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Professional competence of a translator in the context of
intercultural communication
Eldar GILYAZETDINOV
1
Uzbekistan State World Languages University
ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT
Article history:
Received February 2025
Received in revised form
28 February 2025
Accepted 20 March 2025
Available online
15 April 2025
The professional competence of a translator in the context of
intercultural communication is a crucial factor in ensuring
effective communication between representatives of different
cultures. A translator must not only master both the source and
target languages but also possess deep knowledge of cultural
differences, background knowledge, and pragmatic aspects of
communication. The article discusses the key components of a
translator's professional competence, including linguistic,
cultural, and communicative competencies, as well as the ability
to act as an intercultural mediator. Special attention is given to
the role of background knowledge in translation and its
influence on the adequacy of intercultural communication.
2181-
1415/©
2025 in Science LLC.
https://doi.org/10.47689/2181-1415-vol6-iss3/S-pp
This is an open access article under the Attribution 4.0 International
(CC BY 4.0) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.ru)
Keywords:
translator,
professional competence,
intercultural
communication,
linguistic competence,
cultural competence,
background knowledge,
translation adequacy.
Tarjimonning kasbiy kompetentligi madaniyatlararo
muloqot doirasida
ANNOTATSIYA
Kalit so‘zlar
:
Tarjimon,
kasbiy kompetensiya,
madaniyatlararo
kommunikatsiya,
lingvistik kompetensiya,
madaniy kompetensiya,
asos bilimlar,
tarjimaning adekvatligi.
Tarjimonning kasbiy kompetensiyasi madaniyatlararo
muloqot sharoitida turli madaniyat vakillari o‘rtasida samarali
muloqotni ta’minlashning muhim omili hisoblanadi. Tarjimon
nafaqat manba va tarjima tillarini mukammal bilishi, balki
madaniy tafovutlar, asos bilimlar va pragmatik jihatlardan ham
xabardor bo‘lishi kerak. Ushbu maqolada tarjimonning kasbiy
kompetensiyasining asosiy tarkibiy qismlari, jumladan,
lingvistik, madaniy va kommunikativ kompetensiyalar hamda
tarjimonning madaniyatlararo vositachilik roli muhokama
qilinadi. Shuningdek, tarjima jarayonida fon bilimlarning o‘rni
va ularning madaniyatlararo kommunikatsiya adekvatligiga
ta’siri alohida e’tiborga olinadi.
1
Senior teacher, Uzbekistan State World Languages University. E-mail: eldar_85g@mail.ru
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Профессиональная компетентность переводчика в
контексте межкультурной коммуникации
АННОТАЦИЯ
Ключевые слова:
Переводчик,
профессиональная
компетентность,
межкультурная
коммуникация,
лингвистическая
компетенция,
культурная компетенция,
фоновые знания,
адекватность перевода
.
Профессиональная компетентность переводчика в
условиях межкультурной коммуникации является важным
фактором для обеспечения эффективного общения между
представителями разных культур. Переводчик должен не
только владеть исходным и переводящим языками, но и
обладать глубокими знаниями о культурных различиях,
фоновых
знаниях
и
прагматических
аспектах
коммуникации. В статье рассматриваются ключевые
компоненты
профессиональной
компетентности
переводчика, включая лингвистическую, культурную и
коммуникативную компетенции, а также способность
выступать в роли межкультурного посредника. Особое
внимание уделяется роли фоновых знаний в процессе
перевода и их влиянию на адекватность межкультурной
коммуникации.
Currently, the professional activity of translators is gaining increasing popularity
and growing social significance as it becomes more widespread. The primary reasons for
this are related to Uzbekistan’s active participation in international affairs and its
expanding cooperation with many foreign countries. This has created a pressing need to
improve the training of future translators for intercultural interactions.
Many studies dedicated to various aspects of translation training have repeatedly
suggested that a good command of a foreign language in a specific field of translation is
sufficient for high-quality translation. However, this thesis has not been justified, as
translation practice has demonstrated that successful mediation and translation activities
require not only a system of knowledge, skills, and abilities but also certain personal
qualities.
Linguistic, didactic, and translation paradigms, with culture at their core, push for
new ways to improve translator training, preparing them as mediators in intercultural
communication. Translation must play a crucial role in conveying culture. Indeed,
interpretation is a vital means of cultural exchange between people speaking different
languages.
The growing intensity of intercultural interactions is becoming increasingly
evident, expanding the range of fields in which representatives of different countries
collaborate and, consequently, increasing the number of situations requiring a
translator’s involvement. The spread of English as a tool for global communication
among people who speak the language but do not belong to English-speaking cultures
does not
diminish the role of the translator. On the contrary, the translator’s work
remains essential in ensuring effective communication between interlocutors from
different linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
The wide range of learning scenarios may explain why there are several competing
approaches to what should occur in translation training programs. One of the most
significant distinctions in this context is the differentiation made by Kiraly between
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translation competence and translator competence. [5, p.21] Another key distinction,
developed by Bernardini, lies between translator training and translator education. [1,
p.36] Training is primarily concerned with the linguistic skills necessary for achieving an
acceptable translation (translation competence), which should always be integrated into
training and practice plans. This training serves as the foundation upon which
professional translators rely. On the other hand, translator education acknowledges the
need for students to acquire a broad range of interpersonal communication skills and
attitudes (translator competence) in addition to technical translation skills.
