Scaffolding student self-reflection in translator training

Abstract

This article advocates for structured self-reflection as a means to scaffold learning in translator training. Metacognitive activity in translator training requires students to actively regulate their own process of both translating and learning to become a translator. Therefore, the nature and typology of (self-)reflection is examined as are tools that offer students structured opportunities to analyze and evaluate their own learning. Given that additional (self-)reflection in the translation classroom requires trainers to alter their teaching methods, this article also examines how their role in training changes as a result of its inclusion. An exploratory study on translation students’ prospective and retrospective self-reflection is described with student perspectives on the same translation task compared. Student expectations prior to translation are examined both pre- and post-task, emphasizing what students and teachers learn from reflective practice.