International joint conference of the Lithuanian Terminology Forum (LTF) and the Institute of the Lithuanian Language Scientific, Administrative and Educational Levels of Terminology

VITALIJA ŠPOKIENĖ

European Commission Directorate-General for Translation

EGIDIJUS ZAIKAUSKAS

European Commission Directorate-General for Translation

On 4–5 June, an international scientific conference on terminology, “Scientific, Administrative and Educational Levels of Terminology,” was held in the conference hall of the Seimas’s III Palace (53 Gedimino Avenue) in Vilnius. The conference was organised by the Terminology Centre of the Institute of the Lithuanian Language, the coordination group of the Lithuanian Terminology Forum (LTF), the Lithuanian Language Department of the European Commission Directorate-General for Translation (DGT), the Office of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, the State Commission of the Lithuanian Language, the Lithuanian Language Unit of the Directorate-General for Translation of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, and Infoterm.

The fifth Lithuanian Terminology Forum (LTF) conference was a jubilee event. For the fifth time, specialists—people who encounter and solve terminology problems in their daily work—gathered in a hall of the Seimas of Lithuania. Previous conferences focused mainly on discussing and considering practical topics. This year, however, the idea arose to broaden the range of topics for the fifth conference. The proposal from the Terminology Centre of the Institute of the Lithuanian Language to hold a joint conference of the Lithuanian Terminology Forum and the Institute of the Lithuanian Language on “Scientific, Administrative and Educational Aspects of Terminology” proved very interesting. Therefore, this year’s conference consisted of two parts: the first day was devoted to theoretical and scientific questions of terminology, while the second covered traditional practical topics. This review aims to discuss the proceedings of the joint terminology conference.

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Vitalija Špokienė Egidijus Zaikauskas

International joint conference of the Lithuanian Terminology Forum (LTF) and the Institute of the Lithuanian Language Scientific, Administrative and Educational Levels of Terminology

On the first day, 15 presentations were heard. The presenters were invited guests and Lithuanian specialists. Scholars from various countries gave presentations: besides the Lithuanian hosts, guests spoke from Austria, Latvia, Hungary, Spain, Russia, and Germany. The topics were very broad, ranging from analysis of theoretical problems in terminology and linguistics to discussion of practical issues.

The scholarly conference was opened by Audronė Pitrėnienė, Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania, who also delivered a welcome address. She recalled that the annual conferences devoted to Lithuanian terminology, at which theoretical and practical matters are discussed, are very important for the development of the language and everyday usage.

The first presentation was given by the conference’s invited guest Georgas Löckingeris from the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria. The professor’s presentation was entitled “Terminology Work—Good Practice and What Lies Behind It.” It is interesting that the speaker represents the Austrian school of terminology, a highly influential school whose researchers (the Vienna School) are regarded as pioneers of terminology. In his presentation, the professor emphasized the importance of closer links between terminology and other related fields. Today, terminology work is carried out by professionals, work standards have been established, and theoretical discussions are underway. In the future, however, it will be very important to continue encouraging cooperation with representatives of related fields, such as software developers, since such connections are essential for further development. The professor gave a specific example: when analyzing the tools and sources translators use in their work, he found that they most often rely on translation memories and terminology databases, but lack corpora integrated into translation software. Large organizations, of course, encounter this shortcoming less often, but freelance translators feel this need. It would be very useful for translation software developers to know about this need. Therefore, close interdisciplinary cooperation is important, and the need for it will only grow in the future.

Next, the guest from Latvia, Juris Baldunčikas (Ventspils University of Applied Sciences), spoke. He discussed trends in the creation of Latvian terms, namely primary and secondary nomination. The professor offered interesting examples from the history of Latvian term formation and noted that German and Russian had a significant influence on the processes of term formation. I think one example given by the professor stayed with those present: the Lithuanian and Latvian equivalents of the word hotdog. The Lithuanian equivalent is dešrainis,

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which, according to the professor, is the result of a more thorough analysis of the concept. It turns out that Latvians do not have such a apt term. When creating terms, it is important to identify the possibilities for term formation, analyze concepts more thoroughly, and draw on associative thinking.

Asta Mitkevičienė of the Institute of the Lithuanian Language presented an analysis devoted to a highly important and interesting topic: some theoretical aspects of terminological synonymy. Her presentation discussed types of systemic (non-contextual) synonyms, distinguished according to term structure, language levels, and term root. The speaker emphasized that studying terminological synonymy entails difficulties in identifying and selecting synonyms. Issues of terminological synonymy proved highly relevant; later in the conference, Dr Rasuolė Vladarskienė of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University spoke about them. She offered interesting and timely reflections on borrowed and Lithuanian economic terms. The speaker presented the theoretical aspects of this problem in detail and concluded that synonymous terms are in constant and intense competition. This is a permanent state of terminology, as new phenomena emerge and terms are sought to name them. There are quite a few term variants in Lithuanian economic terminology; what is lacking is a more comprehensive original explanatory dictionary of economic terms. Dictionaries of economic terms compiled quite some time ago should also be updated and supplemented.

