Abstract
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.
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Appendix: The Questionnaire
Appendix: The Questionnaire
The original questionnaire was sent in Polish to ensure a higher response rate. The following is a translation of the questions. The answers ranged from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very much).
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1.
How much did the competition matter to you (in any way: emotional, professional, educational, etc.)?
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2.
Did you share the news of your success/failure with other people (in person, on social media, etc.)?
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3.
How positive/negative was the experience of success/failure in your case?
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4.
To what extent would you agree with the following statement “When working on my entry, for long stretches of time I became so intensely involved that I lost track of time and everything around me”?
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5.
To what extent would you agree with the following statement “Competitions give an accurate reflection of the participants’ skills”?
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6.
To what extent would you agree with the following statement “Competitions are a bit of a lottery: of the best people don’t always win, and the winners are not always the best people”?
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7.
To what extent was your success/failure encouraging/discouraging in your plans to become a professional translator?
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8.
In terms of your motivation to take part, how important was it for you to gain a new experience?
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9.
In terms of your motivation to take part, how important was it for you to establish new contacts?
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10.
In terms of your motivation to take part, how important was it for you to see what you’re capable of?
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11.
In terms of your motivation to take part, how important was it for you to do something meaningful in life?
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12.
In terms of your motivation to take part, how important was it for you to advance your professional career (boost your resume)?
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Szymczak, P. (2016). Translation Competitions in Educational Contexts: A Positive Psychology Perspective. In: Gabryś-Barker, D., Gałajda, D. (eds) Positive Psychology Perspectives on Foreign Language Learning and Teaching. Second Language Learning and Teaching. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32954-3_20
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32954-3_20
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