Student Agency in Translator Training: Setting a Framework for Good Practices

Abstract

Both teacher and student agency have been discussed and researched for quite some time in different learning contexts. Here, I will present a general framework for pedagogical practices that enhance translator education by promoting student agency defined as the process through which learners become capable of strategic actions which form the basis for autonomy and confidence in their own proficiency and effectiveness. I will suggest how student agency and collaborative and situated learning can interact to provide students with professional and relational skills that set the basis for the development of autonomous strategic learning. This combined approach involves the acceptance and use of planned and spontaneous learning opportunities embedded in contextualised activities, tasks, and projects. Some practical examples will illustrate the main points.