A Cognitive Apprenticeship-based Model For Acquiring Localization Skills

As an increasing number of transnational corporations enter the Chinese marketand promote their products and services in a way that fits into the Chinese situation,the localization industry emerges and constitutes an important part of the languageservice industry in China. In order to improve the efficiency of localization and reducecosts, language service providers not only introduce technical tools but strive to goglobal and expand their production and sales network across the world. For this reason,translators are required to have excellent skills in software tools, management, andlinguistic/cultural transfer. This study analyzes the development of the localizationindustry in China, the teaching practice at the MTI level and the author’s workingexperience in the localization industry. It also explores localization-related programsdelivered by six foreign universities and proposes a cognitive apprenticeship-basedmodel that consists of philosophy, goals and objectives, contents, requirements,methods and procedures, and mode of assessment. Additionally, this study alsoprovides suggestions for developing localization curricula and putting the idea of“lifelong learning” into practice.