Petra Drewer is Full Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Applied Sciences in Karlsruhe, Germany. Her teaching and research activities focus on terminology science and terminology management and on multilingual documentation development and translation. She is also active in these fields as a consultant to companies and institutions.
Professor Dr Drewer is President and Chief Executive of the German Institute for Terminology (Deutsches Institut für Terminologie DIT). She is also a member of the scientific advisory board of the German Terminology Association (Deutscher Terminologie-Tag – DTT), of the German Standards Committee on Terminology (DIN-Normenausschuss Terminologie) and of the Council for German Language Terminology (UNESCO/RaDT).
Moreover she is active in the Tekom, the German professional association for technical communication and information development.
Professor Drewer holds a Diploma in Technical Translation (Spanish, French and English, electrical and mechanical engineering) and a Ph.D. in Cognitive Linguistics. Since 2003 she has been Full Professor at the University of Applied Sciences in Karlsruhe, teaching applied linguistics, professional German, terminology science, terminology management and multilingual technical documentation in the Technical Communication and Communication and Media Management degree programmes.
What role does terminology play in the German scientific and industrial world?
I should like to draw a distinction between terminology, terminology science and terminology work.
Terminology in the sense of specialist vocabulary is vitally important not only in Germany, but throughout the world. Without terminology, clear, effective communication about subjects and contexts is impossible. I like to think of terminology and/or individual terms as ‘compressed specialist knowledge’. Behind an individual term there is often a very complex, comprehensive definition which the lay person simply cannot understand.
Terminology science is still a very young discipline. Although in the German-speaking world in particular works and studies which today are regarded as part of the standard academic literature were drawn up as long ago as in the early years of the 20th century, terminology only became an independent academic discipline towards the end of the 20th century. This is precisely what makes working in this area so exciting: the discipline is changing very quickly and the interdisciplinary approach we take means that academic terminology work is extremely varied. Areas of study range from linguistic considerations, focusing on naming, word formation and morphology, via ontological considerations, which deal primarily with terms and systems of terms, to IT-related issues concerning the management and use of electronic terminological databases.
Finally, businesses and industrial firms take a more practical approach to the topic. They use the findings and the methods developed by academic terminologists for their terminology work to solve practical problems. If a firm or institution carries out terminology work, the aim is usually to clarify, define and lay down a set of terms so that staff and clients can communicate clearly and effectively. Effective terminology management also reduces translation costs.
What characterises a terminologist or how would you define the profile of a terminologist?
Even today terminologists who have actually studied terminology as an academic discipline are very much the exception. Almost all terminologists have come to the discipline after completing studies or acquiring knowledge in the areas of translation, technical writing, communication management or linguistics. Let’s not forget, however, that specialist knowledge is just as important as linguistic and terminological skills. If, for example, someone sets out to compile and define the terminology employed by a firm, they will only be able to do so properly if they also know a lot about the firm’s products and understand the specific (often technical) processes involved. How else can they hope to research sources in a professional manner, define highly complex concepts or recognise synonyms? They also need project- and process-management and IT skills, because terminology projects have to be developed into sustainable processes and IT systems are needed if terminology is to be compiled and managed effectively.
As regards terminologists’ personality and the soft skills they need, in my view the ability to work in a structured, systematic way is essential. In addition, terminologists need a good deal of determination and, at the same time, diplomatic skills, since they often face resistance from within the firms on whose behalf they are working.
As a member of the German Standards Committee on Terminology and of the Council for German Language Terminology, what is your opinion on international standards for terminology exchange and how should developers and standardisation bodies work together in this respect?
Terminology exchange is becoming increasingly important, because more and more programmes draw on and develop existing terminology. As a result, the establishment of standard formats, such as TBX, is also becoming increasingly important. Whereas in the past the concept of ‘terminology exchange’ primarily conjured up ideas of translation memory systems operating in conjunction with terminology management systems, or of exchanges between different terminology management systems, today many more software tools, such as controlled language checkers, machine translation systems, authoring memory systems, drafting systems, content management systems, enterprise resource planning systems and product databases, need import and/or export functionalities for terminology. At the same time, exchanges between different terminology management systems and interfaces between such systems and translation memory systems remain very important.
