Professional Translators’ Motivations and Perceptions towards Volunteerism: A study of Saudi translators

Abstract

With the emergence of Web 2.0, many activities that involve community have emerged along with it, one of which has been the centre of many Translation Studies (TS) scholars, and it has acquired many terms, including volunteer translation and community translation. This activity has enabled amateurs and professionals alike to work together to provide mostly uncompensated translation services. Yet, little is known about Saudi volunteer translators’ activities. This research applies a qualitative interdisciplinary approach to (1) identify the motivating factors of Saudi professional translators to participate in volunteer translation projects on the internet and factors that influence motivation and (2) assess the attitude of Saudi professional translators, volunteers and non-volunteers towards volunteer translation which takes place online. A survey-based questionnaire was employed and launched online which saw 49 Saudi translators of varying professional experience and volunteer experience provide their input. The main research findings illustrate that the most identified motivation among all translators is the desire to gain translation experience. Additionally, motivations that pertain to the enhancement of psychological function, i.e. factors that enhance the growth of the ego, were the most chosen driving factors to volunteer by volunteers. Moreover, it was noted that gender as an extrinsic factor influences the motivation to volunteer (MTV). Although there were no major differences in perception between volunteers and nonvolunteers towards volunteer translation, most professional translators perceive volunteering as an opportunity to gain practical experience while being are aware of the negative side where for-profit organisations exploit this activity to their advantage.