2018 Annual Conference of China English Language Education Association (CELEA2018)

216 / 2018-07-19 21:17:44

Translation teaching action research: Co-teaching classroom and its implication for translation teachers' professionalism

Action research,teachers' professionalism,teachers' identity

Plenary track > 中国特色英语教师发展研究

Co-teaching referes to pairing teachers to design and deliver a more inclusive classroom. This paper discusses the background and key findings of a six-month action research, which was designed in the context of a School of Translation and Interpretation at a University in China, and analysed within the framework of teachers' professionalism. The purpose of this study is to examine the lack of extra-linguistic knowledge of translation teachers in their teaching practices, and provide appropriate weight of contribution to the conceptualisation of translation teachers' professionalism. Drawing upon an extensive review of literature on action research, and empirical data of teaching journals, translation reference, students' homework and feedbacks, focus group and questionnaires, the study finds that co-teaching well-complemented the translation teachers' lack of special knowledge and expertise. While recognising co-teaching as an innovative teaching pedagogy, bringing in co-teaching had implications for constructing translation teachers' professional sense of identity. Translation teacher identified, resolved and reflected on problems in teaching practices as both teachers and researchers. Then the process of conducting the action research itself further promoted teachers as social agents. These multiple senses of identity interrelated and interacted with each other. The originality of the research lies in building connection between teachers' multiple senses of identity in action research.