This version of the course guide is provisional until the period for editing the new course guides ends.

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Translation

Code: 106319 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
English Studies OT 3
English Studies OT 4
English and Catalan Studies OT 3
English and Catalan Studies OT 4
English and Spanish Studies OT 3
English and Spanish Studies OT 4

Contact

Name:
Hortensia Curell Gotor
Email:
hortensia.curell@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

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


Prerequisites

Students are expected to have a level of English equivalent to a C2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), meaning they should be able to understand complex texts and recognize implicit meaning. They are also expected to be able to express themselves fluently and to use English adequately in diverse social, academic and professional situations.

Students are advised to have already taken the subject Contrastive Linguistics: English-Catalan/Spanish.

 

INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

This subject is NOT available to international students.


Objectives and Contextualisation

Students will be faced with a variety of texts in order to ensure that different lexical areas and grammatical problems are covered.

Differences in genres and audiences will also be covered. To this aim, we will analyze several genres that can range from literary translation to audiovisual or technical translation. Classroom methodology will be based on individual and group work and special attention will be placed on the analysis of texts in order to identify problematic areas.


Competences

    English Studies
  • Apply scientific ethical principles to information processing.
  • Apply the concepts, resources and methods acquired to the study of the English language in a global and multilingual social context of language learning and teaching.
  • Demonstrate skills to work autonomously and in teams to fulfil the planned objectives.
  • Distinguish and contrast the distinct paradigms and methodologies applied to the study of English.
  • Understand and produce written and spoken academic texts in English at advanced higher-proficient-user level (C2).
  • Use digital tools and specific documentary sources for the collection and organisation of information.
  • Use written and spoken English for academic and professional purposes, related to the study of linguistics, the philosophy of language, history, English culture and literature.
    English and Catalan Studies
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the rules of Catalan and mastery of its foundations and applications in the academic and professional fields.
  • Understand and produce oral and written academic texts with appropriateness and fluency in distinct communicative contexts.
  • Use digital tools and specific documentary sources to gather and organise information.
    English and Spanish Studies
  • Demonstrate the ability to work autonomously and in teams in order to achieve the planned objectives in multicultural and interdisciplinary contexts.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Understand and produce oral and written academic texts with appropriateness and fluency in distinct communicative contexts.
  • Use digital tools and specific documentary sources to gather and organise information.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Apply the concepts and methods acquired to the analysis and production of oral and written texts automatically (NLP) and/or in a judicial context.
  2. Apply the concepts and methods acquired to the detection of needs specific to each discipline, and to the relevant curricular design.
  3. Apply the concepts and methods acquired to the translation of texts of different types and in different formats.
  4. Express oneself effectively orally and in writing, in an appropriate manner in each professional field.
  5. Express oneself orally and in writing in English in a professional register and using appropriate terminology in relation to translation, English for specific purposes and linguistic applications.
  6. Identify and understand the different methodologies appropriate to the fields of translation, English for specific purposes and language applications.
  7. Identify and understand the different theories on translation, English for specific purposes and language applications.
  8. Incorporate ideas and concepts from published sources into work, citing and referencing appropriately.
  9. Locate specialised and academic information and select this according to its relevance.
  10. Plan work effectively, individually or in groups, in order to fulfil the planned objectives.
  11. Produce normatively correct written and oral texts.
  12. Produce written and oral academic texts at higher-proficient-user level (C2) on the concepts and skills relevant to the study of translation, English for specific purposes and language applications.
  13. Understand specialised academic texts (C2) on research in translation, English for specific purposes and language applications.
  14. Understand specialised academic texts on research in translation, English for specific purposes and language applications.

Content

UNIT 1. Introduction to translation

 UNIT 2. The translation of specific registers

UNIT 3. The translation of cultural concepts

UNIT 4. The assessment of quality in translation

UNIT 5. The translation of specific linguistic aspects

 

In this subject, gender perspective will be taken into account in the following aspects:

 1)  Including the translation of gender as one of the topics dealt with.

2)  Making students aware of the sexist uses of language, and providing non-sexist alternatives.

3)  Not allowing a sexist use of language in the students' oral and written contributions.

4)  Guaranteeing in the classroom an atmosphere respectful of the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and politics.

5)  Avoiding gender stereotypes in examples.

6)  Writing, in the references, the full names of authors, instead of only the initial.


