Hybrid or universal methods of teaching English and translation studies via distance and face-to-face learning: what’s new?

Abstract

The article outlines some reflections, findings and hypotheses after comparing synchronous face-to-face and distance ESP and Translation Studies teaching experience at technical and humanity universities before and during COVID-19 Quarantine, 2019–2020. The author offers several ideas for further discussion: distance learning has more benefits in ESP and TS teaching for particular students’ categories, specialties and subjects before face-to-face one, which reflects their different gender, psychology and behavior, technology skills and its availability, personal and group socio-cultural status, learning motivation, environment and other factors. Further research into the phenomenon is needed. The article suggests that it is not necessary for an educator with humanities or linguistic background to additionally learn a technical subject to teach efficiently technical and professional texts translation (at sight) or ESP and explains how a universal collaborative approach, such as collaborative wiki didactics, could assure that. The author considers it necessary to train all categories of students how to use Neuro Machine Translation (NMTs) for ESP texts translation and to obtain post-editing skills. The article mentions the importance of blended pedagogical methods in modern hybrid society; the perspectives of flexible and universal collaborative approaches in face-to-face, blended distance education.

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