A Project-Based Syllabus Design
Innovative Pedagogy in Translation Studies

Abstract

This thesis presents a project-based syllabus as an innovative approach to translator training in higher education. The learner-centred syllabus raises the awareness of translation skills and competences among trainee translators and can provide an enhanced all-round translator training in higher education, from an academic as well as a vocational perspective.
The project-based syllabus was trialled in the module Translation and Technology of the Master’s degree in Translation Studies at Durham University (UK), which aims to familiarise students with internet-based and computer-aided translation tools. A three-year study conducted between 2009 and 2012 was an inquiry into the impact of the syllabus on students’ translation competences and skills.
The quality and quantity of literature since the 1980s have shown that Translation Studies has become an independent discipline, partly thanks to scholars who have mapped the discipline, such as Holmes (1988) and Toury (1995, 2012), and others who have directed the spotlights on didactics, such as Kiraly (1995) and Pym (1993 - present) among others. The discussion of didactics and pedagogy, particularly in relation to translation technology, is to be found mainly in articles, chapters in collected volumes, or in conference papers. Against this background, the project-based syllabus is put forward as a suitable and complementary teaching method which helps students meet academic as well as professional requirements. In the thesis, I will place the project-based syllabus in context, describe its origin, discuss the rationale for its implementation, and the outcomes of the study.