The article considers some peculiarities of the initial stage of teaching translation to international relations students. The goals and objectives of the practical course “Translation in the professional sphere of activity” are determined by the Federal State Standard of Higher Professional Education. The author highlights the main problems arising at the first stages of work, and also suggests various solutions taking into account the peculiarities of a non-language university. The author comes to the conclusion that it is important to form in future specialists in international relations translation competences necessary for their professional activity in the conditions of ever-expanding international contacts and integration of different countries into a single global political, economic and social space.

Keywords: translation/interpretation, competence-based approach, translation competence, translation transformation, pre-translation text analysis