Competence is the ability to effectively perform a task using a combination of knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

TYPES OF COMPETENCE

• linguistic competence

• cultural competence

• research&technological competence

• strategic competence

LINGUISTIC COMPETENCE

Mastery of grammar, vocabulary, idioms, register.

F.ex: “Break the ice” → дұрыс аударма: мұзды бұзу емес, әңгіме бастау

CULTURAL COMPETENCE

Understanding cultural references, values, and idioms.

F.ex: “When pigs fly” → қазақша тура аударса, "шошқалар ұшқанда" ол дұрыс емес. Дұрысы: қой үстіне бозторғай жұмыртқалағанда

RESEARCH&TECHNOLOGICAL COMPETENCE

Using dictionaries, corpora, CAT tools, and reliable sources.

F.ex: “Greenhouse gases” → дұрыс аударма: жылыжай газдары.
Медициналық мәтінде hypertension → тек сөздіктен емес, медицина глоссарийінен қарау керек → артериялық гипертония

STRATEGIC COMPETENCE

Problem-solving under pressure.

F.ex: If speaker talks too fast → summarize instead of literal word-for-word.

Спикер: “The situation spiraled out of control”
Жылдам шешім: Жағдай ушығып кетті (қысқа әрі түсінікті)

1. PACTE Group

2. V.N. Komissarov (2002)

3. Albrecht Neubert (2000)

4. Jean-Claude Gémar (1996)

PACTE Group (Process in the Acquisition of Translation Competence and Evaluation)

The PACTE Group's model is one of the most comprehensive, defining TC as a complex underlying system of knowledge that is primarily procedural (knowing how to do something).

Strategic Competence (Most Important)

This is considered the core component. It is the practical knowledge used to plan the translation process, evaluate its results, identify problems, and compensate for any shortcomings by activating all the other sub-competencies.

Bilingual Sub-competence

The procedural knowledge necessary to communicate effectively in two languages, encompassing pragmatic, textual, and grammatical knowledge.

Extra-linguistic Sub-competence

Declarative knowledge (explicit knowledge) about the world, including general world knowledge, domain-specific knowledge, and bicultural/encyclopaedic knowledge.

Instrumental Competence

Practical knowledge related to the efficient use of documentation sources and technology for translation, such as dictionaries, search engines, and CAT tools.

V.N. Komissarov views professional translation as a complex cognitive activity that shapes a "specific linguistic identity" in the translator.

Language Aspect (Linguistic)

Knowledge of the language system, structure, grammar, and vocabulary of both languages.

Communicative Aspect

The ability to choose the appropriate language forms based on the situation and context.

Professional Aspect

The skill to interpret the source text's meaning, project the needs of the target audience, use translation transformations (rewording/rephrasing), and handle professional concerns like ethics and the labor market.

Personal Aspect

The psychological and attitudinal traits that facilitate the shift from being a bilingual person to a professional translator.

Neubert defines translation as a "text-induced activity" and emphasizes a text-linguistic approach.

Also he offers a

similar model of six components: linguistic, textual, encyclopaedic, specialist/subject, cultural knowledge as well as

transfer expertise.

Transfer Competence

The central ability to bridge the gap and move meaning from the source language to the target language, utilizing appropriate translation strategies and techniques.

Textual Competence

The understanding and ability to identify the structural and linguistic features specific to different text types (e.g., legal, technical, journalistic). But Neubert does not clearly explain what

exactly is meant by textual competence and why this component was chosen as a separate sub-competence.

Cultural Competence

Awareness and knowledge of the cultural background of both the source and target texts.

Gémar’s work focuses more on the pedagogical and developmental aspects of translation competence.

The "Half-Finished Product"

His most interesting point is the assertion that academic training alone cannot produce a fully competent professional translator. Instead, the training provides a "half-finished product," which only reaches its full, mature competence through subsequent professional experience in the field.

Didactic Search

He emphasizes that the field of translation didactics (the science of teaching translation) is still "in search of methodology," indicating that the principles of teaching translation are not yet scientifically solidified.

Lots of models exist, with overlapping but different sub-competences. Scholars disagree on how to divide them, which are essential vs optional, and how they are acquired.

Competence includes not only knowledge but also skills, strategies, attitudes. For example, strategic competence (how you solve translation problems), attitudes (e.g. willingness to research, revision), use of tools (technology, documentation) are often part of models.

Extra-linguistic / cultural competence is essential: models consistently show that knowing about the subject area, cultural norms, context is as important as mastering grammar or vocabulary.

Emergence of translator training and pedagogy: research into translation competence has strong implications for how translators are trained — curricula now often try to explicitly teach the sub‐competences (e.g. strategic competence; using CAT tools; researching)

With globalization, market demands, digital communication, translation competence has had to adapt. Technology competence (using translation tools, dealing with machine translations, project management) is now a more explicit component.