Terminological subcompetence in translator training: experience of the “Military Translation” сourse

Abstract

The article addresses the problem of developing the terminological sub-competence of future interpreters in the process of teaching military interpreting. The relevance of the study is conditioned by the growing role of specialized terminology in the professional activity of translators and the insufficient coverage in academic literature of the quantitative assessment of the level of acquisition of domain-specific vocabulary within particular training courses.

The aim of the article is to determine the level of acquisition of military terminology by master’s students for whom English is either the first or the second foreign language, and to assess the influence of the specialized course Military Translation on the size of their acquired terminology. The study presents a system of exercises for mastering active military vocabulary based on six thematic sections of the course covering major types of weapons and combat operations. The system includes classroom and independent tasks aimed at the gradual development of skills in using terminology at the level of words, texts, and communicative interpreting situations. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed exercise system, a diagnostic test was conducted among master’s students enrolled in the Military Translation course. The test involved the translation of 120 terminological units from English into Ukrainian and from Ukrainian into English without the use of reference materials. The results demonstrated a relatively high level of terminology acquisition: the average accuracy rate reached 87%, with slightly higher results observed in translation from English.

The study concludes that the proposed system of exercises contributes to the effective acquisition of military terminology by students. However, the results should be considered preliminary due to the limited number of participants. Further research should involve larger samples and alternative formats for assessing terminological competence in interpreting conditions.