In achieving their objectives, translators (as a distinct category of text recipients
and producers) strive to convey to readers what has already been expressed in the
original text, presented with varying degrees of clarity. [3, p.20]
The discussed topic is focused on the needs of foreign language training for
professionals whose work involves intercultural communication. In this case, it
specifically pertains to the training of future translators. In this regard, both intercultural
communication and culturally significant knowledge operate on the basis of common
assumptions, including:
Communication is not merely a process of message transmission;
Communication across linguistic and cultural boundaries must be recognized
based on the unique cultural identities of languages, as reflected in genre conventions
and communicative patterns;
Language and culture are not static or closed systems but rather dynamic, flexible,
and open systems;
Languages and cultures cannot be equated with national states, national borders,
or fixed cultural boundaries, as they are becoming increasingly fluid;
Participants in communicative interactions represent linguistic communities
characterized by multiple identities, each bringing their own cultural uniqueness into
every exchange;
Cultural barriers, i.e., culturally specific behavioral differences, are often more
significant than linguistic barriers in intercultural communication;
Successful interaction requires the development of communicative competence.
However, understanding or using abstract linguistic systems alone is not sufficient.
Every language embodies and expresses culture
—
or rather, a diversity of cultures. The
culturally significant component of language learning should be an integral part of
translation training.
Translator training programs should consist of modules that incorporate all sub-
competencies of translation competence, taking into account the intercultural aspect and
an integrated approach to preparing future translators for intercultural communication.
In intercultural communication facilitated by translation, the translator must
engage in so-called "negotiations" between at least two models of reality and reconcile
them logically and culturally to ensure compatibility with the intended function of the
translated text. The comparison of the source text (ST) and the target text (TT) can serve
as an example of identifying translation solutions and reflecting on fundamental reasons
behind them.
In foreign language education and intercultural communication, the goal is to
develop linguistic and intercultural competence - that is, the ability to act appropriately
in intercultural communication contexts. In translator training, however, the goal is to
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develop translation competence (with intercultural competence as one of its
components) in relation to professional activities that involve working with a broad
range of people.
This implies that translators must not only master the source and target languages
within relevant fields and acquire other professional knowledge but also be familiar with
two types of cultures and the linguistic reflection of their differences.
Byram & Risager, who extensively address issues of intercultural competence in
language education, suggest that learners must develop the necessary competencies for
successful intercultural communication. These competencies enable them to relate to two
cultures and cultural identities in communicative interactions. Foreign recipients should
be able to perceive and understand the cultures of native speakers and reflect this
knowledge within their own culture, as seen from the perspective of another cultural
representative. At the same time, they must relate and explain existing trends,
acknowledging that conflicting perceptions are not always reconcilable. According to
Byram & Risager, this competence should allow the learner to become an "intercultural
mediator," which is essential from a communicative standpoint since "this mediation
facilitates effective communication." [2, p.74] In other words, the ability to mediate
between two cultures is a crucial component of intercultural competence.
Considering this aspect of intercultural competence, one task that heavily relies on
students' intercultural competence is communicative translation. If translation is viewed
as an act of communication, where a text prepared for readers in one specific context is
transferred to readers in another, then students must assume the role of intercultural
mediators. First, they must compare the source and target cultures to identify nationally
and culturally specific elements in the source text. Then, they must attempt to explain
one culture through the lens of the other, adopting an appropriate communicative-
mediating stance in certain intercultural discrepancies. Consequently, the way learners
approach translation tasks can provide valuable insights into their responses to specific
intercultural challenges.
Based on this, it can be concluded that a translator’s intercultural competence is
the ability to recognize, understand, and interpret both their own and foreign worldviews
in their interaction to ensure the quality of transforming ST into the TT.
This facilitates an adequate preliminary analysis in translation, as the translator
can delve deeper into the meaning of the source text, thereby enhancing translation
effectiveness. One of the key stages of preliminary analysis in translation helps
implement the most prioritized training strategies for translators, as examined by I.I.
Khaleeva: "...training in a secondary cognitive code, whether in the practical course of
mastering a new language culture or in translation instruction when transitioning from
one code to another, requires a thorough study and exploration of the national and
cultural specifics of language and the cognitive mechanisms specific to multilingual
linguistic communities." [11, p.35]
Accordingly, for an adequate translation of culturally specific content, it is not
enough to simply modify the form by expanding its component structure; rather, it is
necessary to explain its content and correlate it with the cultural space in which the
linguistic sign functions. In other words, for a sign to be correctly interpreted, its
meaning must be aligned with the "codes" of culture known to the speaker. [8, p.35]
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The problem of adequate understanding and comprehension arises in the context
of intercultural communication, specifically in situations where the sender of a message
belongs to one culture, while the recipient belongs to another. In such cases,
communication involves not just different individuals but also bearers of different
cultural and linguistic worldviews. In other words, each individual has their own
worldview, shaped by personal experience, but an individual’s experience is formed
within the framework of the culture in which their personality develops. Our
interpretation of events and phenomena is therefore conditioned by the culture to which
we belong.