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Practical classes 20 0.8 2, 3, 1, 4, 5, 12, 11
Theoretical classes 30 1.2 6, 7, 9
Type: Supervised      
Translation activities 25 1 2, 3, 1, 9, 12, 11
Type: Autonomous      
Oral presentation (preparation) 20 0.8 14, 4, 5, 9, 10, 12, 11
Readings 30 1.2 13, 14, 6, 7, 9, 10

The teaching methodology is based on:

  • Directed (33% - 2 cr)
  • Supervised (17% - 1 cr)
  • Autonomous (33% - 2 cr)
  • Assessment (17% - 1 cr)

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
Homework, in-class activities and progression 10% 3 0.12 3, 13, 14, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 11
Oral presentation 30% 7 0.28 13, 14, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Problem-based assignment 1 20% 5 0.2 2, 3, 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 11
Problem-based assignment 2 20% 5 0.2 2, 3, 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 11
Problem-based assignment 3 20% 5 0.2 2, 3, 1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 11

The final grade will be calculated as follows:

  • Problem-based assignment (translation) 1:20%
  • Problem-based assignment (translation) 2: 20%
  • Problem-based assignment (translation) 3: 20%
  • Oral presentation: 30%
  • Homework, in-class activities and progression: 10%

Problem-based assignments will be submitted every 4 weeks approximately. The oral presentations will take place throughout the semester, starting week 4 or 5, and homework and in-class activities will also be programmed during the whole semester. Exact dates for all evaluation activities will be confirmed at the start of the course through a calendar published on the class Moodle.

 

Important issues

  1. The minimum grade required to form average is 4.
  2. Students will obtain a “Not assessed/Not submitted” course grade unless they have submitted more than 30% of the assessment items.
  3. The level of English will be taken into account when correcting exams and in the final assessment.
  4. In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In this case, the activity will not have the possibility of reassessment. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
  5. This subject entirely prohibits the use of AI technologies in all of its activities. Any submitted work that contains content generated using AI will be considered academic dishonesty; the corresponding grade awarded will be a zero, without the possibility of reassessment. In cases of greater infringement,more serious action may be taken.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR EXCHANGE STUDENTS (ERASMUS, etc.) ON EXAMS AND OTHER ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES

Exchange students (Erasmus and other) who request to bring forward an exam or any other type of assessment activity must present the teacher with an official document from their home university justifying their request.

 

Procedure for Reviewing Grades Awarded

 On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.

Reassessment

 Reassessment for this subject requires a content-synthesis test (covering reassessable activities, i.e., the three problem-based assignments), for which the following conditions are   applicable:

  • The student must previously have obtained an average overall grade equal to or higher than 3.5.
  • The student must have been assessed before in a set of activities whose weight is equivalent to at least 2/3 of the total grade.
  • The maximum that can be obtained through reassessment is 5.

 

Evaluation Activities Excluded from Reassessment

 The following activities are not eligible for reassessment:

  • Homework and in-class activities
  • Oral presentation
  • Activities in which there has been some irregularity.

 

IMPORTANT: This subject does not incorporate the single-assessment option.


Bibliography

Books about translation

Ainaud, Jordi, Espunya, Anna & Pujol, Didac (2003): Manual de traducció anglès-català. Eumo Editorial.

Beeby, Allyson (1996). Teaching Translation from Spanish to English: Worlds beyond Words.  Universtiy of Otawa Press.

Haywood, Louise M. et al. (2008). Thinking Spanish Translation. Routledge.

Monolingual English dictionaries

Collins Cobuild Dictionary. 1987. Collins.

Webster's New English Dictionary. 1972. Simon and Schuster.

Monolingual Catalan and Spanish dictionaries

María Moliner - Diccionario de Uso del Español. 1987. Gredos.

Manuel Seco - Diccionario de Dudas y Dificultades de la Lengua Española. 1998. Espasa Calpe.

Diccionario de la Real Academia Española. 1992. Espasa Calpe.

Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana. Segona edició, DIEC2. Institut d'Estudis Catalans.

Bilingual Dictionaries 

Collins Spanish-English, English-Spanish. 2000. Harper Collins.

Collins Electronic Dictionary - Bilingual Dictionary. 2002. Softissimo.

The Oxford Spanish Dictionary: Spanish-English, English-Spanish by Beatriz Galimberti Jarman, Roy Russell, Nicholas Rollin, Carol Styles Carvajal. 2008. Oxford University Press.

 

Specific references for each unit will be provided throughout the semester.


Software

Not applicable.


Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

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