Minor language, major challenges: the results of a survey into the IT competences of Finnish translators

Abstract

This article discusses the IT skills of Finnish translators. It presents the results of an online survey, conducted from December 2012 to May 2013. The total number of responses was 238, and the respondents are graduates of various universities who work with various language pairs (with Finnish as language A) and specialise in different fields. One quarter of the respondents are male, and more than half represent the younger generation (>36 years of age). The respondents' evaluation of their IT skills shows a satisfactory level of competence. Most of the respondents are competent at text processing and performing Internet searches, and the majority have some skills in computer maintenance. Many respondents are not very familiar with CAT tools, although some are active users of this software. However, most translators have little or no experience of image processing, hypertext markup, or spreadsheet software. Results show that the respondents are critical of the training in translation technologies they received at university. They also evidence Finnish translators' belief in IT skills as vital to contemporary translation work.