The author of this paper argues that the learning task for translator trainees is to internalise concepts and to become experts in applying these appropriately. The challenge for teachers is to create conditions under which this internalization can take place and to raise trainees’ awareness of fundamental conceptual tools. In his hierarchy of stages, based on Dreyfus and Dreyfus, students progress from the novice stage to that of advanced beginner; from there they move to the competence stage (characterized by conscious decision-making), then on to the proficiency stage, culminating in the expertise stage. These stages could be related to the design of a translation training programme.