Institute of Translation and Interpreting, Faculty of Arts, University of Prešov.
Translation studies represent a relatively new discipline which has been quickly developing due to the universal use of translation. There are several centres of translatology in Slovakia which have a specific research role and are reflected both in Slovakia and abroad (UK Bratislava, UKF Nitra, UMB Banská Bystrica, PU Prešov).
Prof. Anna Valcerová and Prof. Ladislav Šimon are considered to be the founders of Prešov translatology school, both of them being active in the field of translation theory, translation criticism and literary translation. They have founded the Institute of Translation and Interpreting at Faculty of Arts of University of Prešov (IPaT FF PU) in 2005 after the approval of a new study program 2.1.35 translation studies and interpreting. The Institute received accreditation in all three degrees of university study – 1st Bachelor’s, 2nd Master’s and 3rd Ph.D. The Institute supervises Ph.D. study in the following scientific programs: 2.1.35 translation studies and interpreting and 81-03-9 – theory and history of Slovak literature. Since 2007 the Institute has obtained the right to credit habilitation and professor appointments in the above mentioned fields. Prof. A. Valcerová became a director of the Institute and has cooperated with the scholars and senior lecturers from other institutes of the faculty.
The team of lecturers has risen from the members of other institutes (of Slovak, French, Spanish, German, Russian and Ukrainian studies) that have specialized in the field of translation before the formation of the Institute. Following the membership of Slovakia in the European Union there emerged the need for translators and interpreters for the European Union institutions and the necessity of studying legal and economic texts translation. The Institute educates the future interpreters, translators of literature, theoreticians, critics and historians in the field of translation studies.
The students of our program are acquainted with the study of particular language levels, namely orthography, orthophony, morphology, syntax, lexicology and lexicography, stylistics and rhetoric, general linguistics and sociolinguistics, mainly in contrastive aspect. These linguistic disciplines are taught within the so called general base in the bachelor and master’s study program for all the language study programs in the field of translation and interpreting. Among other disciplines taught at the Institute as the part of so called wider base subjects are European international institutions, Slovak institutions, basics of economy, information technology, Slovak history and culture.
The original concept of translation and interpreting studies consists of bilingual system of study of foreign language and so called general base formed by both compulsory and obligatory optional basic translatology disciplines: theory and history of literary translation, theory of technical translation, didactics of translation and interpreting and practice of translating. Students of the Master’s degree of study can choose between specialization either on the literary translation or the technical one. The subjects then include the linguistic disciplines of mother language (so called language A) and other disciplines according to the chosen specialization. In this sense all the subjects in the so called compulsory core are alternating. A student must choose one of the subjects according to one’s specialization – so both types of students, whether they concentrate on literary or technical translation, choose their own group of disciplines associated with their specialization. It is a so called model Y, which is implemented in translatology studies program at several universities abroad. General knowledge for both branches is provided by the disciplines of theory and history of literary translation, theory of technical translation and didactics of translation and interpreting which are all part of the final state exam.
The Institutions of European Union as well as other private companies in Slovakia and abroad prefer translators and interpreters with linguistic skills in more than one target language (languages B and C, etc.). The interpreters must be trained as far as their interpreting and psycho-physical competence is concerned. Special rooms with interpreters’ cabins were used at our faculty even before the founding of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting. The Ministry of Education of Slovak republic has provided a grant for the building of the so called Centre of Excellence which will establish other specialized classrooms for simulation of conference translation and interpreting similar to EU system. The leader of the project is Prof. J. Sipko. The members of the Institute participate in the following projects:
KEGA project No. 3/2230/04 – Study program for the Translation and Interpreting disciplines, Ph.D. degree have included all three degrees of study to form a complex system of related subjects and disciplines. The outcome of the project – the concept of the study at our Institute – is introduced in the proceedings Translation and its Didactic Transformation, ed. A. Valcerová, Prešov, FF PU 2005.
Other projects: VEGA project No. 1/3716/06 – Literature in intercultural Relations,
VEGA Project No. 1/3720/06 – Theory of a Literary Work
VEGA No. 1/9341/02 – Cultural Basis of Russian-Slovak and Slovak-Russian Comparisons in Contemporary Text.
VEGA No. 1/2234/05 – Language of Truth and of a Lie.
Within the research grants we have organized an international conference Relations and Connections in Translation which resulted in publishing of two volumes of proceedings: Relations and Connections in Technical Translation and Relations and Connections in Literary Translation both published by FF PU in 2007. This concluded establishing of the basic profile of the Institute as an institution of science and education. The members of the Institute have attended several conferences in Slovakia as well as abroad which meant the acceptance of the Institute among other similar research and educational centers specializing on the field of translatology.
