The present study features speech errors Italian students make in translation as the most complex form of speech activity. The examined speech errors were made by both students at the Higher School of Translation and budding traslators. The low quality of technical translation and the large number of translation errors determined the scope of the present research: to draw the scientists’ attention to the problem in question, to generalize the translation practice, and to work out recommendations on preventing translation errors. The research employed general scientific methods (generalization, analysis, synthesis) and empirical research methods. The author puts forward some possible causes of error making, e.g. interlingual and cross-language interference, loan translations, etc. The author gives examples of the most typical student errors, indicates the specific reasons behind them, and offers recommendations for error prevention. The results of this study can be used for training and practical purposes. The author comes to the conclusion that it is impossible not to make errors due to the fact that the students cannot overcome interference while in their native linguistic environment. However, it is quite possible to reduce the number of errors. The article is composed of three parts. The introduction specifies the aims and tasks of the work. The main body of the article introduces some specific examples of student errors. In the conclusion, the author sums up recommendations for effective work in the learning process.