CONTEMPORARY TRANSLATION SCHOOLS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

This paper examines the development of contemporary translation schools, their future directions, and their contribution to the formation of modern translation studies. In particular, it brings forward the issues related to functionalist and Skopos theory, Descriptive Translation Studies, polysystem theory, corpus-based and cognitive approaches, cultural and postcolonial perspectives, audiovisual and multimodal translation, and technology-oriented research. Contemporary Translation Studies has evolved into a multidisciplinary field characterized by the interaction of diverse theoretical schools and methodological approaches. It argues that these approaches should not be regarded as mutually exclusive frameworks but as complementary perspectives capable of addressing different dimensions of translation as a linguistic, communicative, cultural, cognitive, and technological phenomenon. Particular attention is given to the increasing influence of digital technologies, including computer-assisted translation tools, machine translation, corpora, and generative artificial intelligence, which are transforming both professional translation practices and theoretical research. It also highlights the emergence of a new translator competence model that combines linguistic and cultural knowledge with technological literacy, research skills, critical thinking, and project management abilities considering, the ethical challenges associated with automation, including confidentiality, copyright, misinformation, algorithmic bias, and professional responsibility. Furthermore, the article discusses implications for university translation education, emphasizing the integration of corpus methods, CAT tools, post-editing, audiovisual translation, and technology-assisted research into academic curricula. Particular consideration is given to future directions in Azerbaijani Translation Studies, especially the development of parallel corpora, terminological databases, audiovisual resources, and AI technologies adapted to the Azerbaijani language. The article concludes that the future of translation is likely to be shaped not by complete automation but by effective human–AI collaboration, in which translators retain responsibility for cultural, functional, ethical, and stylistic decisions. Thus, the integration of contemporary schools offers a productive framework for the continued development of Translation Studies.