In the present article the author argues that there is a lack of research into the teaching of translation, more particulary the teaching of technical translation. Too often teachers of translation merely distribute texts to be translated by the students and comment on the proposed solutions. It would, however, be possible and even desirable to systematize the teaching of translation by defining course contents and learning objectives. In this paper a text typology is presented which can be used in the first course of technical translation in a translation program. The author finds that certain typologies, in particular those used in foreign-language teaching, are not completely satisfactory for the teaching of translations. A typology is proposed which can be used in the teaching of technical translation and which makes it possible to present pedagogical materials according to a certain order.