Graduate Researcher Series: an interview with Yu Hao
Catherine Roberts
Yu Hao is a doctoral candidate in Translation Studies in the School of Languages and Linguistics. Her research explores translator education with an emphasis on teaching computer-assisted translation.
Yu is professional English-Chinese translator. Her research connects industry experience with translation education. She has published research in numerous journals including Across Languages and Cultures and The Translator and Interpreter Trainer.
Catherine interviewed Yu about her doctoral research, her PhD journey, and the future of translation.
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What I find exciting about your project is that it has implications not only for the field of translation and translation research but also specifically here at the University of Melbourne. So, I’m wondering if you start by telling us about your topic and the significance of this research?
I’m working in Translation Studies and focused on the training of translators and interpreters. I’m looking at the impact of neural machine translation on translator education in the Australian context and I aim to provide guidelines for adapting translator education to the new technologies.
I’ve conducted 3 case studies conducted in the translation programme at this university. The first is a curriculum critique, showing the status of the training programme. The second is a survey of incoming students’ motivations, assessing their learning needs and expectations. Lastly, I did a survey of graduate employment, I examined what skills are appreciated in the job market.
My research can assist curriculum development at the University of Melbourne and other programmes in Australia.
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How did you come to this research topic?
Back in 2016, around the same time I started my Masters in Translation Studies here, Google and Microsoft revealed their new machine translation systems. A new era had begun.
My observation was that the quality of machine translation had dramatically improved. It has changed the way we translate and the way we teach translation. So those technology-driven changes have made me think the future of the profession. What role will human translators have and what is the future of translation teaching?
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Where do you see the industry going in the future?
That’s a very big question! I think these rapid advances in technology have transformed the way we translate and the way we teach translation. When neural machine translation became available, working with machine translation and translation memory became the norm rather than the exception.
I believe we cannot assume that the future will be entirely dominated by technology. The degrees of automation are only partial, which means the output of machine translation still needs to be checked and edited by human translators. Furthermore, machine translation does not always work for certain genres, especially for creative works.
There are possible implications for translator education. On the one hand, we can teach them how to work efficiently with technology and alongside a variety of technologies. On the other hand, the soft skills need to be cultivated. So having a focus on communication, teamwork, and creativity.
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You’ve had the opportunity to teach translation studies in the Faculty of Arts here at Melbourne University. You’ve taught in person and transitioned to online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you tell us a bit about this experience?
It has been a great pleasure to teach here.
This university is the first Australian university and among very few universities around the world that offers subjects on translator and interpreter training. The content is very close to what I research so I was able to bring the cutting-edge research and the newest ideas into our classroom discussions.
At the same time, the observation of how my students learn and respond to my feedback also provides me with valuable insights that further inspire my research in training and education.
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You’ve done your thesis with publication, which is becoming more common for PhDs to pursue. What advice would you give to someone hoping to take this pathway?
My research, because it’s three case studies, naturally lends itself to publication. My research committee suggested that I do a thesis with publication.
First, it’s vital have a coherent research design. It’s not like doing several studies and then stapling them together. It’s about having a coherent thesis where the publications are the body of the research.
Second, it’s a very good opportunity to explore different research methods and different research paradigms. Unlike how traditional thesis you can do one medium or small size studies in which different methods can be used.
Finally, be mentally prepared for the publication process. It can be slow. For example, I submitted an article in the second year of my PhD and now it’s still on the second-round review. Sometimes it can be really slow. Sometimes reviewers are critical, but it is also a great opportunity to learn from that feedback.
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You’re heading towards the end of your PhD journey now. What do you envision as the next steps in your career?
One of the short-term goals is to explore interpreting technologies and understand how it differs from the translation technologies. The development of information technology has made remote interpreting possible. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, remote interpreting has given equal access to information for different ethnic communities.
As for long term goals, I want to explore the possibilities of doing corrective feedback studies for translation education. I know this topic is well-studied in language testing and second language writing research but to my best knowledge it’s received little attention in translator training and education.
Another long-term goal is writing a book on translator training. I would bring in more ideas for the classroom interactive activities, include educational psychology theories and teaching translation technologies.
My goal for teaching is to make my lessons more interactive. I would like to use more technologies to encourage students’ engagement and really motivated them to participate in the classroom discussions.
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I know you’re heading towards the submission of your thesis now. I remember when we started back in 2019. Thinking back on when we started, what is something you wished you’d know then?
I wish I had been more confident. I do understand that it takes time for one to be confident in what he or she is working on and as the time goes on you gain more knowledge.
You enter a new field and sometimes you see this from one perspective. Then you gain more perspectives as you proceed. After a while, you have a holistic view. The accumulation of knowledge of the field and research methods boosts your confidence.
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Has there been anything in your PhD journey that looked at the time like it was a set-back, but you later realised was advantageous?
I always complained the field of translation training and education is still very young. Especially in the first year, I wanted to read more and find the theoretical underpinnings for my research. There was just not that much.
What I did was turn to the neighbour disciplines, like language teaching and the education research studies, to find theories and theoretical frameworks. I saw my colleagues in linguistics and applied linguistics, they have more theories and frameworks. It was easier for them.
Later on, I realised it might be an advantage for me because that means there’s lots of space for me to contribute to this field.
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Thank you for having a chat with me about your research and your PhD journey, Yu.
Such a great pleasure to be here. Thank you for having me.