Prof. Anna Valcerová and Prof. Ladislav Šimon are considered to be the founders of Prešov translatology school, both of them being active in the field of translation theory, translation criticism and literary translation. They have founded the Institute of Translation and Interpreting at Faculty of Arts of University of Prešov (IPaT FF PU) in 2005 after the approval of a new study program 2.1.35 translation studies and interpreting. The Institute received accreditation in all three degrees of university study – 1st Bachelor’s, 2nd Master’s and 3rd Ph.D. The Institute supervises Ph.D. study in the following scientific programs: 2.1.35 translation studies and interpreting and 81-03-9 – theory and history of Slovak literature. Since 2007 the Institute has obtained the right to credit habilitation and professor appointments in the above mentioned fields. Prof. A. Valcerová became a director of the Institute and has cooperated with the scholars and senior lecturers from other institutes of the faculty.
The team of lecturers has risen from the members of other institutes (of Slovak, French, Spanish, German, Russian and Ukrainian studies) that have specialized in the field of translation before the formation of the Institute. Following the membership of Slovakia in the European Union there emerged the need for translators and interpreters for the European Union institutions and the necessity of studying legal and economic texts translation. The Institute educates the future interpreters, translators of literature, theoreticians, critics and historians in the field of translation studies.
The students of our program are acquainted with the study of particular language levels, namely orthography, orthophony, morphology, syntax, lexicology and lexicography, stylistics and rhetoric, general linguistics and sociolinguistics, mainly in contrastive aspect. These linguistic disciplines are taught within the so called general base in the bachelor and master’s study program for all the language study programs in the field of translation and interpreting. Among other disciplines taught at the Institute as the part of so called wider base subjects are European international institutions, Slovak institutions, basics of economy, information technology, Slovak history and culture.
The original concept of translation and interpreting studies consists of bilingual system of study of foreign language and so called general base formed by both compulsory and obligatory optional basic translatology disciplines: theory and history of literary translation, theory of technical translation, didactics of translation and interpreting and practice of translating. Students of the Master’s degree of study can choose between specialization either on the literary translation or the technical one. The subjects then include the linguistic disciplines of mother language (so called language A) and other disciplines according to the chosen specialization. In this sense all the subjects in the so called compulsory core are alternating. A student must choose one of the subjects according to one’s specialization – so both types of students, whether they concentrate on literary or technical translation, choose their own group of disciplines associated with their specialization. It is a so called model Y, which is implemented in translatology studies program at several universities abroad. General knowledge for both branches is provided by the disciplines of theory and history of literary translation, theory of technical translation and didactics of translation and interpreting which are all part of the final state exam.
The Institutions of European Union as well as other private companies in Slovakia and abroad prefer translators and interpreters with linguistic skills in more than one target language (languages B and C, etc.). The interpreters must be trained as far as their interpreting and psycho-physical competence is concerned. Special rooms with interpreters’ cabins were used at our faculty even before the founding of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting. The Ministry of Education of Slovak republic has provided a grant for the building of the so called Centre of Excellence which will establish other specialized classrooms for simulation of conference translation and interpreting similar to EU system. The leader of the project is Prof. J. Sipko. The members of the Institute participate in the following projects:
KEGA project No. 3/2230/04 – Study program for the Translation and Interpreting disciplines, Ph.D. degree have included all three degrees of study to form a complex system of related subjects and disciplines. The outcome of the project – the concept of the study at our Institute – is introduced in the proceedings Translation and its Didactic Transformation, ed. A. Valcerová, Prešov, FF PU 2005.
Other projects: VEGA project No. 1/3716/06 – Literature in intercultural Relations,
VEGA Project No. 1/3720/06 – Theory of a Literary Work
VEGA No. 1/9341/02 – Cultural Basis of Russian-Slovak and Slovak-Russian Comparisons in Contemporary Text.
VEGA No. 1/2234/05 – Language of Truth and of a Lie.
Within the research grants we have organized an international conference Relations and Connections in Translation which resulted in publishing of two volumes of proceedings: Relations and Connections in Technical Translation and Relations and Connections in Literary Translation both published by FF PU in 2007. This concluded establishing of the basic profile of the Institute as an institution of science and education. The members of the Institute have attended several conferences in Slovakia as well as abroad which meant the acceptance of the Institute among other similar research and educational centers specializing on the field of translatology.