Educating translators as agents of social change

Abstract This systematic literature review examines the integration of service-learning (SL) into translator education, with a focus on its impact on the development of key translation competences as outlined in the European Master’s in Translation (EMT) framework ( 2022 ). Service-learning, a pedagogical approach that combines community service with academic learning, is known to foster the development of professional and interpersonal skills in real-world contexts. The review systematically surveys available empirical studies from language and translation-related settings, synthesizing findings from 42 relevant ones. It reveals that while SL is found to be effective in developing language and cultural competences, the testing of its application to the development of translation-specific competences remains limited. As a result, there is to this day a lack of data concerning the development of critical professional competences such as those related to technological skills and service provision. This study underscores the need for broader implementation of SL in translator education, particularly in linguistic contexts beyond English and (heritage) Spanish, and highlights the importance of developing assessment frameworks to objectively evaluate students’ learning in the different competence areas related to translator education. Future research should address these gaps and thus support the systematic rollout of SL into translator education environments.