Italian as a second foreign language at the University of Montenegro is studied within the programme of Undergraduate university studies both at the Faculty of Philology and at the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management. This paper aims to determine the extent to which the teaching of Italian corresponds to the real needs of the students related to the labour market, which they enter after completing their Bachelor’s degree. For this purpose, the paper presents the results of the analysis of the current syllabi of Italian as a second foreign language, which are linked to the results of the analysis of the attitudes and expectations of the students who take these courses. This analysis is based on the results of a survey conducted in the academic year 2020/2021, which had a total of 56 respondents. Based on the conclusions derived from the results of these two analyses, we will offer a set of guidelines for improving various aspects of the aforementioned university courses, so as to provide the knowledge and skills necessary for the effective use of Italian in the environment in which students are professionally engaged, while also taking into account the envisaged level of linguistic competence that is realistically achievable in the current teaching context.
Translating texts in the field of tourism often seems simpler than it is. With an excellent command of the source and target languages, the skills of written expression in both languages, and a good knowledge of adequate professional terminology, a translator of texts in the field of tourism is expected to have a very broad general knowledge (Vidić 110) and to be a connoisseur of cultural differences in both countries or cultures. In addition to their profession as a translator, their task is to respect the cultural differences and the economic reality of the country into whose language they translate. As such a good knowledge of non-linguistic elements is «a prerequisite for achieving correct translation» (Piletić 31). Furthermore, the translator needs to have extensive translation experience and master the rules of stylistic use and textual interpretation. It is necessary to point out that their command of the target language is more important than their knowledge of the source language (Hlebec 21). Hence, in situations where there is a need to translate into the target language, it is recommended to hire translators whose mother tongue is that language. The research aims to raise awareness of the importance of good translation in overall tourist communication, and the need for the more active involvement of the local and wider community in this issue. It should be remembered that, in many cases, the translation of a certain text, whether in print or online, represents for foreign tourists the first indirect contact with the destination, and becomes their kind of «interface between different linguistic and cultural systems» (Mardešić and Maržić Sabalić 2). The aforementioned authors are therefore right to wonder «whether anyone can do a translation». We would supplement this idea by posing the question: «Can anyone be a publisher? »This opens a wider range of questions related to the responsibility of those involved in copyright protection, but also the national interest of the state that proclaimed the development of tourism as its most important strategic direction, while presenting itself in a less than perfect light at the same time. Raising the level of quality is necessary not only in translation but also in all tourist services provided in foreign languages; in the field of education in particular, that requires the more meaningful, purposeful, and appliacble teaching and learning of foreign languages in both schools and universities.
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