Why not go online? A case study of blended mode business interpreting and translation certificate program

Because of the globalisation of business transactions and trade, the demand for translation and interpreting (T&I) services has continued to grow in South Korea. A 20-week-long Business Interpreting and Translation (BIT) Certificate Program was designed to teach basic T&I skills to people who were interested in acquiring such skills for their work or those who wanted to improve their language skills through T&I training. This paper discusses the course design of the online classes that the BIT programme offered in the first half of 2015, with a focus on the instructional design, advantages, and challenges perceived by trainees and trainers. This paper presents findings from surveys and interviews with trainees and trainers, offering insight into the effectiveness of the online T&I training course. The results indicate that trainees were generally satisfied with their online learning experiences and positively evaluated the efficacy of online translation training, whereas trainers had mixed views on online teaching and learning. Despite some limitations, this paper points to promising aspects of delivering online T&I training for specific purposes.