During two days on the basis of the Faculty of Humanities of the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”, within the framework of the II International Scientific and Practical Conference “Topical Issues of Foreign Philology and Translation Studies”, the pressing issues of Germanic, Romanic and Slavic philology, translation studies, world literature in the context of culture, translation problems of literary texts and the application of innovative approaches to teaching foreign languages and translation in the global pandemic COVID-19 were hotly debated. Scientists from Ukrainian and foreign universities exchanged practical experience in the humanities, pedagogy and social sciences, and identified prospects for further research in the above areas. The “highlight” of this year’s scientific event was the use of traditional forms of academic communication in the form of a plenary session of the conference and innovative communication approaches, successfully implemented in the international discussion panel and youth scientific platform.
More than a hundred scientists, lecturers, specialists from international partner institutions of Poltava Polytechnic, leading foreign and Ukrainian educational institutions – Peace Corps (USA), Santa Fe College (Florida, USA), Sao Paulo State University (Brazil), Ain Shams University (Egypt), University of St. Andrews, German Language Institute (Germany), Ukrainian Translator Trainers’ Union, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Vasyl’ Stus Donetsk National University (Vinnytsia), National Metallurgical Academy of Ukraine (Dnipro), Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University, Khmelnytsky Humanitarian and Pedagogical Academy, G.S. Kostiuk Institute of Psychology of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine, Poltava State Medical University, Scientific Lyceum №3 of Poltava City Council – joined the large-scale discussion.
Due to strict quarantine restrictions, communication was carried out by means of video conferencing on the Zoom platform, in a format that allows one to easily bring together in real time scientists from the farthest corners of the world. However, the online format of the conference did not prevent a constructive dialogue and fruitful discussion of current issues in the development of philological science and translation studies.
According to the rector of National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”, Honored Worker of Education of Ukraine, Laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology, Professor Volodymyr Onyshchenko, the history of Poltava Polytechnic is closely connected with educational and cultural traditions of Poltava region. After all, the modern, innovative university is located in the historic building of the Institute of Noble Girls – a monument of architecture of the XIX century, which is the pearl of the architectural ensemble of Poltava. This is a clear confirmation of the university’s unique style, which organically combines the cultivation of long-term achievements with state-of-the-art innovative technologies, classical educational traditions with the generation and implementation of new creative ideas.
“The opening of the conference on November 10 is significant, since today the world academic community celebrates the World Science Day for Peace and Development under the auspices of UNESCO in order to promote science in society, active interaction between scientists and the public. Our fruitful scientific and educational cooperation with scientific institutions and scientists of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, leading higher education institutions in Europe and the world covers a wide range of researches, exchange of practical experience, scientific, technical, educational and popular science events, a good example of which is, in particular, today’s conference. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate scientists on their professional holiday and wish them thorough and interesting researches, fruitful discussions, good health and inspiration for further significant scientific achievements and accomplishments!” – wished the audience the Head of Poltava Polytechnic.
Representatives of the world scientific community were greeted by the Candidate of Economic Sciences, Vice-Rector for Scientific and International Work of the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” Svitlana Sivitska, who stressed the importance of popularizing the educational traditions of the Polytechnic and holding many scientific events at the Faculty of Humanities, which unite the intellectual and spiritual potential of the peoples and cultures of the world.
“It is delightful that the scale of the scientific event and the representation of the conference partakers among our colleagues, friends and partners, namely, Peace Corps, Santa Fe College, Sao Paulo State University, University of St. Andrews, Bialystok University of Technology, German Language Institute and others. Our joint achievements in the field of studying and teaching foreign languages testify to our readiness for today’s challenges, the university lecturers are developing a system of innovative and effective mechanisms of humanitarian education in modern socio-cultural conditions. I am firmly convinced that today’s scientific meeting will be extremely fruitful and informative for all participants!” – noted Svitlana Sivitska.
The program of the conference contained a list of interesting scientific presentations that reveal the issues of the scientific event and demonstrate practices in the field of translation.
Working languages of the conference: Ukrainian, English, German, French and Polish.
