Promoting an identity framework for language teachers in translator and interpreter education

Abstract

This conceptual paper offers a perspective on translation and interpreting (TI) students’ language education and examines it in the context of research on teaching and learning in higher education (HE). First, the paper responds to scholarly debates about the nature and the relevance of language learning and teaching that is translation- and interpreting-oriented. For this purpose, it situates TI students’ language education within the discourses of translation pedagogy and translation teacher development. The paper then turns its attention to the emergence of TILLT (TI-oriented Language Learning and Teaching) as a sub-field in Translation Studies. After addressing key questions of acknowledgment and recognition, the paper discusses an identity framework for TILLT teachers, consisting of four components. The paper concludes that TI students’ linguistic competence, their educators, and the discipline of Translation Studies all benefit from TILLT teachers who actively engage in SoTL (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning).