Abstract
New and unfamiliar situations often create in people a mix of emotions, in which motivation and curiosity coexist with anxiety and a reduced level of self-confidence. Since this phenomenon also occurs in situations in which people are supposed to learn something new, research has started to show interest in the role played by the affective factors in a wide range of cognitive processes. The present study starts from the conviction that translator training is a domain in which such affective variables are particularly relevant, considering the growing demands placed on translators nowadays and, in close connection to that, the pressure experienced by trainees. Therefore, by combining research data with reflective insights drawn from the author’s teaching experience, the paper aims at investigating those elements of the general translator competence that generate the highest levels of anxiety among students enrolled in advanced translation courses.