“The one who knows nothing about foreign languages, knows nothing about one’s native language”, this wise expression of the genius German poet Goethe is used in professional activities of members of the Ukrainian Translator Trainers’ Union, which includes lecturers of philological departments of the university and has been successfully headed for many years by Leonid Chernovaty, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Laureate of the Yaroslav the Wise Award of the Academy of Sciences of the Higher School of Ukraine, Professor of Mykola Lukash Translation Studies of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, author of many English textbooks which is successfully studied by students of philology of Poltava Polytechnic, a good friend and mentor of the Faculty of Humanities of our university. Leonid Chernovaty’s report was devoted to the peculiarities of distance learning of future translators during quarantine restrictions.
Continuing the theme of effective training and further employment of specialists in foreign philology and translation, regular participants of the conference and loyal friends of the Faculty of Humanities of the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” – Candidate of Psychological Sciences, PhD student of the G.S. Kostiuk Institute of Psychology of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine, Fulbright Scholar of Santa Fe College Svitlana Sharkova and Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Translation and Foreign Languages of the National Metallurgical Academy of Ukraine (Dnipro) Nataliia Sharkova shared practical advice on professional translation activities in today’s labor market, outlined the prospects and possibilities of using mobile gadgets in classes in higher education institutions.
According to the Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities Anna Aheicheva, it is impossible to imagine a picture of positive changes and dynamic development of linguistic education without the full assistance and support of the university management.
“An important aspect for lecturers of philology is the assistance of the rector, Professor Volodymyr Onyshchenko, who supports the humanitarian vector of development, inspires full university entry into the European and world educational space, which is possible only with quality foreign language preparation, development of foreign philology, cross-cultural communication and translation studies. It is extremely symbolic and important that since the Institute of Noble Girls, the successor of which is Poltava Polytechnic, when much attention was paid to the humanization of education and foreign languages, this tradition is maintained and constantly evolving, given the modern innovative approaches!” – the scientist emphasized.
According to the Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Germanic Philology and Translation Oksana Vorobiova, preparing of translators at the present stage requires not only a high level of foreign and native languages proficiency, but also certain industry background knowledge, especially in cases of intersectoral and intra-industry terminological homonymy: “This requires a synergy of scientific and technical thought as well as professional translation skills, which we actively implement in the educational process, involving in professional communication during the preparing of students of the educational program “Field translation: English, German” scientists and producers, in particular from the oil and gas industry, which is economically significant for the Poltava region. It has become a good tradition at our faculty to invite Professor Branimir Tsvetkovich, a leading scientist and consultant of world renown, and now the head of the Department of Oil and Gas Engineering and Technology of National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”. In an extremely easy and accessible manner in English, he explained to future technical translation specialists sufficiently complex technical concepts and processes.”
The conference participants worked in five sections:
- “Recent trends in Germanic, Romanic and Slavic philology”;
- “Modern translation studies: problems and prospects”;
- “World literature in the context of culture”;
- “Issues of a literary text translation”;
- “Innovative approaches to teaching foreign languages”.
The fruitful work of the international discussion panel, which took place during the conference, resulted in a strong exchange of views and ideas of scientists from the United States, Brazil, Great Britain and Egypt. In particular, Professor of the Sao Paulo State University Regiani Zacarias shared her research on current issues of corpus linguistics and lexicography of English; coordinator of international programs of Santa Fe College Jessica Surana spoke about the active cooperation between the academic community as well as students of the College and Poltava Polytechnic within the framework of linguistics studies. Mona Ashour, a professor at the Department of English Language and Literature at Ain Shams University, dedicated her presentation to innovative approaches to encouraging and evaluating students in class; and Alex Purcell, a student at University of St. Andrews and an active member of the English Speaking Club, opened to the conference the world of poetry by Irish poet William Butler Yeats.
Today the involvement of young people in the development of science is of undeniable importance, as it is their inexhaustible energy and inquisitive mind that can give this process rapidity, creativity and innovation. This year the conference included a youth scientific platform, which brought together postgraduate students and students from Ukraine and Europe, students of the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”, as well as pupils of leading lyceums, gymnasiums and schools of Poltava and its region.
Scientific theses of the conference participants will be published in the Scientific Bulletin of the International Humanities University (series “Philology”), included in the List of scientific professional publications of Ukraine in specialty “Philology” category “B” by Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine № 1471 from 26.11.2020 (Annex 3) and to the international scientometric database Index Copernicus International (Republic of Poland).
Previously, Poltava Polytechnic hosted an international conference of philology scientists, lecturers and professional translators, as well as a philology student became a participant in Erasmus+ youth exchange project on digital skills.
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