LA811-7-AU-CO:
Translation Portfolio I (French)
2023/24
Language and Linguistics
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 15 December 2023
15
01 April 2022
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
LA812, LA898
In this module students will be engaged in weekly translation of texts belonging to different domains and genres in order to familiarise themselves with the specific requirements of specialised translation. Texts will be taken from language areas such as socio-political, medical and promotional.
Students will learn to analyse the source texts at various levels, identify translation challenges and overcome them by applying different strategies and translation techniques.
In line with current translation practices, they will be trained to translate into both their A and B languages. This will ensure that they are equipped to enter the translation market and have an edge over their competitors. They will also be fully prepared to work both at home and in B-language countries.
The aims of this module are the following:
• To develop practical ability to translate between English and French and vice versa through a wide variety of tasks.
• To develop awareness of specialist fields of knowledge (educational, socio-political, promotional) and their characteristic text types. To become aware of the multiple dimensions of meaning of written texts, representing different genres and text types, and to recognise their most salient features for the purpose envisaged both for the original text and for the translation.
• To refine and deepen understanding of both own and the target language and culture. Issues of cultural transfer will be addressed as they impinge on the translation process. Students will become familiar with a variety of strategies for dealing with mismatches between source and target languages and cultures.
• To enhance skills as a professional translator in:
o Preparation for translation assignments
o Terminology management
o Quality Assurance
o Development and evaluation of your own performance as a translator and that of your peers.
On successful completion of the module, students will demonstrate:
• Improved skills and strategies in English/French and French/English translation.
• Ability to identify and record the characteristic terminology, structure and stylistic features of texts from different fields of knowledge, recognising a range of specialist texts and devising a suitable strategy for translation.
• Sensitivity to language structure, language function and the intricacies of intercultural communication, as well as sufficient understanding of core linguistic and cultural concepts to be able to recognise potential translation problems and adopt creative solutions.
• Students will have learned:
o To develop a good method to prepare for translation assignments (e.g. background reading on subject field, use of parallel texts, etc.)
o To use techniques to compile and/or maintain a glossary of terms relevant to each translation task.
o To run quality assurance checks.
o To evaluate the effectiveness of techniques used and be able to argue knowledgeably for and against specific translation choices.
Materials placed on Moodle are essential to the module and should be treated like a textbook. They must be downloaded, printed and brought to classes. Materials will be added to Moodle when needed, and you are expected to check updates regularly.
Weekly translation practice of texts belonging to different genres and dealing with different topics such as: educational, socio-political, promotional. Classes will be complemented by workshops and seminars led by professionals in the field. Please refer to the schedule that will be circulated by the MA Director.
Some of the topics to be covered in class include:
* Introduction to translation
* Preliminaries to translation as a process and as a product
* Cultural transposition
* Translation Loss and Compensation
* Formal properties of texts (phonic/graphic, prosodic, grammatical, sentential, discursive and inter-textual issues)
* Literal and connotative meaning
* Language variety (register, sociolect, dialect, etc.)
* Textual genres
* Scientific and technical translation
* Translation of consumer-oriented texts
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's
reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Timed Translation Test |
|
25% |
| Coursework |
Translation Portfolio |
|
75% |
Additional coursework information
N/A
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Ms Dounia Bissar, email: dbissar@essex.ac.uk.
Dounia Bissar
4.215, dbissar@essex.ac.uk
No
No
No
Dr Eloisa Monteoliva
Heriot-Watt University
Assistant Professor in Spanish (Translation & Interpreting)
Available via Moodle
Of 22 hours, 0 (0%) hours available to students:
20 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
2 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
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