For this reason, developers, standardisation institutes and associations have for years been endeavouring to move standardisation work forward. The problem, however, is that the users of software tools are calling for, and happily making use of, ever greater degrees of flexibility. They do not want pre-determined structures for their terminological databases and entries, but rather solutions tailored to the needs of the firm that they work for. This desire for individuality is of course difficult to reconcile with standardised exchange formats. In my view, however, on cost grounds alone change will come, because virtually nobody can afford to be constantly programming new interfaces or to risk the data losses which can occur in the course of exchanges between systems.
Although terminology is becoming more and more important, not everyone is aware or convinced of its fundamental role. How do think terminology can be promoted?
In my work as a consultant to firms, in recent years I have seen that many technical writers and translators are very well aware of just how important a functioning terminology management system would be for their firm, but do not know how to approach such a project and turn it into processes they can use in their work. What is more, they are faced with a question similar to the one that you just put to me: how can we convince our colleagues in other departments, and above all our superiors and decision-makers in our firm, of the importance of terminology work? After all, they know that terminology work costs time and money and that any return on investment will not come immediately and will be difficult to measure.
A range of arguments are needed, therefore, in order to motivate and win over those involved: one strong financial argument is the reduction in translation costs which can be brought about by standardising terminology in the source language. Since many firms (need to) translate their texts into 20, 50 or even more languages, the scope for savings is significant and welcome.
At the same time, standardisation in the source language means that texts can be drafted more quickly and therefore more cheaply (if a writer is unsure about a term, he or she can simply look in the terminology database, rather than carrying out hours of research and discussing the matter with colleagues). If clearly defined terms are used whenever appropriate, the clarity and readability of texts – in the source and in the target languages – is also increased.
Marketing managers need to grasp the fact that, alongside corporate design, a corporate language is also fundamental to the corporate identity of a firm. In many this never even crosses their minds.
Could you please tell us what is the first idea that comes to your mind in relation to the following concepts?:“corporate identity, content development, content management, global communications, knowledge transfer, risk mitigation, translation, global market presence”.
Wow! That is quite a set of concepts!
I could probably write a whole essay on each of them, but I will try to structure my answer around them. One thing I do like is that these concepts build on the question you just asked me, in that they point to further telling arguments which can be used to justify the professional use of terminology. Many people simply do not grasp the links between these important topics and terminology.
Terminology has a direct bearing on all multilingual activities (e.g. translation, global communications, global market presence) – and vice versa. Terminology management is intrinsic to professional globalisation and translation. As I pointed out above, it increases efficiency and reduces costs. In addition, terminology management reduces the time-to-market for new products and is something all firms should do when preparing to expand into new markets and of globalisation measures of all kinds.
I just said that there are two aspects to corporate identity: on the one hand, corporate design, and, on the other, corporate language or corporate wording. Firms and institutions often invest a lot of money in layout and typography, but forget that they should not only be showing ‘a single face’, but also speaking with ‘a single voice’.
What comes to mind when I hear the terms content development or content management? Firstly, here again clear terminology is fundamental. Text components from a content management system can only be combined effectively with other components and re-used if they are linguistically and stylistically standardised. Otherwise, documents do not read like an integrated whole, but simply as a random selection of components. Content management and access must also be based on clear terminological rules.
The other thing that strikes me – and this is something which has often surprised me – is the way the word ‘content’ is used, in German as well. When I hear phrases or sentences such as ‘content production’ or ‘I produce content’, I wonder what they are supposed to mean. Let me explain: first of all a decision has to be taken on the content to be put across, and then on the form which can best be used to put that content across. It may be linguistic or graphic, static or dynamic. What is produced, therefore, are texts, images, videos, etc. They contain the desired content, but are not themselves content. Terminologists know this important distinction from the semiotic triangle: the name we give to something is the linguistic representation of the concept behind it. In just the same way, abstract content needs physical form.
Risk mitigation and terminology are closely linked in that terminologically clear statements minimise dangers and risks. The clarity and comprehensibility of specialist texts increases if standard terminology is employed. Since the documentation accompanying a product is also part of the product itself, in this way the number of complaints and claims for damages can be reduced. Finally, customers are happier with user-friendly, clearly documented products, so that terminology has a bearing on product image and acceptance.
In the final analysis, knowledge management and knowledge transfer are also bound up with the quality of terminology work, both within firms and in firms’ dealings with the world at large. Successful terminology work within firms serves to reduce the number of incorrect orders, misunderstandings and follow-up queries, ensures that discussions and in-house communication processes are more efficient and improves communication with customers and suppliers. A properly run terminology database can be used as a work of reference, but also as a tool to train and integrate new employees.