However, this type of activity presents certain challenges, which a translator must
navigate by finding a solution that best reflects both the main idea of the source text and
its genre and stylistic features. The main difficulties faced by translators stem from
linguistic differences and the ways languages are used to name objects and describe
situations. These challenges can be categorized into three types: the specificity of
linguistic unit semantics, the mismatch between the "worldviews" created by different
languages to reflect extra-linguistic reality, and differences in the very reality described
in the translated texts. [9, p.714]
As defined by Byram & Risager, "The cultural (conceptual) worldview is a
reflection of the real world through the prism of concepts formed on the basis of human
perceptions, obtained through sensory organs and processed by the mind, both
collectively and individually. It is an image of the world refracted in human
consciousness -
that is, a person’s worldview formed as a result of their physical
experience and spiritual activity." [2, p.65] The linguistic worldview is the part of the
cultural-conceptual worldview that has been verbalized. Both the cultural-conceptual
and linguistic worldviews directly participate in the processes of understanding and
generating statements in intercultural communication.
From our perspective, it is useful to consider three variants of intercultural
communication situations. The first scenario occurs when communication takes place in
a language that is native to one interlocutor but foreign to the other. The second scenario
involves communication in a lingua franca (e.g., English), which is not the native language
of either participant in the communicative situation. In both cases, the level of foreign
language communicative competence can play a decisive role. The third scenario involves
communication facilitated by a specialist in intercultural communication - a translator. In
t
his situation, the interlocutors effectively become "hostages" to the translator’s
intercultural communicative competence and professional skills.
Examining these situations from the perspective of worldview interactions allows
us to conceptualize the "level of awareness" that I. I. Khaleeva describes as the presence
or absence of specific background knowledge within the cultural-conceptual worldviews
of the participants. Background knowledge typically refers to various types of knowledge
that influence the communication process. Such knowledge plays a role in interpreting
communicative behavior and shapes our expectations and presuppositions as part of the
communicative situation. [4, p.77]
Some researchers, emphasizing the encyclopedic nature of background knowledge,
point out that it is not strictly systematized scientific knowledge; it may contain
contradictions and stereotypes. In our view, background knowledge encompasses
various types of knowledge that affect communication. A text, as the product of the
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author’s speech and thought processes and the material of the interpreter’s speech and
thought activities, is above all a uniquely structured form of knowledge - verbalized
knowledge and background knowledge.
According to van Dijk’s classification, commu
nicative interaction involves the
following knowledge components:
Knowledge of the characteristics of communicative situations;
Knowledge derived from previous speech acts;
Knowledge of the nature of ongoing interaction and the structure of prior
communicative situations;
General knowledge about interaction and rules, mainly pragmatic ones;
Other types of general world knowledge (frames). [10, p.43]
Van Dijk’s classification does not take into account the culturally conditioned
nature of background knowledge, whereas cultural conditioning is one of its most
important characteristics. Claire Kramsch notes that communicators always engage in
acts of communication with certain socially acceptable behavioral patterns that they have
acquired through processes of socialization and enculturation (or acculturation). [6, p.36]
Furthermore, in our view, background knowledge includes the following
components:
Everyday knowledge used in daily life;
Culturally significant knowledge closely linked to the values of one's native culture;
Knowledge of interaction rules in communication situations, or communicative
(linguistic) norms of behavior;
Linguistic knowledge, or in other words, linguistic competence, which influences
the communication process.
Background knowledge itself may not be directly related to linguistics, as it is
studied within the natural and social sciences. However, linguistics is interested in how
background knowledge, as a non-verbal component of speech communication, is
interwoven into the text of a speech act in a given linguistic and cultural community -
what is implied in linguistic communication and what is made explicit.
As translation practice shows, a lack of background knowledge often leads to
communicative failure - that is, a breakdown in communication where certain speech
acts do not fulfill their intended purpose.
In modern academic and translation studies paradigms, the prevailing view is that
a translator is a specialist in intercultural communication who possesses knowledge not
only of the linguistic systems of two languages as distinct semantic codes but also of their
adaptive cultural significance in a pragmatic aspect. Consequently, a professional
translator must have bicultural and bilingual competencies. [7, p.42]
The translator serves as a bridge between different languages and cultures, as
translation training should prioritize developing various competencies and fostering
intercultural sensitivity, enabling individuals to become bicultural in intercultural
interactions.
In conclusion, several translation issues related to culturally specific knowledge
have been discussed, demonstrating that intercultural competence also depends on
knowledge of one’s native culture and how it is linguistically represented in a foreign
language for understanding another culture. Thus, educators must anticipate that
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learners may not be sufficiently familiar with the cultural concepts of the target context
to adequately perform the tasks expected of a translator in intercultural mediation.
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