Observing trainee-translators’ user activities with screen recorder: A process-oriented approach
Keywords:
external resources, total task time, screen recorders, user activitiesAbstract
Translation Process Research (TPR) primarily adopts different approaches to monitor how translators perform their tasks (Jakobsen & Jensen, 2008) with a view to identifying techniques and procedures for good quality translation (Lörscher, 2016, 601). In sub-Saharan Africa, studies that investigate translation processes are scarce. This article, therefore, discusses an empirical study conducted, using the Blueberry FlashBack screen-recording software to observe the processes of source text comprehension and translation by third-year students of French in South African. Analyses of the subjects’ user activity data indicated how screen-recording software revealed both the time each task’s segment was performed and how many times online dictionaries were consulted. Findings suggest among others, that the total time spent in performing a task is a product of how many times online dictionaries were consulted. Since translation studies are primarily focused on products (target texts), it is recommended that more attention be paid to process studies.
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