From hermeneutics to the translation classroom: current perspectives on effective learning

Abstract

This article aims to present a critique of the current theoretical approaches to learning and seeks to evaluate these in the context of translator training. After a discussion of transmissionist approaches to learning which tend to view knowledge as a rule-based static entity existing independently of the mind and which can be transmitted to the passive learner, we survey the relevance of various contemporary theoretical and practical approaches to learning which seek to emphasise learner autonomy and empowerment, including social constructivism, enactivism, collaborative learning and situatedness. We then measure the viability of each of the latter against the specific requirements of the translation classroom. This discussion is followed by five suggestions towards an educational philosophy for translator education.