<![CDATA[Authentic materials have increasingly been used in translation classes to connect classroom learning with real-world communication. However, further exploration is needed into how students with diverse language proficiency levels and learning styles perceive the contribution of authentic materials to their context awareness. This study employed a mixed-methods case study design involving 24 students enrolled in a Basic Translation course at the English Education Department of Universitas Muria Kudus. The participants had diverse language proficiency levels based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and learning styles (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic). Data were collected through a reflective questionnaire and learner profile survey to explore students’ perceptions and reflections on translating authentic texts, including short functional texts, news items, narratives, descriptive texts, everyday-life texts, cultural texts, and public information. The findings, based on students’ self-reported reflections and perceptions rather than direct measurements of improvement, indicate that students generally perceived authentic-text translation as helpful in recognizing social, cultural, and situational factors in translation. Students also reported various challenges. Those with lower language proficiency frequently mentioned difficulties with vocabulary, time allocation, and interpreting unclear meanings, while other students identified challenges involving idiomatic expressions, naturalness, and cultural adaptation. Students’ reflections also illustrated different ways of articulating context awareness, although the data do not establish that learning styles determine or predict such awareness. These findings offer pedagogical insights into the use of diverse authentic materials, instructional scaffolding, and structured reflection to support inclusive translation instruction for learners with diverse profiles.]]>
