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Inverse translation (Catalan-English)

Code: 101313 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2500249 Translation and Interpreting OB 3

Contact

Name:
Roland Keith Pearson
Email:
roland.pearson@uab.cat

Teachers

Sarah Julia West

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

Required language proficiency level: Language English: Level C1.3 CEFR (Common European Framework Reference)

At the beginning of the course the student should be able to:

  • Demonstrate that they have advanced grammar knowledge to translate and interpret in their A language.
  • Understand complex texts of different types including linguistic variation in their A language.
    Understand specialized written texts of various types with a certain complexity covering a wide range of areas.
  • Produce written texts of various types with a certain complexity covering a wide range of areas and stylistic differences.
  • Understand oral texts of different types from a wide range of fields, appreciating their stylistic and geographical differences.
  • Produce various types of oral texts with a certain degree complexity on general topics covering a wide range of areas.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The aim of this subject is to acquire the strategies and techniques to translate into the foreign language and to develop the ability to translate texts typical of the professional non-specialized inverse translation market.

At the end of the course the student will be able to:

  • Demonstrate knowledge of translation strategies and techniques into the foreign language.
  • Apply this knowledge to translate texts from the professional non-specialized inverse translation market.
  • Gather and interpret data related to inverse translations and make judgments about the decisions taken.
  • Use technological and documentation tools for inverse translation.

Competences

  • Applying cultural knowledge in order to translate. 
  • Mastering the main methodological principles of translation. 
  • Producing written texts in a foreign language in order to translate.
  • Solving translation problems of non-specialised texts.
  • Understanding written texts in language A in order to translate.
  • Using documentation resources in order to translate.
  • Using technological resources in order to translate.
  • Using terminological resources in order to translate.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Applying lexical, morphosyntactic, textual, rhetorical and linguistic variation related knowledge: Applying graphical, lexical, morphosyntactic, textual, rhetorical and linguistic variation related knowledge.
  2. Applying technological resources in order to solve translation problems: Applying technological resources in order to solve translation problems.
  3. Applying technological resources in order to solve translation problems: Incorporating technological resources in order to solve back translation-related problems of different types of non-specialised written texts, and specialised texts addressing non-specialised audiences.
  4. Applying terminological resources in order to solve translation problems: Incorporating terminological resources in order to solve back translation-related problems of different types of non-specialised written texts, and specialised texts addressing non-specialised audiences.
  5. Comprehending the communicative purpose and sense of written texts of several fields: Comprehending the communicative purpose and sense of various types of non-specialised written texts and specialised texts addressing non-specialised audiences.
  6. Formulating the appropriate informative needs in order to translate: Formulating the proper informational needs in order to translate into the foreign language different types of non-specialised written texts addressed to non-specialised audiences.
  7. Identifying the existing (digital and analogue) information sources in order to translate: Identifying the existing (digital and analogue) information sources in order to translate into the foreign language different types of non-specialised written texts and specialised texts addressing non-specialised audiences.
  8. Identifying the specific translation problems of non-specialised texts: Identifying the specific back translation problems of different types of non-specialised texts and specialised texts addressed to non-specialised audiences.
  9. Identifying the textual and dynamic nature of the translation equivalence: Identifying the textual and dynamic nature of the translation equivalence.
  10. Identifying the translation as an act of communication that is addressed to a recipient: Identifying the translation as an act of communication that is addressed to a recipient.
  11. Implementing strategies in order to produce written texts of different fields and with specific communicative purposes: Applying strategies in order to produce various types of non-specialised written texts and specialised texts addressing non-specialised audiences.
  12. Implementing strategies in order to understand written texts from different fields: Applying strategies in order to comprehend various types of non-specialised written texts and specialised texts addressing non-specialised audiences.
  13. Incorporating cultural knowledge in order to solve translation problems: Incorporating cultural knowledge in order to solve problems of back translation of different types of non-specialised written texts, and specialised texts addressing non-specialised audiences.
  14. Successfully interrogating the documentation sources in order to translate: Successfully interrogating the documentation sources in order to translate into the foreign language different types of non-specialised written texts and specialised texts addressing non-specialised audiences.

Content

  • Methodological principles that govern inverse translation. Fundamental problems, techniques and strategies found in inverse translation.
  • Resolving contrastive difficulties: differences in writing, lexical, morphosyntactic and textual conventions.
  • Resolving translation various types of problems in standard language non-specialized genres: narrative, descriptive, expository, argumentative, instructive.
  • Resolving translation problems derived from cultural references and linguistic variation (mode, tone and style).
  • Resolving translation problems of specialized texts aimed at a non-specialized audience (administrative genres, etc.).
  • Use of basic technological and documentation tools for inverse translation.

Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Lectures 10 0.4 1, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12
Performing translation exercises 18 0.72 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Translation related exercises 14 0.56 1, 5, 11, 12, 13
Type: Supervised      
Preparing tasks for translations, translation projects and self-assessment 7.5 0.3 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Type: Autonomous      
Documenting 25 1 2, 3, 9, 10, 13
Preparing projects 20.5 0.82 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Preparing translations and exercises 46 1.84 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

The specific competencies needed for inverse translation are developed: On the one hand, the global competences and communicative skills of a foreign language, on the other hand, the special linguistic competences in English as a Working Language for Translation, giving special emphasis to those that are of pragmatic, intercultural and contrastive (AB) relevance.

The character of the subject is theoretical - practical. They will be treated the bases of the textual analysis (linguistic and translational), of the reception in language A and the textual production in language B. All the knowledge, the competitions, the strategies and activities of the subject are developed through and by means of the work with and on texts (standard models and current copies).

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Coursework translations 40% 3.5 0.14 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Final exams 40% 3 0.12 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Translation term project 20% 2.5 0.1 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

Continuous Assessment

The information about evaluation, the types of evaluations and their relative weight is for orientation purposes only. The lecturer coordinating this subject will give specific details at the beginning of the course.

Revision

When publishing final marks prior to recording them on students' transcripts, the lecturer will provide written notification of a date and time for reviewing evaluated activities. Students must arrange reviews in agreement with the lecturer.

Re-evaluation / Resit

  1. Students must fulfil the following requirements to be eligible to resit the final evaluation / final evaluations: 1) have completed a minimum of 66.6% of the evaluated tasks for the course, 2) have a global average between 3.5 and 4.9. The student can only resit the final evaluation / final evaluations which they have failed.
  2. In cases where the student has completed between 25.1% and 66.5% of the evaluated tasks for the course, they are not eligible to resit and the global mark obtained during the course will be assigned (whether a passing or failing mark).
  3. In cases where the completed evaluated tasks are 25% or less, the grade of “non-evaluable” will be assigned.
  4. In cases of a final evaluation / final evaluations resulting in a fail mark due to copying or plagiarism, the student is not eligible to resit.
  5. In no case will it be possible to make a final evaluation / final evaluations the equivalent of 100% of the grade.

Single assessment

This subject may be assessed under the single assessment system in accordance with the terms established in the academic regulations of the UAB and the assessment criteria of the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting.

Students must make an online request within the period established by the faculty and send a copy to the teacher responsible for the subject, for the record.

Single assessment will be carried out in person on one day during week 16 or 17 of the semester. The Academic Management Office will publish the exact date and time on the faculty website.

On the day of the single assessment, teaching staff will ask the student for identification, which should be presented as a valid identification document with a recent photograph (student card, DNI/NIE or passport).

Single assessment will include a minimum of three assessment activities of different typology, as stated in the evaluation guidelines.

Grade revision and resit procedures for the subject are the same as those for continuous assessment. See the section above in this study guide.

IMPORTANT

Reminder: "copying" is considered to be work that reproduces all or a large part of the work from one to another colleague, and "plagiarism" is the act of presenting part or all of an author’s text as one’s own, that is, without citing the sources, whether it is published on paper or in digital form on the Internet. Copying and plagiarism are intellectual theft and therefore contravene university regulations that will be sanctioned with a "zero" mark. In the case of copying between two students, if it is not possible to know who copied who, the sanction will be applied to both students. If there are several irregularities in the evaluation activities of the same subject, the final grade for this subject will be zero.


Bibliography

Monolingual dictionaries

The Collins Cobuild English Language Dictionary.London: Collins

The BBI Combinatory Dictionary of English. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Co.

Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (the 10th edition) Springfield: Merriam Webster Incorporated (on line http://britannica.com/)

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English.Oxford: Oxford Clarendon Press

Diccionari de la llengua catalana. Barcelona: Enciclopèdia Catalana

Bilingual dictionaries

Diccionari anglès-català. Enciclopèdia Catalana

Diccionari català-anglès. Enciclopèdia Catalana

Diccionario Oxford español-inglés inglés español Oxford: Oxford University Press

Gran diccionario español-inglés inglés español Edinburgh and Barcelona: Larousse

Diccionario internacional Simon and Schuster español-inglés inglés español New York: Simon and Schuster.

Grammar books

Carter, Ronald et al. (2000) Exploring Grammar in Context. Cambridge/New York: CambridgeUniversity Press

Hewings, M. (1999) Advanced Grammar in Use (with answers), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Murphy, R. (1995) English Grammar in Use (with answers), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Swan, M. (1980) Practical English Usage, Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press

Quirk, R. and S. Greenbaum (1980) A University Grammar of English, London: Longman

Reference books

Beeby, A. (1996) Teaching Translation from Spanish to English, Ottawa: OttawaUniversity Press.

Brinton, E. et al. (1992) Translation Strategies, London: Macmillan.

Butler, P. (1991) The Economist Style Guide, London: Economist Books Ltd.

Duff, A. (1981) The Third Language, Oxford: Pergamon Press.

López Guix, J. G. and J. Minett (1997) Manual de traducción – inglés/castellano, Barcelona: Gedisa.

Newmark, P. (1988) A Textbook of Translation, London: Prentice Hall


Software

None


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 English second semester morning-mixed