Interdisciplinarity in translation teaching: competence-based education, translation task-based approach, context-based text typology

Abstract

In the context of competence-based teaching, this paper draws upon the model of Translation Competence (TC) put forward by the PACTE group (2003) to establish a dialogue between cognitive-constructivist paradigms for translation teaching and the model of the Context-based Text Typology (MATTHIESSEN et al., 2007). In this theoretical environment, it proposes a model for the design of a Teaching Unit (TU) for the development of the bilingual competence in would-be-translators.To this end, it explores translation as a cognitive, communicative and textual activity (HURTADO ALBIR, 2011) and considers its teaching from the translation task-based approach (HURTADO ALBIR, 1999). This approach is illustrated through the practical example of the design of a TU elaborated for the subject ‘Introduction to Specialized Translation’,part of the curricular grid of the program ‘Secretariado Executivo’ at Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Aspects such as the establishment of learning objectives and their alignment with the translation tasks composing the TU are addressed for this specific pedagogical situation. We argue for the development of textual competences by means of the acquisition of strategies derived from the Context-based Text Typology to solve problems arising from the translation of different text types and contextual configurations.