Workplace-Oriented Definition of Translation Competence: An Empirical Study

This study aims at exploring workplace-oriented translation competence, and investigating to what extent students of translation are aware of that competence. Workplace-oriented translation competence refers to attitudes, abilities, skills and knowledge sets required to maintain a career of a successful professional translator in the market. In other words, it has to do with the level of professionalism a translator is. In order to answer questions related to the above aim, the study explores the views of working translators as well as students of translation through interviews and questionnaires. Out of the interviews, a list of skills and knowledge sets clarifying the workplace-oriented competence was produced. That list was used to design the questionnaire, the results of which indicated that students of translation are aware of the workplace-oriented translation competence. The study has clear implications for the translation curriculum and teaching methodology.