module specification

In this module you will show your analytical skills and practical translation competence by completing an extended translation and writing a commentary on it. After being shown example source texts with appropriate difficulty, length and degree of specialisation, you will be expected to independently search for and identify a suitable source text for translation into the relevant target language. Throughout your translation process, you will work under the guidance of a language-specific supervisor to independently complete your translation and commentary. You are expected to use feedback from your supervisor and peers to improve and develop your project into a translation of professional quality.

This module aims to:
• Apply all the accumulated knowledge and experience from the course to produce a high-quality translation.
• Ensure you can make informed and justified translation decisions based on contextual understanding and independent research to find relevant and appropriate resources.
• Demonstrate analytical and strategic competence by completing an effective pre-translation analysis, which you will use to inform your discussion of clearly explained translation challenges and the solutions found to overcome them.
• Reflect critically on your translation and revision processes by conducting post-translation analysis, thereby considering how this experience will influence future translation practice.
• Communicate in a timely and professional manner with your supervisor and peers to give and receive feedback on your work, and schedule supervisory meetings.

The module will primarily consist of six workshops, spread evenly across the academic year. The workshops in semester one will introduce the module before providing guidance on foundational aspects of the project such as finding a source text, conducting pre-translation analysis, and finding and using resources to support your translations. Semester two’s workshops will then focus on commentary writing, peer review of work, and individual project support.

These workshops will be supported by independent study, which will include finding, analysing and translating a suitable source text, conducting relevant subject-specific research, and revising your work based on feedback. Feedback received from your supervisor and peers will allow you to improve not only your translation but also your source text analysis, including the translation procedures you chose to solve particular translation problems.

As this is a student-led project, students are ultimately responsibility for their project’s final form. To achieve their full potential, students will be allocated a language-specific tutor who will work closely (along with the module leader) to provide advice and support on how best to approach their project and work towards improving both their translation and commentary. Students are responsible for staying in regular contact with their supervisors and arranging meetings with them at regular intervals throughout the academic year. The recommendation given to students is that these supervisions should be scheduled around clearly outlined milestones throughout the year, but students and supervisors can work flexibly to make the project work for them.

Students will need to plan the research and writing-up of their project very carefully and well in advance, using information and guidance gained during their teaching sessions, individual supervision sessions and via Weblearn interactions with their peers. The independent nature of this module requires students to demonstrate excellent time management and project management skills, ensuring that work is completed throughout the year at a steady pace and in light of whole class workshops and their supervisor’s individual feedback.
 

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

1. Devise and sustain a systematic approach to identify and translate a source text that meets the required criteria in terms of length, difficulty and level of specialisation.
2. Critically evaluate appropriate resources and introduce them into your work to improve translation quality and comply with professional standards.
3. Detail and critically assess your overall translation process in the form of a written commentary.
4. Demonstrate key soft skills to maintain professional conduct when working with your supervisor and peers.

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