Interpreter/translator education at the undergraduate level: Principles and practices
Education usually begins with setting a suitable goal. The education of interpreters/translators is no exception here. As the profession of interpreting/translation is based on practical business, the training of interpreters/translators is to be influenced by diverse business-related variables, including supply and demand of interpreters/translators. We should therefore take these variables into consideration when we set a goal for interpreter/translator education. Interpreting/translation education in Korea has been till now an elite training at the graduate level, With the diversification of interpreting/translation modes and languages, however, we need an increasing number of interpreters/translators with various focuses (court interpreting, document translators etc.). That is why interpreting/translation education at the undergraduate level is inevitable. We start this paper with analysis of the current situation of the Korean interpreting/translation market, utilizing statistical data. Then, general goal and principles of interpreter/translator education which are derived from the analysis are presented. Setting a goal, the bond with the social and educational demand should be taken into consideration. Again from these principles and previous researches, we suggest a curriculum and pedagogic methodology for future interpreter/ translator education, with an example of Korean-German department. We put a focus on Interpreting/translation practice as well as acquisition of language, linguistic, translational theories and general knowledge.