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Fundamentals of Cultural Mediation in Translation and Interpreting B (English)

Code: 101449 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2500249 Translation and Interpreting OB 3

Contact

Name:
Gema Rubio Carbonero
Email:
gema.rubio@uab.cat

Teachers

Deborah Jane Rolph Rolph
Fiona Megan Kelso

Teaching groups languages

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


Prerequisites

On starting this course students should be able to:

  • Understand a range of specialised texts with a certain level of complexity from a wide range of areas (CEFR-FTI C1.3.) 
  • Produce written texts of different types with a certain level of complexity from a wide range of areas and different styles. (CEFR-FTI C1.1.)
  • Understand oral texts of different types from a wide range of areas and appreciate stylistic and geographical differences. (CEFR-FTI C1.3.)
  • Produce oral texts of different types with a certain level of complexity from a wide range of areas and different styles. (CEFR-FTI B2.4.)
  • Required level of language: English: Level C1.3 CEFR (European Framework of Reference for Languages)

Objectives and Contextualisation

The main objective of this subject is to give students basic knowledge of the language B culture necessary to enable them to translate and interpret texts. On completing this course students should be able to: demonstrate that they have knowledge of different cultural aspects of language B. Apply this knowledge for interpreting cultural references related to language B.


Competences

  • Applying cultural knowledge in order to interpret.
  • Applying cultural knowledge in order to translate. 
  • Working in a multicultural context.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Identifying the need to mobilise cultural knowledge in order to translate: Identifying the need to mobilise cultural knowledge in order to translate.
  2. Implementing strategies to acquire cultural knowledge in order to interpret: Implementing strategies to acquire cultural knowledge in order to interpret.
  3. Implementing strategies to acquire cultural knowledge in order to translate: Implementing strategies to acquire cultural knowledge in order to translate.
  4. Incorporating cultural knowledge in order to solve interpretation problems: Incorporating cultural knowledge in order to solve interpretation problems.
  5. Incorporating cultural knowledge in order to solve translation problems: Incorporating cultural knowledge in order to solve translation problems.
  6. Possessing cultural knowledge in order to interpret: Possessing cultural knowledge in order to interpret.
  7. Possessing cultural knowledge in order to translate: Possessing a basic cultural knowledge in order to translate.
  8. Recognising the need to mobilise cultural knowledge in order to interpret: Identifying the need to mobilise cultural knowledge in order to interpret.
  9. Working in a multicultural context: Effectively interceding between one's own culture and the foreign one.
  10. Working in a multicultural context: Recognising several strategies in order to make contact with people from a different culture.
  11. Working in a multicultural context: Recognising the cultural and social diversity as a human phenomenon.

Content

Translation competence is composed of different sub-competences. In order to be a good translator it is not enough just to have a good knowledge of the source and the target language (communicative competence), but also to have a good knowledge of the cultural references that are underlying in the working languages (inter-cultural competence).

This competence is made up of knowledge about the patterns of communication and behaviour, stereotypes and lifestyle norms, on the one hand, and specific knowledge of the cultural reality of the UK and the USA, on the other. It therefore includes historical and geographical denominations, names, social structures, institutions and politics, among other things, as well as significant dates and places in each of these two areas. Students are expected to be able to recognise specific cultural markers in texts and carry out the corresponding interpretation of them in terms of meaning and connotation. Students are also expected to develop a critical capacity when faced with cultural and social stereotypes in a text (particularly in press articles, tourist texts, literary, political and historical texts, etc.). In particular the contents to be covered are: 

  • Geographical, demographic, socio-political and organisational aspects of the United Kingdom.

  • Geographical, demographic, socio-political and organisational aspects of the USA.
  • Outstanding places and objects that are relevant to the national, social and cultural memory of each area.
  • Patterns of communication and behaviour, stereotypes and rules. Values, beliefs and attitudes.
  • Social conventions and rituals.

Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Oral production exercises: the summary and oral analysis of a current text with reformulation or explication of sociocultural contents 12.4 0.5 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11
Carry out oral comprehension activities and tasks to identify manifest or tacit cultural references 12.4 0.5 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11
Specific lectures and activities of reading comprehension and tasks to identify manifest or tacit cultural references 12.4 0.5 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11
Specific lectures and realization of written production activities making explicit sociocultural contents 12.4 0.5 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11
Type: Supervised      
Exercises of written production: reformulation or explication of the sociocultural contents of a written / oral/audivisual text 20 0.8 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11
Oral production exercises: reformulation or explicitation of the sociocultural contents of an oral / written text 20 0.8 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11
Type: Autonomous      
Preparation of specific genres of the university degree (ex. abstract, summary, work script, textual analysis, review) on topics of a (inter-) cultural and traductological nature 25 1 2, 3, 4, 5
Readings: articles on the theory of culture, article press with high socio-political and / or historical content 25.2 1.01 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Broaden sociocultural competences in language B (English) and develop intercultural competences for translation and interpreting.

This subject includes theoretical and practical activities to resolve specific problems in the analysis of cultures for translation. All of the activities involved in this subject will be carried out on the basis of a number of different texts.

Note:

The tasks based on real, current texts may be modified throughout the course either to include the most topical subjects or as a result of specific teaching and learning needs, detected through the continual assessment. The definitions and exact number of tasks will depend on the specific needs of the students, always in line with the number of hours stipulated for the type of activity. 

Students are advised to read and keep up to date with all course content and instructions which appear on the Campus Virtual (Moodle) for this subject.

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
Continuous evaluation (UK): Texts analysis 25 2.04 0.08 1, 3, 5, 7
Continuous evaluation (USA): Texts analysis 25 2.04 0.08 1, 3, 5, 7
Continuous evaluation (USA/UK): Film analysis 15 2.04 0.08 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11
Continuous evaluation: Oral presentation on a topic related to the content 15 2.04 0.08 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Final (USA and UK): Written exam – analysis and content 20 2.04 0.08 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11

Continuous evaluation

Students must present evidence of their learning in the form of completed tasks and tests. The information concerning student evaluation, namely the evaluated tasks and their relative weighting in the final mark, is a general orientation only. The lecturer teaching this course will provide a detailed description and breakdown at the beginning of the semester.

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.

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.

6. In the case of resits, the maximum grade will be 5. 

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"isthe 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 witha "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 of this subject will be zero.

Single evaluation

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. 

 


Bibliography

 Dossiers for the subject on the Campus Virtual (Moodle):

 Bibliography and other information for classwork/homework will be announced by the teacher on the Campus Virtual (Moodle)


Software

No software will be used


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 English first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 2 English first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 3 English first semester morning-mixed