Translation Competitions in Educational Contexts: A Positive Psychology Perspective

Piotr Szymczak

A central experience in human interactions, competition has a long history in education. It has been valued for bringing out the best in learners and criticized for the harms it may inflict on unsuccessful and successful participants alike. This paper looks at data from two formal translation competitions held at the Institute of English Studies (University of Warsaw) to report on the reactions and motivations of the participants. The data is examined from the perspective of the PERMA model of wellbeing as proposed by Seligman (2011). Insights from positive psychology inform recommendations on how we can design better competitions in educational contexts by ensuring transparent assessment procedures, increased success rates, and proper guidance to participants through tips and feedback.