The morning session continued the conference’s focus on Latvia with a presentation by Anita Butanė, a guest from the Institute of Latvian Language at the University of Latvia. Her presentation was entitled “The Role of Terminology in Educational Processes: The Creation and Standardization of Linguistic Terms in Latvia in the Early 20th Century.” The speaker gave her presentation in Lithuanian. It was interesting to learn more about the history of Latvian linguistic terminology and discover the highly inventive Latvian names for punctuation marks (a period—graudiņš, “little grain”; a semicolon—skabarga, “splinter”). The presentation by the guest from Latvia was followed by a presentation by Regina Kvašytė of Šiauliai University on a study of the same field: a comparative study of linguistic terms in Lithuanian and Latvian. The speaker compared the linguistic terms of the two languages and sought to identify trends in their use, as well as their characteristic features and patterns.

At the end of the conference’s first session, a presentation by Robertas Stunžinas of the Institute of the Lithuanian Language was heard on Lithuanian equivalents of the term sustainability. This topic is indeed exceptionally relevant to practicing translators. The English term has nearly two dozen Lithuanian equivalents. In the author’s view, this abundance may have been caused by conceptual opacity, the search for more precise equivalents, and the polysemy of the English term and its root word—

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International joint conference of the Lithuanian Terminology Forum (LTF) and the Institute of the Lithuanian Language Scientific, Administrative, and Educational Levels of Terminology

…fulness. Such research is very important for translators, who encounter this term very frequently. It is useful to become familiar with a detailed analysis, see the range of fields and trends, and clarify all possible nuances of meaning.

The afternoon session of the scientific conference was opened by invited speaker Klaus-Dirk Schmitz from Cologne University of Applied Sciences. His presentation addressed terms in texts and the difficulties they pose for terminology management. Drawing on interesting examples, the speaker spoke vividly and clearly about concept-based terminology management, the importance of term autonomy, and the extraction of terms from texts.

In the afternoon, most of the conference presentations were devoted to specific research studies.

A presentation was given on tools for automated terminography (the authors were Erika Rimkutė, Loïcas Boizou, and Jolanta Kovalevskaitė from Vytautas Magnus University). Presenter L. Boizou spoke in Lithuanian; it was very interesting to hear about the research under way and that the tools would be available online.

Ágota Fóris from Károli Gáspár University gave a presentation on compiling an English–Hungarian database of laser physics. We learned that a large-scale English–Hungarian laser physics dictionary, containing about 5,000 terms, had been prepared. The speaker talked about the work involved in compiling the dictionary, collaboration between linguists and subject specialists, and future plans.

Ricardas Eito-Brunas from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid presented a very interesting study based on bibliometric analysis. Scientific texts from the Space Agency and the frequency of the terms used were examined. The author explained in detail how the terms were collected and used to create visual maps of scientific research.

Elena Logunova from Kaliningrad State Technical University spoke about the terminology of economic computer-mediated discourse and presented its analysis.

In her presentation “On abbreviations (and not only those) in legal acts,” Daiva Nenartavičiūtė from the Ministry of Finance summarized practical problems in the use of abbreviations: introducing abbreviations and their validity within a particular legal act. She discussed cases in which it is preferable to use terms or generalizing words instead of abbreviations, and offered recommendations on how to avoid the problems that arise.

Valerijonas Žalkauskas from Vilnius University spoke about major polytechnical dictionaries and their compilation. Dictionaries are a huge undertaking, requiring the resolution of numerous issues that arise when managing polysemous terms and other complex aspects of terminography.

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In addition to these practical presentations, at the afternoon session Egidijus Zaikauskas and Audra Ivanauskienė spoke about the one-stop system as a means of harmonizing the terminology of complex European Union documents (the first query was submitted in early 2011; by March 2015, 143 queries had been submitted). The presenters outlined the problems and difficulties encountered and also celebrated the results achieved over the five-year period.

In summary, the first part of the joint conference served as an excellent introduction to the meeting on the second day of the conference. We heard many interesting and varied presentations, which enabled everyone present to appreciate the broader context, learn about researchers’ studies, and once again see that mutual benefits can be achieved only through ongoing close cooperation.

Before lunch on the second day of the conference, Vitalija Špokienė (European Commission) summarized the work of the first day; four presentations were delivered, and traditional discussion workshops took place in the afternoon.

