CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH STATE OF THE PROBLEM OF TRANSLATION COMPETENCE ASSESSMENT

Abstract

The given article deals with the analysis of modern scientific studies conducted both abroad and in Ukraine on the problem of prospective philologists’ translation competence assessment. The author considers theoret­ical issues of assessment in general and testing in particular applied in foreign language training that can be easily adjusted and transformed to meet the needs of translation competence assessment.

The carried out overview of relevant linguistic and theoretical translation sources resulted in the necessity to specify the content and function of translation-oriented text analysis for the translation competence assess ment system. Deeper linguistic insights into lexical, grammatical, stylistic and structural features of the texts representing particular subject areas or spheres are deemed to be essential for their difficulty evaluation as well as for the further translation competence structure elaboration. Available translation quality assessment (TQA) models and approaches should be thoroughly investigated and used for the development of both motivating and practical assessment procedures to be applied in class.

Psychological and psycholinguistic studies prove the need in the assessment of both translation product and process to ensure valid and reliable evaluation of the students’ translation competence level due to the develop­ment of so called cross-assessment from different perspectives. The combination of hetero-, self- and peer-as­sessment procedures appears to be crucial for the elaboration of the efficient assessment system and develop­ment of students’ self- and peer-assessment skills and strategies. Prospective philologists’ cognitive, creative and mnemonic peculiarities should be also taken into account while constructing and developing assessment tools reflecting individualized and differentiating approach to the assessment of translation competence level.

Finally, the available technologies for training different translation aspects and types are analysed from the point of view of their correlation, assessment tools and criteria involved. They should be consolidated and arranged into unique system of translation competence assessment applied in modern higher educational establishments.