Introductory description

This cross-SMLC module introduces students to translation as a specific set of skills. It situates the practice of translation within the context of relevant theories developed in the field of Translation Studies, and raises awareness of the role of translation and translators in contemporary society. Adopting an interdisciplinary perspective and integrating a linguistic approach with sociological and cultural theories, the module presents case studies related to the students’ language specialisms, which challenge a purely textual approach to translation.
By looking at the role of translators, as well as publishers and editors, students are encouraged to approach translation as a multifaceted cultural process involving several diverse agents and perspectives in both source and target culture.

Module web page

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Week 1: Translation (Studies): A Discipline in Context
The lecture and seminar will introduce the theory and practice of translation, in its multiple forms.
Week 2: Translation and World Literature
This session will analyse the relationship between translation, national canons and world literature, examining the role of translation in the production, distribution and reception of cultural artefacts. The seminar will discuss in more detail translation in relation to world literature.
Week 3: Publishing Translations: Histories and Practice
In this session, students will be introduced to the sociological theory of translation in relation to the publishing market. The lecture and seminars will prompt students to shift their focus from the concept of translation as a text to that of translation as a cultural product and process. The analysis of the publishing field at a national level will enhance a deeper understanding of cultural exchanges on a translational level.
Week 4: Translation and the Profession
The lecture will focus on Skopos theory and functionalism to understand how to implement the translation-oriented source-text analysis (TOSTA) model. The session will invite students to reflect upon the textual and extra-textual aspects that help translators make decisions when completing a translation task. The seminar will explore the opportunities and the challenges that AI poses for the profession.
Week 5: Translation and evaluation
This session will focus on evaluating translations considering the relationship between translators and readers. In this session, students will learn about rich points and how these can be analysed to understand the decision-making process of translators and the impact these could have on readers. Students will present and discuss case studies to become familiar with the model for translation analysis.
Week 6: Reading week
Week 7: Audio-visual Translation
The lecture and seminar will focus on how translation is used in the film industry throughout the world. The session will invite students to reflect upon the cultural, aesthetic, and operational aspects at play in the cultural transfer of subtitles and dubbing.
Week 8: Translation and advertising
The session will focus on how translation is used in old and new media, including the internet. It will also explore translation in commercial advertising. The session will invite students to reflect upon the cultural, sociological, and aesthetic aspects of language contact in globalised, translingual media.
Week 9: Translation Portfolio Workshop
Workshop for the design and fine-tuning of translation portfolios with practical examples.
Week 10: Final Session
Workshop for the design and fine-tuning of translation portfolios with practical examples.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Level 6: Demonstrate the ability to critically analyse and evaluate the linguistic, cultural, and sociological implications of translating cultural products
• Level 5: Demonstrate the ability to critically analyse the linguistic and cultural implications of translating cultural products
• Level 6: Build on their language specialism and cross-cultural awareness to conceive an original, scholarly rigorous translation portfolio
• Level 5: Build on their language specialism and cross-cultural awareness to conceive a scholarly rigorous translation portfolio
• Level 6: Demonstrate sophisticated knowledge and critical understanding of key concepts in translation studies
• Level 5: Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of key concepts in translation studies
• Level 5: Demonstrate an ability to use appropriate Translation Studies terminology to critically reflect on the specific strategies that translators adopt when translating
• Level 6: Demonstrate an ability to use sophisticated Translation Studies terminology to critically reflect on and evaluate the specific strategies that translators adopt when translating

Indicative reading list

Reading lists can be found in Talis

Specific reading list for the module

International

All modules delivered in SMLC are necessarily international. Students engage with themes and ideas from a culture other than that of the UK and employ their linguistic skills in the analysis of primary materials from a non-Anglophone context. Students will also be encouraged to draw on the experiences of visiting exchange students in the classroom and will frequently engage with theoretical and critical frameworks from across the world.

Subject specific skills

This module will develop students’ analytical skills through engaging with primary materials in the target language and their translations, as well as theoretical literature. It will build students’ capacity to engage with aspects of translation and cultural exchange through analysis of this primary material and through seminar discussion aimed at deeper critical thinking. In particular, students’ awareness of translation and translators will be enhanced through lectures and seminars which engage in scholarship in the field.

Transferable skills

All SMLC culture modules demand critical and analytical engagement with artefacts from target-language cultures. In the course of independent study, class work and assessment students will develop the following skills: written and oral communication, creative and critical thinking, problem solving and analysis, time management and organisation, independent research in both English and their target language(s), intercultural understanding and the ability to mediate between languages and cultures, ICT literacy in both English and the target language(s), personal responsibility and the exercise of initiative.