What is Students’ Preconceptions

Translator and interpreter study programmes are characterised by their practice-oriented nature; in fact, students seem to have a somewhat reticent attitude towards Translation Theory in part due to their perception of the respective modules as less important because they are relegated to a subsidiary position within the course programme. The authors have carried out a research project aimed at investigating the views of students regarding the subject of Translation Theory. The main objective of this project is to identify areas of improvement in the design and teaching methodology in order to provide more dynamic teaching and reinforce the links between the theoretical and practical dimensions of the discipline. The results obtained in this study provide new and unexpected insights into students' conception of translation and translation theory and into the teaching improvements required to make this subject more interesting and valuable in the education and training of translators-to-be.