You have been teaching applied linguistics, terminology management and multilingual technical documentation. In your opinion, how do students approach these fields? And what are the main changes that you have noticed through the years?
When they arrive at university, many students do not really know what they are letting themselves in for. Expectations are varied and not always realistic. One feature sets our courses at Karlsruhe University apart, however: more than other new courses, we take a determinedly interdisciplinary approach. We train our students in a very broad range of areas. Our course in communication and media management (Bachelor’s and Master’s) builds on our courses in technical writing. In addition to language skills, students receive training in the visualisation of ideas, the creation of multimedia projects, programming, information management and the relevant technologies. Germany has many firms working in technological spheres, so this opens up interesting professional opportunities in the area of communications and the media – in particular if graduates also understand the content to be represented.
The interdisciplinary approach means that students have a choice of professions to consider for their subsequent careers. Our graduates work in a wide range of spheres, such as information gathering and management, the design, production and multimedia presentation of product information, the development of training and teaching materials, in both the traditional and e-learning spheres, the presentation of scientific and research findings for the general public, language management in firms and public relations work. Technical communication and media management are thus innovative professions which reflect the nature of our modern-day information society.
What is the latest or most important research that you have done in the field of terminology and/or terminography?
In March 2014 the second edition of our Best Practice Handbook was presented at the German Terminology Conference. It is a hugely rewarding project, because people involved in both academic and practical terminology joined forces to create a reference work which contains proven tips and tricks.
In addition, in the Council for German Language Terminology we are currently working on a document setting out the current state of play in terminology science. We feel that such a document is needed because, as I mentioned before, the discipline is still young, highly interdisciplinary and developing all the time. Where is terminology science coming from, where is it going?
Another current, ongoing project is the constant revision and development of my nine-step model for terminology work in firms. I created the model a number of years ago and I now monitor its testing and development in real projects in the business world.
How do you see the future of terminology as a discipline and what innovations do you expect in the future?
First of all, I am pleased to see that terminology is no longer the preserve of translators and people interested in languages and that many young people are starting to take an interest in terminology.
More and more people are coming to recognise the importance of terminology in industry and in the economy as a whole and links are being established with knowledge management and related areas. Effective knowledge transfer and knowledge management are impossible without (clear) terminology. Terminology is everywhere, and in coming years we will have to pay more attention to the scientific background to terminology and to practical terminology work with a view to solving terminological problems and using the results in a variety of areas.
When we talk about ontologies, taxonomies, semantic networks and the like, we must understand that these forms of systematisation and processing (a) are impossible without terminology and terminological methods, and (b) have been part and parcel of terminology work for decades in the form of systems of terms, notations, etc. Some of the methods required are already available, therefore now they just need to be applied to new areas, using computers and multimedia techniques.
The ongoing process of globalisation will increase the importance of terminology even further.
There is still much to be done and I will continue to do everything I can to prepare our students for the challenges for the future, even if terminology is only one component of their interdisciplinary course. But perhaps I can persuade one or two to focus on ‘my’ area.
The EU’s Interinstitutional Terminology Database (IATE= Inter-Active Terminology for Europe) is the largest term base in the world and efforts are now being made to enrich it with semantics. What is your opinion about knowledge bases in general and how do you think the wider public can benefit from IATE with an ontological structure?
IATE (formerly Eurodicautom) has long been a helpful, valuable reference work and tool for translators and terminologists. Unfortunately, still not enough people use it, but I know that efforts are being made to raise its profile, for example through the 2013 TermCoord campaign ‘Let’s IATE’.
The inclusion of further semantic information would certainly be a worthwhile next step to increase the usefulness of the data and the database. To my mind, ‘ontological structures’ emerge when individual entries are properly linked to one another, so that the relationship with generic or more specific terms is clear. The visual presentation of these links is also helpful. Terminologists have long been aware of the value of the clear presentation of the links between terms in the form of systems of terms, but until now they have only been able to include them in their databases as diagrams. Working with and in term-based structures makes it easier to understand and use the information found. I will follow the new developments closely and I look forward to the new ideas it will provide for my work.
Interviewed by Carolina Dunaevsky
Born in Argentina in 1985. She graduated in 2008 from the National University of Cordoba with a Diploma in Translation. Later, she lived about 3 years in New Zealand, where she worked as a Project Manager at a Translation Agency and then as a Technical Writer. Also, she successfully took and passed the CELTA course for teaching English to speakers of other languages. In 2012 she moved to Germany, where she is about to finish her MA in Terminology and Language Engineering.