Implementing Holistic and Humanistic Approaches in a Remote Flipped English Translation Module

Abstract

A holistic approach encourages meaningful learning, creativity, risk-taking, and mutual empathy within a learning environment and challenges the traditional pedagogical approaches based on mono-referential methods. Rethinking these approaches entails placing learners at the core of the teaching process, including their inner personal spheres. Grounded in a case study of an Italian university setting, this study underlines the contribution to learner centrality of holistic and humanistic approaches to flipped learning and suggests how to implement such an approach in a remote English translation module. The study was conducted via a structured questionnaire completed anonymously by 148 Italian students aged 18–19 at the end of their English module. The outcomes highlight the students’ appreciation of the holistic approach combined with a humanistic teaching approach (HTA), which they perceived as pushing the boundaries of formal, mono-referential teacher–learner relationships while maintaining these roles. The present study thus holds implications for the wider teacher community regarding the benefits and challenges of implementing flipped learning with an HTA in other translation courses or modules. Rather than simply guiding and assisting students in learning for themselves, teachers have a crucial role as holistic learning facilitators. By redesigning a typical flipped learning class, the study enhances teachers’ awareness of this role and provides insightful suggestions on how a holistic approach can be applied in remote English translation teaching.