Logo UAB
2020/2021

Introduction to national and international institutions for translators and interpreters

Code: 101458 ECTS Credits: 3
Degree Type Year Semester
2500249 Translation and Interpreting OT 4 0
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Maria Guiomar Stampa García-Ormaechea
Email:
Guiomar.Stampa@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
spanish (spa)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
No
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
Yes

Prerequisites

Catalan / Spanish C1 CEFR 

Objectives and Contextualisation

The function of the subject is to offer students knowledge of the political and administrative framework, both nationally and internationally, in which they must carry out their translation and interpreting activity. It should be remembered that a very significant part of the work of translation and interpreting professionals is done for public institutions, either as in-house staff or as autonomous professionals. The subject aims to give students the conceptual bases and historical knowledge to, on the one hand, understand the organisation of the international system, with special emphasis on the creation of the major international organisations of the 20th century; and, on the other hand, better understand the current Spanish political system resulting from the transition to democracy and the 1978 Constitution. 

At the end of the subject students will be able to: 

Show that they understand the international relations of the 20th century, especially since the end of World War II and after the fall of the Berlin Wall. 

Demonstrate that they have understood the role and functions of today's large international organisations, both globally and regionally, in the political and economic spheres. 

Demonstrate that they have assimilated the functioning and dynamics of decision-making within the framework of the European institutions, as well as the historical process of the construction of Europe. 

Understand the two-level structure (central state and autonomous community system) of the governmental institutions of Spain. 

Apply the skills they have acquired to access the sources of information they may need in their professional activity.

 

Competences

  • Students must demonstrate they know the constraints, agents and institutions involved in the translation and interpretation.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Critically assessing different environments where translation and interpretation are being developed: Critically assessing different environments where translation and interpretation are being developed.
  2. Students must demonstrate they know the main national and international institutions using translation and interpretation services: Students must demonstrate they know the main national and international institutions using translation and interpretation services.

Content

The content of the subject is divided into two units:

 

International organisations

 

The League of Nations as the precursor of the UN

The United Nations and its specialised agencies

International organisations in the economic and financial field

The structure and functioning of the EU; the process of the construction of Europe; translation and interpreting in the EU

The Council of Europe

The OECD

 

Spanish institutions

 

The central government and the general administration of the state

The autonomous community system and the distribution of powers

Translation and interpreting in official bodies: the case of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Methodology

The teaching methodology will consist of explanations from the lecturer on the subject’s topics, with part of each class (about 15 minutes) being reserved for dialogue and debate with the students in relation to questions dealt with in the same class or in previous sessions.

Working in groups formed at the beginning of the course, the students will prepare an oral presentation on any matter relevant to the subject. Students should discuss their choice of subject matter with the lecturer in tutorials before beginning to prepare their presentation.

Given the conceptual nature of the subject, reading the texts recommended in class is an essential personal training activity. The same applies to reading the national and, in particular, international quality press, as well as listening to debates and news offered by other national and international media channels.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Active student participation in class 9 0.36 2, 1
Lectures 13.5 0.54 2, 1
Type: Supervised      
Individual oral presentations by students on issues the subject covers 11.5 0.46 2, 1
Searching for documentation 11.5 0.46 2, 1
Tutorials (preparation of the subject's work and content) 3 0.12 2, 1
Type: Autonomous      
Reading the international press and texts recommended by the lecturer to broaden knowledge related to the subject 10 0.4 2, 1
Reading the international press and texts recommended by the lecturer to broaden knowledge related to the subject 12.5 0.5 2, 1

Assessment

The evaluation of the subject will consist of a final exam that represents 30% of the final grade.
Another 70% is determined by the tasks of continuous assessment, which includes the tasks of oral presentation (30%)  and work (40%). The day in which each student has an oral presentation, a brief work will be delivered explaining the methodology used to prepare the oral presentation, the sources consulted, an outline of the contents of the exhibition and a brief summary of it.

In case there are several irregularities in the evaluation activities of the same subject, the final grade of this subject will be 0. Excluded from the recovery of the grade the tests suspended by copying or plagiarism. It is considered as "copy" a work that reproduces all or a large part of the work of one / another partner, and as "plagiarism" the fact of presenting part or all of an author's text as his own, that is, without cite the sources, whether published on paper or digitally on the Internet. The copy and plagiarism are intellectual thefts and, therefore, constitute a fault that will be sanctioned with the note "zero". In the case of a copy between two students, if you cannot know who has copied who, the sanction will apply to both.
Note: The information on the evaluation, the type of evaluation activities and their weight on the subject is as a guide. This information will be specified at the beginning of the course by the professor responsible for the subject.
At the time of giving the final grade prior to the minutes, the teacher will communicate in writing a date and time of revision. The review of the various evaluation activities will be agreed between the teacher and the student.
The students who have submitted to activities will have access to the recovery, the weight of which will be equivalent to 66.6% (two thirds) or more of the final grade and who have obtained a weighted grade of 3.5or more. The following evaluation activities are excluded from recovery:
Oral presentation ofgroup work
At the time of giving the final grade prior to the minutes of the subject, the teacher will communicate in writing the recovery procedure. The teacher can propose a recovery activity for each activity suspended or not presented or can group different activities. In case of recovery, the maximum grade that the student can obtain is a 5.

