Methodological Value of Self-Reflection in Translator Training. Student Empowerment

The article investigates actual and potential applications of self-reflection as a methodological tool in translator training, and responds to the question of how translator training reflects the "creative turn" in translation studies. Research in the discipline has recently been dominated by social and strategic paradigms in which the category of strategy, a term somewhat ambiguously defined and subject to various taxonomies, has appeared prominently. One of the areas to be affected by the strategic impact is the methodology of teaching translation, which is realised dually: as professional translator training and as instruction towards academic degrees in the field of translation studies. The two models obviously follow two different research paths, and this article, focusing on the latter, addresses the issue of the translator decision-making process in translator training methodology and didactic practice. In this kind of pedagogical environment the key notion of self-reflection is considered. Self-reflective strategic training in authentic classroom settings is proposed, which brings to light its relevance for the aspect of student empowerment to be a possible teaching goal.