Finding Ways to Increase Translators’ Competence

Abstract

Many scholars have so far attempted to answer the question as to what constitutes translation competence. In doing so, it has been established that this competence requires a combination of various types of knowledge and skills, which consequently results in the complexity of the matter. It is precisely this complexity that has yielded in a number of approaches to defining and analyzing translation competence, which is considered to be a number one prerequisite for a successful professional in this field.Since many scholars who study translation competence agree that it is most effectively developed at an academic institution, modern language faculties that educate future translators and interpreters need to adapt their curricula so as to increase students’ translation competence and skills. This article looks at one of the possible ways in which translation classes have been designed in order to pursue this goal. It explores students’ perceptions on the presence of a native English speaker during translation classes and direct benefits (or the lack thereof) and presents possible guidelines for the improvement of translation classes.