Autonomous learning: What makes it work in postgraduate interpreter training?

Autonomous learning is a complex and multi-faceted construct. It can be defined as the learners’ capacity to self-direct their own learning, which means taking responsibility for the decisions concerning the different aspects of the learning process. However, there is more to autonomous learning than its purely management aspect. Autonomous learning, first of all, means critical thinking, planning and evaluating learning, and reflection, a conscious effort on the part of the learner to continuously monitor the learning process from beginning to end. This is the cognitive side of autonomous learning. This paper reports on the findings of an empirical investigation conducted at the Interpreter and Translator Training Centre (ITTC) of ELTE University, Budapest, Hungary. ITTC offers post-graduate translator and interpreting training. The current research focuses on the role of autonomous learning in interpreter training in particular. The study explores the research question whether interpreter training at ITTC develops the students’ capacity to carry out autonomous learning. It also intends to ascertain what makes autonomous learning work in the context of postgraduate interpreter training.