Arūnas Butkevičius, Head of the Lithuanian Language Department of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Translation and Chair of the Lithuanian Terminology Forum, reviewed the LTF’s results for 2011–2015. During this period, five LTF conferences were held, attended by more than 700 participants who listened to presentations and discussed current issues in terminology. Four terminology seminars were organized for Lithuanian experts (one jointly with colleagues from the Bank of Lithuania); lectures on terminology theory and practical seminars were held at Lithuanian universities. The LTF helps build closer relations between EU translators and Lithuanian experts: many experts who are LTF members advise EU translators on terminology, take part in subject-specific terminology projects, give translators lectures in their fields, and submit suggestions concerning terminology queries through the one-stop system (VLS). The LTF also contributes to strengthening the standing of terminology as a science and enhancing the prestige of terminology as a subject taught at Lithuanian universities. Since the first conference, held in June 2011, the number of LTF members has grown from 70 to 120; the forum’s activities have been covered in the Lithuanian press and on Lithuanian radio and television. The LTF website http://ec.europa.eu/translation/lithuanian/ltf/index_lt.htm¹ has become an important means of disseminating terminology-related information.

¹ The LTF website also features an overview of the fifth Lithuanian Terminology Forum conference, supplemented by summaries of some presentations, slides, and other terminology-related material.

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International joint conference of the Lithuanian Terminology Forum (LTF) and the Institute of the Lithuanian Language Scientific, administrative and educational levels of terminology

A presentation on the state of terminology in Lithuania, research into terminology, terminology management processes, and the teaching of terminology in higher education was delivered by Dr Albina Auksoriūtė, Head of the Terminology Centre at the Institute of the Lithuanian Language. The presenter spoke about terminology management in Lithuania and the activities of the Terminology Centre of the Institute of the Lithuanian Language and the Terminology Subcommission of the State Commission of the Lithuanian Language; she also discussed the preparation of terminology dictionaries, presented the most important Lithuanian terminology databases, and examined the current state of terminology education in Lithuania. She emphasized the status of terminology as a metascience, the need for students at Lithuanian universities to learn to use appropriate terms in their fields and to understand the fundamentals of terminology, and the importance of Lithuanian researchers publishing their ideas in Lithuanian.

Ieva Panavaitė and Indrė Mockaitytė, lawyer-linguists at the Council of the EU, joined by a television link from Brussels, emphasized the importance of the role played by Council lawyer-linguists in reviewing draft EU legislation. Lawyer-linguists at EU institutions are the final link in ensuring the quality of EU legislation and are also responsible for preventing legal consequences arising from incorrect translation. The presenters described the particular features of their work and the problems they most often have to address, as well as what lawyer-linguists do and do not amend in draft EU legislation. They reminded the audience that versions of EU legislation in all official EU languages have equal legal force, and that every effort is therefore made to ensure that their terms express concepts as consistently as possible. They also noted that new EU legislation gives preference to correct terms used in earlier EU legislation and avoids terminology drawn from national law—in this case, the law of the Republic of Lithuania.

The presentation by the Council of the EU’s lawyer-linguists was supplemented by Laima Mašalaitė-Chouteau, a lawyer-linguist at the European Parliament, who briefly described the specific nature of the work of lawyer-linguists at the EP.

Dr Andrius Utka, Head of the Centre for Computational Linguistics (KLC) at Vytautas Magnus University (VDU), gave a detailed overview of computer tools suited to searching, selecting, and analyzing terminology data, including tools developed specifically for these purposes. According to the presenter, relevant terminology can be found not only in terminology dictionaries and databases, scholarly articles, legislation, and technical descriptions, but also on social media and in blogs. However, searching for such information takes a great deal of time, so tools developed specifically for this purpose are more suitable for specialized terminology work

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tools, for example, terminology management systems such as “AnyLexic,” “MemoQ,” “Multiterm TRADOS,” etc. Special programs are also used to extract terms from texts. The speaker presented a study, conducted by the center he heads, on the automated extraction of education and science terminology, described in detail in a monograph prepared by KLC staff Automatic Recognition and Definition of Lithuanian Terms (2015).

After lunch, conference participants split into groups according to their interests and took part in discussions in the traditional discussion workshops.

The workshop led by Dr. A. Auksoriūtė (LKI) and A. Ivanauskienė (VLKK) discussed the situation of terminology and education in Lithuania: research into scientific terminology, the teaching of terminology at Lithuanian institutions of higher education, and the relationship between specialist subject knowledge, general linguistic knowledge, native-language skills, and specialist terminology knowledge in the training of professionals. Dr. Daiya Vaišnienė (VLKK) gave a brief presentation on the state of academic Lithuanian. She familiarized workshop participants with a study conducted by the VLKK on the correctness of Lithuanian used in higher education, the results of which are far from encouraging. Participants discussed how Lithuanian researchers, university lecturers, and students could be encouraged to pay greater attention to the Lithuanian language and to the correctness of the terminology in their fields. VLKK colleagues put forward their proposals.

