Technical translation pedagogy in Romanian universities: Survey evidence on competence development and technology use

Abstract

This article offers an examination of current pedagogical practices in technical translation training in Romania, situating them within a consolidated theoretical framework that integrates genre‑based approaches, competence development models, and technology‑mediated professional workflows. While recent scholarship has clarified the conceptual distinctiveness of technical translation by emphasising the functional, procedural and risk‑sensitive characteristics of technical genres, far less is known about how these insights are operationalised in the classroom. Addressing this gap, the study draws on empirical evidence collected through a national survey of 23 university translation lecturers affiliated with six Romanian institutions to map teaching methods, technology and AI integration, perceived student competencies, and curriculum–industry alignment. Methodologically, the research employs a structured questionnaire combining closed and open items, thus enabling both descriptive quantification of prevailing tendencies and qualitative interpretation of lecturers’ reflective accounts. The findings reveal a pedagogical landscape that has largely shifted towards practice‑oriented and interaction‑driven instruction, with project‑based learning, case studies, workshops and guided group activities emerging as central methods. However, despite this generally practice‑aligned orientation, the systematic use of authentic, workflow‑based translation projects remains uneven, suggesting that conceptual acceptance of genre‑anchored pedagogy does not always translate into full curricular implementation. Technology integration is widespread, particularly with machine translation systems, terminology tools and CAT environments, and lecturers consistently adopt a reflective rather than substitutional stance towards artificial intelligence. AI tools are predominantly used to foster analytical judgement, comparative evaluation and post‑editing competence—reinforcing the human translator’s role as responsible decision‑maker—while concerns related to licensing costs and institutional infrastructure continue to limit full incorporation of quality‑assurance and project‑management applications. With respect to student performance, respondents converge on a cluster of persistent difficulties that closely mirror the communicative and cognitive demands of technical genres: terminological accuracy and consistency, domain knowledge, contextual adaptation and revision competence. These challenges confirm the need to treat terminology governance, research strategies and revision workflows not as ancillary skills, but as core components of technical translation competence. Curriculum alignment with professional expectations is generally perceived as moderate, with local efforts towards industry engagement hindered by episodic collaboration and resource constraints. Taken together, the results delineate a field in transition: lecturers demonstrate strong awareness of contemporary theoretical developments and recognise the necessity of genre‑anchored, competence‑driven and technology‑aware training, yet institutional conditions, assessment traditions and infrastructural limitations constrain full realisation of these principles. By placing new empirical evidence in dialogue with an established conceptual trajectory, the study contributes not only to documenting current pedagogical practices but also to consolidating a coherent research programme in technical translation pedagogy. It concludes with structural recommendations for strengthening genre‑task alignment, integrating revision‑centred assessment, scaffolding competence development and institutionalising reflective technology use, thereby supporting the long‑term maturation of technical translation education within Romanian higher education and beyond.