29736 - Translation - English (LM)

Course contents

 

The course will be offered in the second semester (all semester).

 

Course contents: Translation Studies: Theory and Practice

The course aims at introducing the contemporary debate about Translation Studies, and at providing the students with the methodology and the tools necessary to translate different text-types. Both the theoretical approach and its practical application aim in particular at showing how translation is not only a linguistic operation, but also a cultural one.

The course combines a theoretical and a practical approach. Lectures will provide an overview of scholarly research on translation, with particular attention to contemporary cultural-linguistic perspectives – especially those of Anglophone scholars. Such approaches will then be tested in the translation from English into Italian of different text-types, specialized (e.g., in the field(s) of Sociology/ Politics/Economics / Tourism), divulgative and literary. Approaches of some scholars who study translation from a systemic functional linguistics perspective will be also presented.

Considering aspects such as the translators' identity, their role, their “visibility”, the inextricable link between text and context and the main translation strategies, the lectures will be strongly connected to the practical activity of translating. Methodologies will be suggested in order to solve problems arising from cultural differences, linguistic varieties and language for specific purposes.

Students will be asked to translate short authentic texts and to discuss the translation problems they encountered, as well as the strategies they employed.

 

Language classes (Esercitazioni)

Dr. Sandra Ogden

In the second-level degree course, Language, Society and Communication, the English Language and Linguistics courses all aim at making the students language and cultural experts possessing a deep theoretical understanding of, and a high practical competence (C2) in, the language. In order to develop their practical language skills, language classes are offered; these classes are not linked to any one LSC English course, but are rather valid for each/any of these. In the first semester these classes are open to the students in the second year, while the first year students are asked to attend those in the second semester. Attendance, as always in the Faculty, is not required, but it is very much encouraged, as Second Language Acquisition studies have shown the strong link between attendance and progress made. There will be no final exam in either the first or the second year. The aim of this course is to practise, consolidate and add to the language skills the students acquired in their three year degree programme, bringing them to a C 2 level. To achieve this, students will be given practice in:

 

1. oral language skills through reading and comprehension and eventual discussion of current affairs from newspaper articles, blog comments and newscasts;

 

2. writing skills through the production of essays dealing with discussion topics and summaries of articles used (at point 1);

 

3. translation from Italian to English of e mails, short newspaper articles, brochures and business and friendly letters.

 

Readings/Bibliography

 

 

Main course-book:

- Munday, Jeremy (2008), Introducing Translation Studies: Theories and applications, 2nd Edition, London/New York: Routledge.

The text will be available for students at the Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literature library and also at Feltrinelli International, in Via Zamboni 7, Bologna.

 

Further recommended reading:

- Taylor, Christopher (1998), Language to Language, Cambridge: CUP.

- Manfredi, Marina (2008), Translating Text and Context (Functional Grammar Studies for Non-Native Speakers of English, ed. D.R. Miller), Bologna: AlmaDL, Dupress.

The texts will be available for students at the Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literature library. The Manfredi book will be also at Libreria Irnerio, in via Irnerio 27, Bologna.

 

Further bibliographical information will be provided during the course.

 

The texts to be translated will be made available in a copy centre near the Department during the course.

 

Recommended Dictionaries:

(in their latest editions)

Bilingual (English/Italian):

· PICCHI, F., Grande Dizionario di Inglese – Inglese-italiano / Italiano-inglese, Milano: Hoepli.

or: · RAGAZZINI, G., Il Ragazzini: Dizionario inglese-italiano / italiano-inglese, Bologna: Zanichelli.

 

English:

· Concise Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford: OUP.

or: · Macmillan English Dictionary, Oxford: Macmillan Publishers.

 

Italian:

· DEVOTO, G. - OLI, G., Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier.

or: · ZINGARELLI, N., Lo Zingarelli: Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna. Zanichelli.

 

Teaching methods

 

Active class participation is strongly recommended. 

 

The course (6 hours a week, all II semester) involves the following activities:

a) Lectures;

b) Individual study of course texts;

c) Other activities involving:

- the translation of short texts – both specialized and literary – in small groups or individually;

- discussion of translation problems encountered and the problem-solving strategies adopted.

 

All students who regularly attend the lectures will be able to access the class PPTs through an online Distribution List.

 

Assessment methods

 

The final exam will consist of a written test and an oral test. Detailed information about the exam will be provided online by the end of the course.

 

 

Teaching tools

Lectures will involve Power Point presentations.

 

Translation practice will involve groupwork and the use of dictionaries.

Office hours

See the website of Marina Manfredi