In cognitive psychology expertise is regarded as a high level of competence, resulting from the interaction between knowledge structures and processing abilities. The difference between expert and novice problem solving is related to the different way in which experts process their knowledge. As experts develop the ability to perceive in large, meaningful patterns, their knowledge is both automatised and restructured on a higher level. Viewing translatorial expertise as a dynamic feedback process, involving the interaction of declarative and procedural knowledge, has the following implications for theory and training: 1) linguistic knowledge is a necessary basis if expertise is to be achieved; 2) this knowledge should not be taught in isolation but in relation to the main goal of culture- specific conceptual restructuring; 3) in this way, students learn why linguistic conventions must be adapted in accordance with the target culture, or why lateral thinking is always necessary.