Terminology development at tertiary institutions: A South African perspective

Abstract

There is a dire need in South Africa for multilingual polythematic terminology. Currently no tertiary institution presents terminology theory and practice as a fully-fledged subject and there is also no sufficient mechanism for the training of terminologists. This situation provides tertiary institutions the opportunity to position themselves in terms of terminology training and development. Terminology centres at tertiary institutions could be of great value for language as well as all other subject-related departments. The language departments, where such terminology centres could possibly be housed, already have facilities to teach some or all of the official languages of South Africa at tertiary level. Language students could receive postgraduate (and even undergraduate) training in the theory and practice of terminology. For practical work, they could collect terminology at subject-related departments and take it to the terminology centres, where source language terms could be terminographically treated. Subject specialists (i.e. lecturers teaching different subjects) would have to be consulted when defining the concepts and would have to assist language students and their lecturers to supply term equivalents in target languages. This process would enable subject-related and language departments to cooperate in different domains. Language and language departments would therefore become useful to different subject areas. Multilingual polythematic terms with definitions could be available to students who are not proficient in English or Afrikaans. They would therefore have access to study material in their first language. The terminology could be disseminated internally and (inter)nationally through the Internet, which would make it accessible to any other student. This process could best be managed and executed by dedicated terminology centres.

Keywords: Legislation, multilingual terminology, polythematic terminology, source language, standardisation, target language, terminography, terminology, terminology centre, terminology development, terminology training

Terminologieontwikkeling aan tersiêre instansies: 'n Suid-Afrikaanse perspektief

Daar bestaan in Suid-Afrika 'n groot behoefte aan meertalige terminologie op verskeie vakgebiede. Tans bied geen tersiêre instansie terminologieteorie en -praktyk as volwaardige vak aan nie en daar is nie 'n doeltreffende meganisme waarvolgens terminoloë opgelei kan word nie. Hierdie situasie skep die geleentheid vir tersiêre instansies om hulself te posisioneer ten opsigte van terminologieopleiding en -ontwikkeling. Terminologiesentra aan tersiêre instansies sal vir taal- sowel as alle ander vakgerigte departemente van onskatbare waarde wees. Die taaldepartemente, waar sodanige sentra waarskynlik gehuisves sou kon word, beskik reeds oor fasiliteite om sommige of alle amptelike tale van Suid-Afrika op tersiêre vlak aan te bied. Taalstudente kan nagraadse (en selfs voorgraadse) opleiding kry in terminologieteorie en -praktyk. As praktiese werk sou hulle terminologie by vakgerigte departemente kon gaan versamel en na die sentra neem waar die brontaalterme terminografies hanteer kan word. Vakkundiges (bv. lektore wat vakke aanbied) sal met die definiëring van konsepte behulpsaam moet wees en sal saam met die taalstudente en -dosente vertaalekwivalente in doeltale moet verskaf. Dié proses sal meebring dat vakkundiges en taalkundiges oor vakgrense heen saamwerk. Dit sal daartoe lei dat taal en taaldepartemente vir ander vakterreine van waarde sal raak. Meertalige vakgerigte terme met definisies sal beskikbaar wees vir studente wat nie Engels of Afrikaans magtig is nie. Hulle sal dus toegang tot studiemateriaal in hul eerste taal kan kry. Die terminologie kan intern deur die tersiêre instansies en (inter)nasionaal deur die Internet versprei word, wat dit toeganklik sal maak vir enige ander student. Hierdie proses kan ten beste deur doelgerigte terminologiesentra beheer en uitgevoer word.

Sleutelwoorde: Brontaal, doeltaal, meertalige terminologie, standaardisering, terminografie, terminologie, terminologieopleiding, terminologieontwikkeling, terminologiesentrum, vakgerigte terminologie, wetgewing