How Do Trainee Translators Mobilise Internal and External Support in L1 and L2 Translation Processes?

When solving translation problems, translators rely on internal and external sources of support, which is associated with the level of their translation competence and information literacy skills. This quantitative and qualitative multiple case study explores the types of support used by undergraduate translation students with stronger and weaker language skills before and after their first 7.5 months of translator education. The article examines the extent and success of use of internal and external resources in solving problems during L1 and L2 translation, as well as illustrating their diverse activation in sample translation processes. An analysis of data concerning the translation process and product for 315 problem-solving paths showed, among others, the importance of the activation of internal resources in addition to the use of external ones in providing high-quality translations, greater reliance on internal resources in L1 translation, greater success in relying on external resources to solve translation problems, and the complexity of the interplay between internal and external resources. Pedagogical implications are formulated with regard to promoting the optimal use of both types of resources, with a particular focus on process-oriented pedagogy.