AUDIOVISUAL TRANSLATION: SOFT AND HARD SKILLS

Abstract

The article studies the «hard» and «soft» skills a translator needs to work with audiovisual texts. The work examines the professional competencies of a translator, which include theory and practice of translation knowledge, proficiency in the source and target languages, basic understanding of film production, specifics of subtitling, dubbing and voice-over translation, technical knowledge of the audiovisual translation domain, the ability to use programs and platforms, cultural competencies – knowledge of culture and cultural values, standards and taboos in the language of the native and foreign cultures, the ability to adapt an audiovisual product to a certain culture, terminological proficiency, the ability to analyze material, and constant development in the professional field.There is a need to make audiovisual texts accessible, so this skill is no less important than those listed above.Adaptation of texts for people with visual and hearing impairments is a necessary component in the study of audiovisual translation. The work also studies the main social and communicative skills, namely verbal and non- verbal communication skills and active listening skills, the development of emotional intelligence, creative and critical thinking, leadership skills, and the ability to work in a team, etc. We touch upon the possibilities of artificial intelligence vs translation in the audiovisual field and attempt to clarify what skills a translator needs to develop in the era of AI. The combination of linguistic and technical skills, specialized knowledge in the domain of audiovisual content production, understanding of AI tools, culture and «soft» skills enable translators to remain competitive and in demand in the translation services market.