Publication type: Conference other
Type of review: Peer review (abstract)
Title: Educating for ergonomics : building translators’ awareness in and beyond the curriculum
Authors: Massey, Gary
Hunziker Heeb, Andrea
et. al: No
Proceedings: Book of abstracts : EST congress 2019
Conference details: 9th Congress of the European Society for Translation Studies (EST 2019), Stellenbosch, South Africa, 9-13 September 2019
Issue Date: 2019
Publisher / Ed. Institution: Stellenbosch University
Language: English
Subjects: Translation ergonomics; Organisational ergonomics; Physical ergonomics; Cognitive ergonomics; Translation competence; Ttranslator education; Translation pedagogy; Professional translation
Subject (DDC): 418.02: Translating and interpreting
620: Engineering
Abstract: Recent research on ergonomics at and about the translator’s workplace has shown how physical, cognitive, sociotechnical and other environmental factors can impact on professional translators’ performance, efficiency and motivation (e.g. Ehrensberger-Dow 2017, Ehrensberger-Dow and Hunziker Heeb 2016; Ehrensberger-Dow and Jääskeläinen 2019; Ehrensberger-Dow and Massey 2014; Ehrensberger-Dow and O’Brien 2015; Ehrensberger-Dow and Massey 2017; Ehrensberger-Dow et al. 2016; Meidert et al. 2016; Martikainen and Kübler 2016; Teixeira and O’Brien 2017, 2018). This, in turn, can and does have consequences on the quality of translators’ and post-editors’ work. The detrimental effects of poor physical, cognitive and organizational ergonomics suggest strongly that improved knowledge and awareness should inform the (continuing) education of future and practising translators. This has been recognized by, among others, the 2017 European Master’s in Translation (EMT) Competence Framework, which lists considering and adapting to the organizational and physical ergonomics of the working environment as an essential skill (EMT Board 2017). An ergonomic perspective can help prepare students for workplace realities and empower them and professionals alike to identify and change dysfunctional practices (e.g. Ehrensberger-Dow 2017; Ehrensberger-Dow and Jääskeläinen 2019; Peters-Geiben 2016). In this paper, we present and evaluate dedicated seminars for translation students and professionals undertaken at the authors’ institute and briefly outline assessments conducted at professionals’ workplaces as part of a large-scale research project on translation ergonomics. We report on a questionnaire study of the students, graduates and professionals involved in the seminars and assessments aimed at gauging the learning effects and sustainability of these initiatives. Moving beyond the curriculum, we conclude by exploring the feasibility and forms of educating professionals so as to empower them to take an active part in identifying and, wherever necessary, transforming physical, cognitive and organizational ergonomic practices at the workplace.
URI: https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/18415
Fulltext version: Published version
License (according to publishing contract): Licence according to publishing contract
Departement: Applied Linguistics
Organisational Unit: Institute of Translation and Interpreting (IUED)
Appears in collections:Publikationen Angewandte Linguistik

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Massey, G., & Hunziker Heeb, A. (2019). Educating for ergonomics : building translators’ awareness in and beyond the curriculum. Book of Abstracts : EST Congress 2019.
Massey, G. and Hunziker Heeb, A. (2019) ‘Educating for ergonomics : building translators’ awareness in and beyond the curriculum’, in Book of abstracts : EST congress 2019. Stellenbosch University.
G. Massey and A. Hunziker Heeb, “Educating for ergonomics : building translators’ awareness in and beyond the curriculum,” in Book of abstracts : EST congress 2019, 2019.
MASSEY, Gary und Andrea HUNZIKER HEEB, 2019. Educating for ergonomics : building translators’ awareness in and beyond the curriculum. In: Book of abstracts : EST congress 2019. Conference presentation. Stellenbosch University. 2019
Massey, Gary, and Andrea Hunziker Heeb. 2019. “Educating for Ergonomics : Building Translators’ Awareness in and beyond the Curriculum.” Conference presentation. In Book of Abstracts : EST Congress 2019. Stellenbosch University.
Massey, Gary, and Andrea Hunziker Heeb. “Educating for Ergonomics : Building Translators’ Awareness in and beyond the Curriculum.” Book of Abstracts : EST Congress 2019, Stellenbosch University, 2019.


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