Academic discourse in translation: Trainee translators' performance, experience and perception of rhetorical conventions

•Pedagogically motivated study of translation of academic discourse.•Translation of rhetorical conventions in academic discourse is explored.•Analysis of translations reveals issues related to rhetorical conventions.•Potential reasons for problems are examined.

In translation of academic discourse intended for publication, rhetorical conventions present specific challenges to the translator who is not a member of the academic discourse community. This paper addresses the issue of translation of rhetorical conventions in academic discourse from the perspective of translator training. The study uses translation task analysis, questionnaires and interviews to examine trainee translators' translation performance, their awareness and perception of academic rhetorical conventions, as well as their assumptions and experiences relating to the translation of academic discourse. The translation task analysis reveals issues related to the translation of rhetorical conventions. Questionnaire and interview data are used to explore potential reasons for these issues. The findings identify several pedagogical challenges that need to be addressed in translator training, including trainee translators' familiarity with the social and discursive practices of the academic community, and their awareness of rhetorical elements used in academic texts in the two languages.