Enhancing Translation Students’ Intercultural Competence: Affordances of Online Transnational Collaboration

Abstract

Intercultural communication has evolved considerably throughout the digital era thanks to the availability and diversity of virtual communication platforms. Few research studies have explored the potential role of digital spaces in teaching translation courses. This paper reports an empirical study that explores the affordances of online transnational collaboration in reconstructing the identities of translation students. The study tested the potential of telecollaboration in teaching a course on translating literature with particular focus on translating for children. The total number of participants was 28 students from an Omani university. The participants completed translation tasks while involved in international telecollaborative projects with students from an American University. The study adopted the action research method with data collected from the students’ translation tasks and reflections before, during, and after telecollaboration. The findings showed that the participants’ intercultural competence developed following telecollaboration with their counterparts. The students’ translation approach shifted from TT-oriented to ST-oriented with translation strategies that prioritized the cultural paradigms of the other culture. The students embraced the concept of global citizenship and achieved the course learning outcomes and graduate attributes of course syllabus. The results also highlighted the significance of online academic partnerships in improving translation students’ intercultural communication skills.