Becoming and being a translation and interpreting teacher in China: A sustainable role identity trajectory

Abstract

This study presents a Translation and Interpreting Teacher Role Identity (TITRI) trajectory, a sustainable career development model for T&I teachers. It employs a qualitative case study method to investigate the professional lives of three T&I teachers in China, mapping their role identity development across three stages using the Dynamic Systems Model of Role Identity (DSMRI). The findings highlight that the three case participants have experienced some major events, symbolizing a career path beginning as a T&I practitioner and culminating into a multifaceted role. The analysis emphasizes how major events define the TITRI trajectory, shaping T&I teachers’ professional paths and highlighting the dynamic interplay between their personal experiences and professional development. The TITRI trajectory enhances our understanding of the professional role identity of T&I teachers. It adds to the existing literature on T&I teacher professional development by providing deeper insights into the mechanisms that help T&I teachers in cultivating their roles as trainers/educators, researchers and practitioners within the higher educational context.