From multidisciplinarity to transdisciplinarity: The investigation of competence development as a case in point

Författare

• Susanne Göpferich Justus Liebig University, Giessen/Germany

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61200/mikael.129613

Nyckelord:

multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, transdisciplinarity, competence development, expertise research, longitudinal studies, process-oriented research

Abstract

In this article, the concept of multidisciplinarity is contrasted with two closely related concepts, interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity, following a sub-classification by Kaindl (1999). On this basis, the article discusses the chances of a specific subfield of translation studies, research into competence development, to work in a truly transdisciplinary manner. As a case in point, results of the longitudinal study TransComp are presented. It investigates the development of translation competence in students of translation over a period of three years and compares their translation behavior to that of ten professional translators. In this study, translation competence was modeled as composed of several sub-competencies, among them strategic competence, translation routine activation competence and tools and research competence. These three sub-competencies were considered to be translation-specific and to distinguish professional translators from mere bilinguals, and were therefore selected as the dependent variables in the study. The professional translators were found to have not yet achieved expertise, the highest level of competence. The student participants’ competence development stagnated with regard to several variables over the first four semesters of their program. For these findings, possible explanations and their didactic implications are presented.