Student-centred learning: a small-scale study of a peer-learning experience in undergraduate translation classes

ABSTRACT

This paper examines student responses to a small-scale pilot of peer learning in undergraduate translation classes. It examines the possible benefits and risks of a learner-centred approach and explores these through feedback from two groups of undergraduate modern language students attending translation classes over a semester at a UK university. With the first group, peer learning was implemented over a six-week period in the second half of the semester; with the second group, only a single ‘one-off’ peer-learning session was delivered. Feedback from the former group suggests a largely positive experience, while much more resistance and uncertainty are evident in feedback from the latter group. The paper explores possible reasons for successes and pitfalls in peer learning, and recommends some strategies for implementing a learner-centred model as an effective alternative to more traditional forms of translation teaching.

KEYWORDS:

• Student-centred learning
• learner-centred model
• higher education
• autonomy
• foreign languages
• translation

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank their Languages colleagues at the University of Surrey for supporting this project, but also all the Languages students who took part in the project. In addition, they would like to express their sincere gratitude to the two reviewers for their critical, insightful and constructive comments on an earlier version of the article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.