One workshop was devoted to discussing similarities and differences in legal terminology in the institutions of the European Union and the Republic of Lithuania. The discussion was led by Ieva Mainardi (European Parliament) and Dr. Aukšė Razanovaitė (Ministry of Justice); colleagues from the Council of the EU and the European Parliament also took part via video link. First, participants were asked whether the term legal terminology was possible. It was agreed, however, that Lithuanian should distinguish between the terms terminology and terminology; accordingly, it is appropriate to speak of legal terms, legal terminology, whereas the term legal terminology denotes no concept. Discussion then turned to the need for consistent terminology not only within a single legal act, but also to the harmonization of terms across EU and Lithuanian institutions, as well as various other legal and linguo-legal aspects of terminology.

Continuing the theme of Dr. A. Utka’s presentation, the third workshop discussed the use, benefits, possibilities, and obstacles of using computer tools in terminology management. The discussion leaders, Dr. A. Utka (VDU) and E. Zaikauskas (European Commission), presented several tools for managing and analyzing texts and terminology: a very simple macro utility operating in “Microsoft Word” that—

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Vitalija Špokienė Egidijus Zaikauskas

Joint International Conference of the Lithuanian Terminology Forum (LTF) and the Institute of the Lithuanian Language Scientific, Administrative and Educational Levels of Terminology

ing macro utility “Šluota”² for managing proofreading marks, and the complex and expensive “SDL TRADOS” “Multiterm” module. Participants discussed the various ways in which common computer programs and systems installed on many computers can be used to collect, store, manage, and analyze terms, such as “Google,” “MS Excel,” “MS Access,” and others. It emerged that most participants use standard computer programs for terminology work, while only a few use specialized terminology software, and then only when such tools are provided by their employers, usually large institutions.

At the workshop devoted to current terminology issues in agriculture, fisheries, and forestry (moderators: Zigmas Medingis (Ministry of Agriculture) and Rita Dedonienė (European Commission)), conference participants examined specific concepts in agriculture, fisheries, and forestry and considered which Lithuanian terms should be used to denote them. Terms such as forestry vs. forest management, quantity of fish caught vs. catch, state support vs. state aid, warehousing vs. storage were discussed; participants debated the terms school fruit (vegetable, milk) consumption promotion programme, considered when the same English term scheme should be translated as scheme, when as programme, and when as system. They also discussed the hierarchy of concepts denoted by the Lithuanian term components locality, territory, zone, and district. The nature of terminology errors in legal acts and ways of correcting them were also discussed.

Dr. D. Vaišnienė delivered the closing remarks and summarized the conference proceedings. The VLKK Chair noted that the Lithuanian Terminology Forum is important not only for Lithuanian terminology but also for the Lithuanian language as a whole, and that the Forum contributes to shaping language policies not only in EU institutions and Lithuanian government bodies, but also in Lithuanian research and educational institutions. The speaker regretted that internationalization and globalization are gradually, but very consistently, reducing the domains in which Lithuanian is used as the state language. Lithuanian researchers’ tendency to publish the results of their research (articles, monographs, dissertations) in languages other than Lithuanian affects Lithuanian terminology. Lithuanian is also gradually being pushed out of the teaching process, thereby increasing the divide between specialists in particular fields and society. The VLKK Chair noted that Lithuanian terminology should not be the sole concern of linguists

² It can be downloaded free of charge from the LTF website http://ec.europa.eu/translation/lithuanian/ltf/index_lt.htm—the link to the archived file is in the review of the 5th LTF conference.

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and the VLKK’s responsibility, and the Lithuanian Terminology Forum is a good example of joint commitment to Lithuanian terminology. The LTF is an important network of like-minded people who care about Lithuanian terminology and the future of the Lithuanian language, disseminating ideas about coherent Lithuanian terminology and a strong state language to specialists and the general public.

Received 2015-07-22

Vitalija Špokienė European Commission Bâtiment Jean Monnet C3/115, rue Alcide de Gasperi, L-2920 Luxembourg, Luxembourg E-mail: [email protected]

Egidijus Zaikauskas European Commission Bâtiment Jean Monnet C3/115, rue Alcide de Gasperi, L-2920 Luxembourg, Luxembourg E-mail: [email protected]

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International joint conference of the Lithuanian Terminology Forum (LTF) and the Institute of the Lithuanian Language Scientific, administrative and educational levels of terminology