Article published In:
Culture and Society[Translation Spaces 5:2] 2016
► pp. 314–331
Assessing translation students’ acquisition of professional competences
This article describes assessment methods in undergraduate translation courses from English into the students’ native language at
the University of Helsinki, Finland. We consider and attempt to develop assessment according to the principle of constructive
alignment in the process of both teaching and learning of translators’ professional competences (as defined by Gambier et al. 2009
and Kelly 2005), which are discussed in relation to our course aims and intended outcomes. The primary methods of assessment
described and analysed include students’ reflective translation commentaries, teacher feedback and end of course portfolios. We
argue, based on both our teaching experience and student comments, that in spite of some obvious challenges, this assessment
system is an effective way of measuring the students’ acquisition of translation competences, as well as acting as a scaffold in
the process.
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Cited by (2)
Cited by two other publications
Silva, Márcia Moura & Lincoln Paulo Fernandes
2021. Assessing Translation Students in a Brazilian University. Matices en Lenguas Extranjeras 14:1 ► pp. 12 ff. 
Pakkala-Weckström, Mari J.
2019. Introducing a Student Self-Evaluation Grid for Translation Assignments. In Quality Assurance and Assessment Practices in Translation and Interpreting [Advances in Linguistics and Communication Studies, ], ► pp. 270 ff.
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