Assessment is continuous. Students must provide evidence of their progress by completing tasks and tests. Task deadlines will be indicated in the course schedule on the first day of class.

Related matters
The above information on assessment, assessment activities and their weighting is merely a guide. The subject's lecturer will provide full information when teaching begins.
Review
When publishing final marks prior to recording them on students' transcripts, the lecturer will provide written notification of a date and time for reviewing assessment activities. Students must arrange reviews in agreement with the lecturer.
Missed/failed assessment activities
Students may retake assessment activities they have failed or compensate for any they have missed, provided that those they have actually performed account for a minimum of 66.6% (two thirds) of the subject's final mark and that they have a weighted average mark of at least 3.5. Under no circumstances may an assessment activity worth 100% of the final mark be retaken or compensated for.
The lecturer will inform students of the procedure involved, in writing, when publishing final marks prior to recording them on transcripts. The lecturer may set one assignment per failed or missed assessment activity or a single assignment to cover a number of such activities.
Classification as "not assessable"
In the event of the assessment activities a student has performed accounting for just 25% or less of the
Misconduct in assessment activities
Students whoengage in misconduct (plagiarism, copying, personation, etc.) in an assessment activity will receive a mark of “0” for the activity in question. In the case of misconduct in more than one assessment activity, the students involved will be given a final mark of “0” for the subject.
Students may not retake assessment activities in which they are found to have engaged in misconduct. Plagiarism is considered to mean presenting all or part of an author's work, whether published in print or in digital format, as one's own, i.e. without citing it. Copying is considered to mean reproducing all or a substantial part of another student's work. In cases of copying in which it is impossible to determine which of two students has copied the work of the other, both will be penalised.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Final Exam 30% 2 0.08 2, 1
Oral presentation 30% 1 0.04 2, 1
Work 40% 1 0.04 2, 1

Bibliography

Arenal, Celestino del,  Introducción a las Relaciones Internacionales. Tecnos, Madrid 1990 (3a edició) 

 

Barbé, Esther, Relaciones Internacionales. Madrid, Tecnos 2003(2ª edición)

 

 Merle, Marcel Sociología de las relaciones internacionales, Alianza, Madrid 1997

 

 Díez de Velasco, Manuel , Las organizaciones Internacionales. Madrid, Tecnos Madrid 1995 (9a edició) 

 

Tamames, Ramón, Estructura Economica Internacional, Alianza, 2010 (25a edició)

 

Huntington, Samuel P. (1997), El choque de civilizaciones y la reconfiguración del orden mundial, PaidósBarcelona 1997 

 

Duroselle, Jean-Baptiste Història universal contemporània Vol. 2 Les relacions internacionals 1918-1945, Edicions Universitàries Catalanes, Barcelona 1982 

 

Duroselle, Jean-Baptiste Història universal contemporània Vol. 3 Les relacions internacionals 1945-1978, Edicions Universitàries Catalanes, Barcelona 1982 

 

Zorgbibe, Charles Dictionnaire de politique internationale, Presses universitaires de France, Paris 1988 

 

Renouvin, Pierre Historia de las relaciones internacionales (siglos XIX y XX), Akal Ediciones, Madrid 1998 

 

Álvarez Conde, Enrique El régimen político español, Tecnos, Madrid 1990 (4ª edició) 

 

Rodríguez Arana, Jaime (Dir.) La administración pública española, Instituto Nacional de Administración Pública, Madrid 2002

 

 

 

Links:

 

www.monde-diplomatique.fr/

 

www.monde-diplomatique.es/

 

http://mondediplo.com/ (anglès)

 

www.courrierinternational.com/

 

www.ifri.org/

 

http://www.chathamhouse.org/

 

http://www.eliamep.gr/en/

 

http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/portal

 

http://www.politicaexterior.com/

 

http://www.cidob.org/

 

 http://europa.eu/about-eu/index_es.htm 

 

http://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/Espana/index.htm

 

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world_radio_and_tv/

 

http://www.france24.com/fr/

 

http://www.france24.com/en/

 

 http://www.bib.uab.es/premsa/es.php