A Glimpse of the Problems amongst the Students of Translation in French at the Universities of Iran

Teaching professional translation is a pedagogical process based on learning in which students of translation play a crucial and dynamic role. According to Fiolà’s definition of the framework of professional translation, translation student as the first and most significant elements in the formation of the desirable framework are recognizable considering their previously learned knowledge, motivation, and needs for educational materials. According to Kiraly’s recommended model of socio-constructivist approach, meetings these requirements demand independence and responsibility on the side of translation students. In the present study, 112 undergraduate students of French language translation were given a questionnaire which has been prepared based on their educational needs to challenge their status, role and contribution in the acquisition of the required skills for translation, so that their week points and the reasons for their failure in being good translators could be identified. This questionnaire, which has been conceived according to the theoretical framework of research (educational needs put forward by Jemar for teaching translation and the socio-constructivist approach recommended by Donald Kiraly), allows us to answer the following questions: 1. Have students of French language translation in Iran found their proper place in the course of their study? 2. Do they have the independence, the active involvement, and the sense of responsibility needed for acquiring the skills and requirements on their path to become a translator? 3. Do they show diligence and do they dedicate enough time to study and compensate for their lack of knowledge and linguistic problems? The results of the study indicated the lack of independence, active involvement and sense of responsibility amongst translation students which does not conform to the socio-constructivist approach. Limited general knowledge, less than perfect mastery of Persian and French languages, and most important of all, lacking strong motivation when entering the field are among the reasons that hinder their progress towards becoming top-notch translators. In fact, the main reason lies in the lack of sense of responsibility and diligence to surmount these difficulties. According to the socio-constructivist approach, teaching translation using authentic materials with the aim of introducing the requirements of the professional world of translation to students and also focusing on team work to encourage motivation and independence from professors in students, are among recommended solutions together with revisions applied to the curriculum and to the admission system.