Teaching beliefs and learning beliefs in translator and interpreter education: an exploratory case study

ABSTRACT

Since 2000, translator and interpreter trainers have been arguing against the use of a transmissionist approach and for the use of a transformationist approach. Such a change in instructional approach is rooted in a shift in trainers’ beliefs from behaviourism to social constructivism/situated learning. Teachers’ beliefs on the nature of knowledge and learning influence curricular choices, instructional approaches and assessment formats, while students’ beliefs determine their plans for and approach to learning. However, relevant research on teaching and learning beliefs in translator and interpreter education is rare. This study reports on an exploratory case study of teachers’ and learners’ beliefs in the context of translator and interpreter education. It reviews the state of art of educational research on teaching and learning beliefs, and describes two categories of teaching beliefs in translator and interpreter education: behaviourism and constructivism/situated learning. Data were collected through two questionnaires from five teachers and their sixty students. Results suggested that teachers’ beliefs contained mixed elements of behaviourism and constructivism/situated learning and that students’ beliefs did not match those of their teachers. Pedagogical implications were discussed to justify advantages of the co-existence of behaviourism and constructivism/situated learning and reconcile the discrepancies between teachers’ and students’ beliefs..

KEYWORDS:

• Teaching beliefs
• learning beliefs
• behaviourism
• constructivism/situated learning
• co-existence
• misalignment

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Shaanxi Social Sciences Funding Programme [2016K007].