Unit information: Applied Translation (Mandarin) in 2014/15

Unit name	Applied Translation (Mandarin)
Unit code	MODLM0007
Credit points	20
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Foster
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None.
Co-requisites	None.
School/department	School of Modern Languages
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

The aim of the unit is to prepare students who already have fluent/native or degree-level know-ledge of Mandarin to become reflective practitioners of translation into and from English, and to develop increasingly sophisticated strategies to that end. The emphasis is less on further rule-based foreign-language acquisition than on building critical appreciation and evaluation of contextually and functionally appropriate translation of a range of source texts. Students will increase their overall competence as translators both through regular and varied translation assignments, and through formal reflection on their own practice and that of others in the group.

A programme of applied translation between Mandarin and English in a broad range of text types. Students will be required to submit annotated translations to the Blackboard discussion board and to participate in group discussion and feedback (MA in Translation: electronically; MA in Chinese-English Translation, also in person). In so doing, they will be expected to evaluate the nature of the source text and its anticipated readership and to consider different translation strategies and solutions, drawing on experience gained also in the unit on Theories of Translation. They will develop their competence in editing and revising translated texts.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On completion of this course students will have developed their ability to:

1. apply previous linguistic knowledge and their study of Translation Theory to enhance their ability to reflect critically on the practice of translation
2. evaluate critically and apply a range of translation strategies,
3. apply increased confidence and competence as translators through conscious application of contextually-based choices;
4. research the linguistic and cultural context of source texts
5. reflect upon and apply this contextual knowledge in the practice of translation;
6. translate to a variety of task-specific briefs, working quickly but accurately to a series of submission deadlines;
7. to format and present their assessed submissions to professional standards;
8. participate in informed and structured discussion of the above with other students and tutors, evaluating their own practice and that of their peers in accordance with ethical guidelines

Teaching Information

For the MA in Translation: Delivered through distance learning, via Blackboard.

For the MA in Chinese-English Translation: Delivered through on-site seminars.

Students will be set regular tasks and submission deadlines. The unit tutor will oversee the group discussion (MA in Translation: accessing the discussion board on a weekly basis), providing brief comments on individual performance and more extended group feedback. Annotated fair copies of translations will be provided.

Assessment Information

There are two components to assessment:

a) 25%: Learning log based on the construction of reflective portfolios, considering the student’s practice of translation (10% of this mark awarded for participation in discussion) – reflecting ILOs 1-5 and 8

b) 75%: Two 800-word annotated translations (translation 60%, annotation 40% of each assignment) – reflecting ILOs 1-7

Reading and References

• Mona Baker, In Other Words: A Coursebook on Translation (Routledge: 1992)

• Basil Hatim and Jeremy Munday, Translation: An Advanced Resource Book (Routledge: 2004)

• Jeremy Munday, Introducing Translation Studies, Theories and Applications (Routledge, 2012)

Students will be required to use a range of good reference books and to develop extensive familiarity with electronic resources, on which advice will be given by the unit tutor.