Welcome to the Instructor Training program from unfoldingWord for translation trainers. This training is intended to supplement Translation Academy in equipping the global church so they will be able to make high-quality translations of biblical content into their own language. If you are unfamiliar with Translation Academy, you can learn more at: https://door43.org/u/unfoldingWord/en_ta/master/
The purpose of unfoldingWord Translation Instructor Training is to equip you to prepare others to translate the Bible. As stated in Translation Academy, you are engaged in the important task of helping your people grow as disciples of Jesus as they come to read and hear the Word of God in their own language. Like translators, you must be committed to this task, take your responsibility seriously, and pray that the Lord will help you.
This course uses a behavioral modeling approach that involves:
As instructors, we must model the behavior we want our learners to perform. You need to make sure you are proficient in the skill that you want them to learn so they can observe a good demonstration. You will also need to provide learners with an opportunity to practice the skills they observe. That means your training should allow enough time for your learners to practice the skill or task. You cannot expect to develop highly skilled and proficient learners if they do not have opportunity to practice what you are teaching them. Finally, they need to receive effective feedback on their performance. Practice alone is insufficient to instill the necessary skills they need. They also need feedback on how well they have performed the task and receive guidance on how they can continue to improve their performance.
In addition to the skills needed to develop good translations, you will also need to demonstrate the skills that make you a competent instructor. One of the goals of the Gateway Language project is to equip the global church to build itself up in the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God until it is mature according to the stature of the fullness of Christ, building itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16) You are part of that process of self-equipping and you are a link in the chain established in 2 Timothy 2:2, of committing to faithful believers, the things that you have learned among many witnesses, so that they can teach others.
With that in mind, you should expect to both observe the behavior modeling process as it is presented by your instructor and prepare to practice the same in your training of others.
Training is a complex task that covers many different skills. The best trainers spend a lifetime perfecting their craft. This is the first step in that lifelong process. We will cover the basics of instructor training in this course so that you will be equipped to train others on the translation processes and tools used in Bible translation.
Among the topics covered will be: