Bett (asker) Mar 28, 2016:

thanks

Bett (asker) Mar 28, 2016:

Thank you all for your suggestions and opinions. given the nature of the text and other similar texts given as reference by the author, this seems to be the best solution. Have a nice one!

Bett (asker) Mar 22, 2016:

não fala nada de Paulo Freire, mas cita o Construtivismo em outro momento...

Robert Forstag Mar 22, 2016:

@ Nick and Tim I think it comes down to the way a given translator chooses to approach a translation. My own tack (in the absence of instructions to the contrary) is to render the source text in a manner that is as readable as possible without distorting its intended meaning. This means that I feel no special obligation to replicate redundancy, awkwardness, or downright errors in the source text. In the present case, the issue is what I consider the stiltedness of wording along the lines of "the student's agency," which has the additional disadvantage of making it sound like the students referenced are part of some organization. I would further submit that a significant proportion of the teachers who are presumably the target audience for such a text would not readily understand such phrasing.

Nick Taylor Mar 22, 2016:

I must say i am not familiar with "give them agency" it sounds a bit too highfalutin for my taste, but there are enough hits on google to validate it.

Tim Friese Mar 22, 2016:

@Robert Definitely, the needs of the end reader are paramount. I'll add that I find 'agency' quite natural in this context and that's why I suggested it as my answer. Take care!

Robert Forstag Mar 22, 2016:

@Tim ...than what I have proposed and, more generally, which of the alternatives most faithfully reflects the meaning of the original in natural and comprehensible English.

Silvia Aquino Mar 22, 2016:

Se for um texto com base no Paulo Freire, autonomy e empowerment são aplicáveis.