해외 번역사 인증제도와 한국 번역 교육에의 함의

Accreditation systems for translators in other countries and their implications on the translation teaching and training in Korea : Case study on Australian system

In the era of rapid globalization, communication with outside becomes much more signifiant than in the past. Accordingly, the demand for translation grows fast. However, the growth in quantity does not always lead to an improvement in quality. A certain mechanism is needed to bring about and reinforce qualitative enhancements. One of the most effective and critical element of that mechanism would be a system to assess translation quality and/or translators which is universally used and perceived to be fair and objective by all concerned parties. But, unfortunately, there is no such system in Korea and its absence makes all players in the translation market such as translation service users, translators, would-be translators and translation trainers suffer in many ways. Therefore, it would be meaningful to review overseas systems to assess translation quality and/or translators and draw some lessons. Among other cases, the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) of Australia appears to be more relevant as it is being administerd nationwide, has secured trust and confidence, and provides values in real life. This paper will review the NAATI system in general, touching the background of the establishment, organization, roles, and modes of accreditation, and then, focus on the accreditation though approved programs. Later, it will discuss what kinds of lessons Korea can draw from the NAATI system and what benefits would be generated for translation education and training.