Translation functions as a means of facilitating communication, learning languages and opening up dialogues between and across cultures. This first year module on translation methods introduces students to the principles that guide approaches to translations, from word-level to textual approaches to notions of the ethics governing translation practice. Students will be introduced to concepts in lectures and then apply them to practical exercises in both lectures and seminars. In seminars students will be translating from their source languages – French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese or Spanish – into English. The toolkit developed in this module will support study of translation and language learning, and the general methods and approaches learned will equip students to begin to study specialised forms of translation in year 2 in the module ‘Introduction to Specialised Translation’.

• demonstrate an understanding of the basic methods and tools of general translation

• show a capacity to evaluate critically translation methods

• apply the methods and tools studied to practical exercises in translation

The module will be taught through a blend of live online classes and guided, interactive online tasks and activities, designed to fulfil the learning outcomes. These will be delivered remotely, and on-campus if the University deems it safe and practicable.

• Online lectures will develop the student’s capacity to absorb information, including through note-taking.
• Seminars will develop the capacity to deploy this information and to improve translation work, supporting general language acquisition.
• Through independent learning and coursework preparation students will practise and develop research skills and the capacity to deploy information in well-constructed arguments.
• Assessed translations will enable students to practise and develop written presentation and ICT (Information and Communications Technology) skills.

The method(s) of assessing the learning outcomes for this module are set out in the Assessment Table, which also contains the weightings of each assessment component.

Reassessment

You may be required to resit one or more of the assessments in this module if you fail the module. The Examination Board will advise you which assessments you need to resit during the August resit period. Resit assessments that are not supported by extenuating circumstances will be capped at the pass mark applicable to your programme.

Autumn semester

Lectures                                                          

Week 1: Introductory lecture

Week 2: Translating words 1 (meaning)

Week 3: Translating words 2 (non-equivalence) 

Week 4: Words with words 1 (collocation)

Week 5: Words with words 2 (idioms)

Week 6: Skills Development Week

Week 7: Translating grammar 1 (gender and person)

Week 8: Translating grammar 2 (tense, mood and word order)

Week 9: Translating texts 1 (information flow)

Week 10: Translating texts 2 (sentence)

Week 11: Revision of key concepts

Seminars

Week 4: Seminar 1 (Translating words)

Week 7: Seminar 2 (Collocation and idiom)

Week 9: Seminar 3 (Translating grammar)

Week 11: Seminar 4 (Textual equivalence)
 

Spring semester

Lecture

Week 1: Translating texts 3 (text types)

Week 2: Translating texts 4 (audience)

Week 3: Translating context 1 (culture)

Week 4: Translating context 2 (function)

Week 5: Translating voice 1 (style)

Week 6: Skills Development Week

Week 7: Translating voice 2 (ideology)

Week 8: Becoming a translator 1 (ethics)

Week 9: Becoming a translator 2 (skills)

Week 10: Becoming a translator 3 (technology)

Week 11: Revision of key concepts

Seminars

Week 3: Seminar 1 (Text types)

Week 5: Seminar 2 (Translating culture)

Week 8: Seminar 3 (Translating style)

Week 10: Seminar 4 (Translating ideology)

Baker, M. 1992, In Other Words: A Coursebook on Translation, London: Routledge.

Robinson, D. 1997, 2003. Becoming a Translator, London: Routledge.

French-English translation:

Ladmiral, J-R. 1994. Traduire: Théorèmes pour la traduction, Tel, Gallimard.

Vinay, J-P et Darbelnet, J. 1968. Stylistique comparée du français et de l’anglais. Méthode de traduction. Paris: Didier.

German-English translation:

Hervey, S. et al. 2006. Thinking German translation. A course in translation method: German to English, 2nd edn London: Routledge.

Macheiner, J. 2004.  Übersetzen: Ein Vademecum, München: Pipe.

Italian-English translation:

Osimo, Bruno. 2000. Corso di traduzione - parte prima. Rimini: Guaraldi-Logos.
-----------------. 2004. Corso di traduzione - parte seconda. Rimini: Guaraldi-Logos.

Japanese-English translation:

Lecturers will provide with specific bibliography in seminars.

Portuguese-English translation:

Lecturers will provide with specific bibliography in the seminars.

Spanish-English translation:

Cámara Aguilera, E. 1999. Hacia una traducción de calidad: técnicas de revisión y corrección de errores. Granada: Grupo Editorial Universitario.

Hurtado Albir, A. 2001. Traducción y Traductología. Introducción a la Traductología. Madrid: Cátedra.
Rabadán, R & Fernández Nistal, P. 2002.  La traducción inglés-españ