6 ECTS credits
150 h study time
Offer 1 with catalog number 1023279ANR for all students in the 1st and 2nd semester at a (A) Bachelor - preliminary level.
This course consists of a (more) theoretical part, taught in Dutch in the first semester, and a practical part taught in English and Dutch in the second semester.
The theoretical part introduces you to the most important theories and concepts in Translation Studies. As such, it aims to stimulate reflection on and increase your understanding of (1) translation as a process, (2) translation as a product, and (3) the function of translation. But what do we mean when we say ‘translation’, really? This course will help you think of translation as more than just an activity in which you have to replace a text in the source language with a text in the target language. Translation is an activity that can be written and oral (i.e. interpreting), that is goal-oriented, and that requires you to mediate between languages and cultures. Furthermore, it also involves different parties and it is always embedded in a specific socio-cultural, geographical and historical context. For this reason, we will cover a wide range of subjects, going from historical translation theory to translation and interpreting practices in today's globalised world. We will ask questions such as: What is meant by equivalence? What challenges do you face as a translator and/or interpreter and what strategies can you apply? How can you adapt a translation to the communicative function and your target audience? What technological tools are available to you to bring all of this to a successful conclusion?
By addressing these questions and more, we wish to provide you with the (theoretical) tools that will not only assist you in your practical translation classes in the rest of the curriculum, but also help you to act as a successful liaison between languages and cultures beyond the classroom. After all, translation is an activity that is inextricably linked to everyday language practices, and a crucial skill for facilitating communication in a multilingual and multicultural society.
In the second part of the course we will effectively translate from English into Dutch and vice versa, as well as paraphrase and summarize English texts (so-called intralingual translation). We will use a wide range of source utterances and source texts for this purpose, varying in terms of length, medium, topic, genre, context, and communicative goals. The translation exercises will also serve to consolidate your knowledge of English and Dutch grammar by comparing Dutch and English sentence structures and tense systems. We will also discuss the specific idiomaticity of the two languages so that literal translations can be avoided.
We will pay attention to both translation product and translation process, reflect on translation challenges (e.g. content, lexical or grammatical pitfalls), as well as identify and motivate our own translation choices and in sample translations. The assignments themselves - individually or in collaboration - will also vary. You will also become acquainted with the technological translation tools available for translating from Dutch into English (and vice versa) and learn to use them effectively.
The practical translation classes have the following concrete objectives:
1) supporting both your English language acquisition process and your Dutch language proficiency as regards grammar and vocabulary (words and phrases), as well as the 4 language skills (speaking, listening, writing, reading), with a particular focus on writing;
2) fostering your language awareness by reflecting on the similarities and differences between the two language systems;
3) boosting your translation and intercultural skills by reflecting on the similarities and differences in language use in various settings and to achieve varying communicative goals.
The theoretical part of this course in the first semester consists of a series of lectures. In the second semester we will meet for practical seminars. The powerpoint slides of these lectures and seminars, your notes and the given feedback on (translation) assignments will form the teaching materials. These materials may also be supplemented with extra reading and/or listening materials. All study materials will be shared on the learning platform (Canvas).
Upon successful completion of the course, students
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 40% of the final mark.
Other Exam determines 50% of the final mark.
Other determines 10% of the final mark.
Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Within the Other category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Evaluation first examination session:
Evaluation second examination session:
50% (theoretical) assignment + 50% written (practical) exam
If a student obtains a pass mark for both parts of the course (i.e. the theoretical and practical component), the final mark in the first examination session will correspond to the average mark obtained for both parts. If a student scores less than 9/20 for one part of the course, however, the lowest mark obtained will be entered as final mark. In that case, a written evaluation will be held in the second examination session for all parts for which the student scored less than 9/20 during the first examination session. The final mark in the second examination session will correspond to the average mark obtained for the part which the student successfully passed in the first examination period and the part for which a written evaluation was held during the second session. If a student again scores less than 9/20 for one part of the course, the lowest mark obtained will be entered as final mark.
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Bachelor of Linguistics and Literary Studies: English-German (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Linguistics and Literary Studies: English-French (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Linguistics and Literary Studies: English-Spanish (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Applied Language Studies: Nederlands-Engels (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Applied Language Studies: Frans-Engels (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Applied Language Studies: Engels-Duits (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Applied Language Studies: Engels-Spaans (only offered in Dutch)