Course Description

(For third-year students on the Combined Degree Programme, all languages)

Terms: Autumn and Spring
Duration: 40 contact hours (2 hours per week, plus 1-hour private study)
Credits value:  10 ECTS

This course is intended for students in their third year on the Combined Degree Programme. The course will combine practical translation work with use of a range of methodologies and utilities for exploiting and managing language resources for the purposes of translation. The practical translation element will focus on written translation, into English, of technically complex texts from the domains of chemistry; these may include extracts from scientific papers, patents and popular scientific texts. The translation technology component will include the use of the WWW as a resource for translation, and glossary creation and maintenance. Regular attendance at classes (2houra week) and regular submission of coursework (around 1 hour a week) are essential for successful completion of the course. Attendance records are kept for all students.

Materials used for course

Texts for translation will be derived from appropriate printed and electronic sources. The translation technology component will focus on the WWW and on terminology management software.

Aims

• To develop a basic proficiency in written scientific and technical translation into English
• To become skilled in clear expression and sensitive to stylistic issues
• To develop an understanding of how to manage terminological and other linguistic resources

Objectives

After completing the course, students should be able to:

• Translate technical complex texts within familiar subject domains into English, with the use of dictionaries and glossaries.
• Exploit the WWW as a translation resource.
• Use relevant software for terminology management.

 Syllabus

• The syllabus will be completely based around practical translation tasks, during work on which matters such as accuracy, idiomaticity and genre will be attended to on a heuristic basis. A variety of different types of text will be translated.
• Use of the WWW (on-line glossaries, dictionaries and search engines)and of software for terminology management.

Assessment

• Coursework (70%): Four pieces of equally-weighted coursework of around 250 words.
• Written examination (30%): A two-hour written examination at the end of the Spring Term (with defined resources).

Coursework assignments should normally be submitted by the relevant deadline. A short extension may only be obtained if circumstances warrant it, with the prior agreement of the lecturer concerned. A longer extension is permissible only in exceptional circumstances.

The course is moderated by an External Examiner. All marked work must be retained for resubmission at the end of the course.