way I translate has changed. I view my options in a different light," she says. Former student Pierre Malherbet adds that the course has allowed him to take a step back and look critically at the way he works. "Trainees raise more questions than they answer but they learn to deal with them better," he says. "If I were to translate books that I published before I attended the course, I have no doubt I would go about it in a very different way." The ETL has already had one tangible result, according to Mannoni: "Seven translation prizes have been awarded to our students." They include the Prix Baudelaire and Prix Laure-Bataillon, which Fakambi received for her translation of Nii Ayikwei Parkes's Tail of the Blue Bird. According to trainer Michel Volkovitch, the recipients "were already excellent when they joined but I am sure we helped them improve further". Fakambi says the training was wonderful. "The workshops in various languages, including languages one does not speak – Russian, Turkish, Korean, etc – were fascinating because the same issues will arise whatever the language," she says. "We enhance the French language by expanding it through these foreign literary works which we translate." So what next for the ETL? According to Volkovitch, "It no longer has anything to prove, but I have high hopes for its future partnership with the [higher educational institution] École Normale Supérieure, which has a wealth of potential translators." Superb translation skills can do justice to masterpieces, and as conditions and training continue to improve, book lovers in France should be able to get their hands on an increasing number of chefs d'oeuvre. Helen Astley looks at the future of the European Graduate Placement Scheme following a successful pilot I ts pilot phase complete, the European Graduate Placement Scheme (EGPS) 1 has a growing database of 60 language service providers offering internships to Translation students in 59 cities across 14 countries. It provides a tested framework for integrating work placements into MA programmes. 104 students have taken part so far: 14 in local placements and 90 internationally. Many more students are registered this year, as the project continues to expand. Initially funded by Erasmus, EGPS aims to improve the work-readiness of students through two strands: a curriculum providing authentic tasks to mirror industry practices, and a framework for practical work placements embedded within MA in Translation programmes. Language service providers register their internship offer on a searchable database and students at participating universities can apply. While on placement, they complete a reflective portfolio linked to occupational standards (see www.e-gps.org/wp-content/uploads /2014/05/OccupationalESF.pdf), which facilitate assessment, accreditation and consistency. They cover not only the quality of translation but also self assessment, quality assurance and key practical aspects, from teamwork and meeting deadlines to negotiating a brief. Clear handbooks provide guidance for the employer and student. The aim is not to prescribe but to provide tested models that can be adapted by different institutions to suit their needs. From study to work The course is free: funded through a tax on authors towards the training of writers and translators The attraction Employers joining the project are keen to help to improve student performance and to develop partnerships with universities. Interns can help during periods of high workload and to meet ongoing native speaker needs. For Codex Global, which has now hired its EGPS interns, it is as important to invest in training interns as full-time members of staff, so that they can be retained as employees. Codex believes internships have a positive impact on customer relations, supporting the company identity: young, committed and transparent. Finding placement opportunities for students has been problematic for universities in the past, so the database is invaluable. Almost as important, however, is the EGPS's integrated approach to the curriculum, with a focus on authentic projects. This was developed by Don Kiraly's team at the Faculty of Translation Studies, Linguistics and Cultural Studies (FTSK), University of Mainz, one of the EGPS partner organisations, alongside the University of Salford, Pedagogical University of Cracow, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and coordinating partner SkillsCFA. The assumption is that while some skills can be learned through instruction, discretionary translation skills, such as how to work effectively in a team, deal with unforeseen difficulties and juggle conflicting ethical, professional and technical constraints, require autonomous thinking and are best acquired on the job. Following initial tuition, students take on a series of simulated and then real