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Initiation to translation B-A (German-Spanish)

Code: 101437 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2500249 Translation and Interpreting FB 1

Contact

Name:
Lara Estany Freire
Email:
lara.estany@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

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


Prerequisites

Students must be able to:

- Produce general texts in Spanish that are clear and well structured, with linguistic correction.

- Understand general texts with a clear structure in German.


Objectives and Contextualisation

The objective of the course is to introduce students to the basic methodological principles governing the practice of professional translation and to the fundamental contrastive aspects of the language combination.

At the end of the course the students should be able to:

  • Demonstrate that they know and understand the basic methodological principles governing translation, the basic professional and instrumental aspects, and the main contrastive problems of the language combination.
  • Apply this knowledge in order to solve basic translation problems in different types of non-specialized texts written in standard language.

Competences

  • Learning in a strategic, independent and continuous manner.
  • Mastering the main methodological principles of translation. 
  • Mastering the professional aspects of translation.
  • Producing written texts in language A in order to translate.
  • Solving translation problems of non-specialised texts.
  • Understanding written texts in a foreign language in order to translate.
  • Using documentation resources in order to translate.
  • Using technological resources in order to translate.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Applying lexical, morphosyntactic, textual, rhetorical and linguistic variation related knowledge: Applying graphic, lexical, morphosyntactic and textual related knowledge.
  2. Applying the documentation resources in order to solve translation problems: Applying the documentation resources in order to translate non-specialised written texts in standard dialect.
  3. Comprehending the communicative purpose and sense of written texts of several fields: Comprehending the communicative purpose and sense of non-specialised written texts in standard dialect.
  4. Formulating the appropriate informative needs in order to translate: Formulating the appropriate informative needs in order to translate non-specialised texts in standard dialect.
  5. Identifying the existing (digital and analogue) information sources in order to translate: Identifying the existing (digital and analogue) information sources in order to translate non-specialised written texts in standard dialect.
  6. Identifying the specific translation problems of non-specialised texts: Identifying the basic translation problems of non-specialised texts in standard dialect.
  7. Identifying the textual and dynamic nature of the translation equivalence: Identifying the textual and dynamic nature of the translation equivalence.
  8. 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.
  9. Implementing strategies in order to understand written texts from different fields: Implementing strategies in order to understand non-specialised written texts in standard dialect.
  10. Learning in a strategic, independent and continuous manner: Formulating a plan of action in order to learn.
  11. Solving interferences between the working languages: Solving interferences between the working languages.
  12. Students must demonstrate they know the functioning of the translation labour market: Students must demonstrate they know the basic questions related to the translation labour market (occupational area, rights and duties of the translator).
  13. Students must demonstrate they know the technological resources needed to translate: Students must demonstrate they know the basic technological resources needed to edit non-specialised written texts in standard dialect.
  14. Using the appropriate strategies and techniques in order to solve translation problems: Using the fundamental strategies and techniques in order to solve basic translation problems of non-specialised texts in standard dialect.

Content

  • The basic methodological principles governing the practice of translation. Problems, techniques and fundamental strategies of translation of texts in standard language.
  • The resolution of contrastive difficulties: differences in writing, lexical, morphosyntactic and textual conventions.
  • The basic aspects of the labor market and the exercise of the profession of translator: areas of employability; translator's rights and duties.
  • Use of technological and documentation tools for the translation of non-specialized texts in standard language: general monolingual and bilingual dictionaries, grammars, style manuals, general search engines, basic technological tools for the optimization of the editing and correction of texts, basic folder and file management.
 

Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Carrying out translation activities 32.5 1.3 1, 2, 9, 10, 3, 12, 13, 4, 7, 6, 8, 5, 11, 14
Consolidate exercise resolution techniques 20 0.8 1, 9, 3, 5, 11
Type: Supervised      
Discussions and self-reflection activities about relevant translation issues 2.5 0.1 12, 7, 8
Preparation of the self-assessment 2.5 0.1 10
Preparation of the student folder; preparation of translations and works 10 0.4 1, 2, 9, 10, 3, 12, 13, 4, 7, 6, 8, 5, 11, 14
Type: Autonomous      
Documentation search 15 0.6 2, 5
Exercise preparation 15 0.6 1, 9, 3, 5, 11
Knowledge expansion 15 0.6 10
Preparation of translations and works 30 1.2 1, 2, 9, 10, 3, 12, 13, 4, 7, 6, 8, 5, 11, 14

An active methodology is used with activities of various kinds. The instruments of the Moodle environment of the UAB are used.

Possible methodologies:

  • Performing translation tasks
  • Completition of translation projects
  • Exercise resolution
  • Individual / group work presentations
  • Discussions (face-to-face or in forums)
  • Cooperative learning techniques

The didactic activities are organized in three blocks, according to the degree of autonomy of the student:

  • Guided activities: it responds to a predetermined schedule and requires the address of a teacher.
  • Supervised activities: requires the more or less punctual supervision of a teacher.
  • Autonomous activities: the student organizes time and effort autonomously (individually or in a group).

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
Realization of translation activities 40% 4 0.16 1, 2, 9, 10, 3, 12, 13, 4, 7, 6, 8, 5, 11, 14
Reflective diaries / files / reports 20% 0 0 10
Resolution of exercises and works related to relevant aspects of translation 40% 3.5 0.14 12, 7, 6, 8, 11

Continuous assessment

Possible evaluation activities:

  • Performing real or simulated translation tasks, or tasks related to relevant aspects of translation.
  • Completion of translation projects.
  • Reports / forums on translations or on tasks related to relevant aspects of translation.
  • Reflective diaries / files / reports on the learning process or on the process of preparing translations.
  • Student folder (Portfolios).

 Assessment

Students must provide evidence of their progress by completing 3 tasks. Task deadlines will be indicated in the course schedule on the first day of class. 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. In the case of retaking or compensating for an activity, the highest mark that can be obtained is 5.

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 numberof 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 subject's final mark, their work will be classified as "not assessable" on their transcript.

Misconduct in assessment activities

Students who engage 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.

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 lecturer 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 activities

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

Grade revision and retake procedures for the subject are the same as those for continual assessment. See the section above in this Study Guide.


Bibliography

Elena García, P. (1994). Curso práctico de traducción general (Alemán – Español). Salamanca: Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca.

 Elena García, P. (1998). Aspectos teóricos y prácticos de la traducción (Alemán – Español). 2ª ed. Salamanca: Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca.

 Gamero Pérez, S. (2010). Traducción alemán-español. Aprendizaje activo de destrezas básicas. 2ª ed. Castelló de la Plana: Universitat Jaume I.

 Hönig, H.G. (1997) Konstruktives Übersetzen. Tübingen: Stauffenburg.

 Hönig, H.G.; Kussmaul, P. (1982) Strategie der Übersetzung. Tübingen: Gunter Narr.

 Martínez de Sousa, J. (1995) Diccionario de lexicografía práctica. Barcelona: Biblograf.

 Nord, C. (2001). Fertigkeit Übersetzen. Ein Selbstlernkurs zum Übersetzenlernen und Übersetzenlehren. Alicante: Club Universitario.

 Snell-Hornby, M.; Hönig, H.G.; Kussmaul, P.; Schmitt, P. A. (eds.). (1998) Handbuch Translation. Tübingen: Stauffenburg.

 Seca, J. / Wimmer, S. (2013) Das kannst du laut sagen! 1000 locuciones para hablar como un nativo. Barcelona : Pons.


Software

No.


Language list

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