Generative AI as a facilitator of deliberate practice in translator training

Advancement along an expertise trajectory, whether in training or professional
contexts, stems from translators having ample opportunity to engage in deliberate
practice, defined in the expertise studies literature as strategically designed
 activities to improve performance (Ericsson et al. 1993). In order for practice to be
deliberate, a number of core conditions need to be met, including, among others, intrinsic
learner motivation, focused and self-directed performance monitoring,
informative (and relatively immediate) feedback, tasks being structured and undertaken
at an appropriate difficulty level, and learners having opportunities to correct
errors (Shreve 2006). In translator training contexts, complex, heterogeneous learner
profiles, particularly when it comes to knowledge, skills, and competences (EMT
2022), pose inherent challenges in attempts to make sure these conditions are
adequately met. In addressing these challenges, and in optimising opportunities for
deliberate practice in general, Generative AI offers pedagogical value as a vehicle
to guide self-directed learning. This chapter will discuss how generative AI can be
used to facilitate deliberate practice in translator training, where students engage
in self-directed metacognitive activity to reflect on and assess facets of their own
performance, and, in doing so, acquire and advance their expertise.