A flipped learning model in a translation course

Translation courses tend to be difficult to teach. A valid question would be: Is there anything to teach? And if there is, how much should actually be taught in terms of 'lectured' and how much should actually be done in terms of 'practised'?

A colleague of mine (teaching the same course I am - Translation techniques) once said that there is no theory in translation! Personally, I couldn't disagree and agree more. To be precise, I believe there should be both but in appropriate amounts. In numbers that would mean, 50-50 at the beginning with a tendency of downsizing on the theoretical part until it boils down to 10-90 in favour of the practical aspect.

I should probably point out that when I was a student, we did not have any lecture classes in our translation course. We only had practice classes, which were considered an integrative part of English language classes. Our teacher would give us a text, we would take it home, translate it and bring it back to class next week to discuss it with the class and the teacher. Now, this model is still in use at most departments in my country. At least, that is what I have been told.

A few years ago, I decided to break away from this model so I introduced some changes, which have been gradually reverted to the flipped learning model because it seemed ideal in the context of teaching/ learning translation techniques. My primary reason was that it provides for the perfect amount of both theory and practice at any level the course might have reached.

In order to be fully aware of the potentials of the suggested model of flipped learning, the term should be explained first.

The official web site representing the Flipped Learning Network (FLN) provides a formal definition of the term saying that

"Flipped Learning is a pedagogical approach in which direct instruction moves from the group learning space to the individual learning space, and the resulting group space is transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning environment where the educator guides students as they apply concepts and engage creatively in the subject matter."

The key leaders in the field of flipped learning also released the Four Pillars of F-L-I-P™ and a checklist of eleven indicators that educators must incorporate into their practice.

These four pillars are crucial when designing a flipped learning model in a translation course. What this means in practice can be presented as follows:

1. Flexible environment:

I email the text to be translated to all my students. They have to perform the background research at home and make their glossary, which I taught at the beginning of the course. They usually have up to five days to prepare their glossary. Back in class, they ask me about details they are not sure about or needs to be clarified. Then they start translating the text in class. Each student sits at their own computer. In the process, they can ask questions, consult with their peers and use all available resources found online.

2. Learning culture: 

As the students can work on their own, or collaborate with their peers both at home and in class later, the role of the teacher has been shifted from a less central to a more marginal position. To be precise, my role is to be there and provide guidance and assistance if asked and if I realize that it is needed. I am constantly in control of the situation as I keep monitoring them and encouraging them to be in charge of their own learning.

3. Intentional content:

Each time the students do the translation in class, we agree on a precise time frame. Usually, they translate for an hour and then we have about 30 minutes left to discuss their translations. I insist that they use the prepared glossaries, search online for terms, better expressions, etc. The point is that they do as much as they can on their own and ask for help. 

4. Professional educator:

When explaining something, I make use of all the resources available to me: whiteboard, projector, Internet, etc. During the whole process, I tend to be instructor, lecturer and observer. My observations are especially important during the last half hour of the class when we discuss what they have completed in the previous hour. Usually, they manage to do about half of the text. A follow-up homework is to complete the translation. Finally, I send a complete translation of the text to all of them. The final version is based on my own translation but it also includes the ideas and solutions we have come up with in the half-hour discussion.

To round up the whole process, I keep track of student performance in the form of evaluation sheets where I enter data regarding all the aspects that should be part of the assessment procedure during the semester and the final evaluation at the end of the semester. 

A flipped learning model can easily be constructed and designed for any course. In the beginning, such model can be introduced for separate segments to be taught but in time, they might be used more and more often, especially in courses where the teacher can reduce their lecturing role to a minimum and leave more space to the students to do things on their own. It certainly is worth a try.