English Language 2 2023/2024

Prerequisites:

Language competence: level B1 of the European Common Framework.

Outcomes:

LEARNING OUTCOMES: at the end of the first module, students will have started to delve into the world of Translation Studies (to complete during module B) and will have a good command of the basic themes of localization and the main CAT tools available for translators.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING of the main themes related to the world of Translation Studies (from the origin to the Functionalist turn) and then to localization, machine translation and translation memories, terminology management and new technologies available for translators.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING of the aforementioned topics to the translation of English texts.

MAKING JUDGEMENTS thanks to the development of the ability to evaluate the available technologies and text types, and to reflect on them critically.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS thanks to which students will be able to communicate in English through the acquired knowledge and skills effectively in both written and oral modalities.

LEARNING SKILLS developed through the synergy with other disciplines, computer science in particular.

Programme:

INTRODUCTION TO TRANSLATION STUDIES (PART 1): TRANSLATION TECHNOLOGIES

This module starts with a first part of introduction to Translation Studies, from the origin to the Functionalist turn - crucial for those who want to approach the field of translation - and then focuses on Localization and the main electronic tools applied to Translation (DD1). Today, a high IT literacy and competence is a crucial prerequisite for translators, but also for those who aim at working with terminological extraction or corpus analysis. This module aims at providing the students with the fundaments of the available tools on the market, and with the theoretical-practical rudiments of Computer-Aided Translation and Translation Technologies (DD2). In the second part of the module, the students will get to know Trados, one of the most widely used CAT tool for Specialized Translation. The course includes grammar lessons taught by an English native speaker (Dr. Christine Eade) where students will improve their communication skills (B2 level at the end of the second year) (DD5). Module, grammar lessons and exams are in English.

Teaching Methods:

Lectures and practical lessons (learning by doing). During the lectures students are always asked to participate and interact with the teacher. These methods are used both in the module and in the grammar lessons.

Assessment criteria:

Module A will be assessed by a written test (multiple choice or brief definitions, 1 hour) and students will have to demonstrate a good command of the topics covered during the course and to be able to apply them. The evaluation will be on a scale of 30, students have to answer at least 60% of the items correctly, and the grade will be part of the final grade (average between module A and B). Grammar lessons will be assessed separately at the end of the course.

Bibliography:

- Munday, J. (2012). Introducing Translation Studies (3rd Edition). London-New York: Routledge (chapters from 1 to 5). - Bowker, L. (2002). Computer Aided Translation Technology – A practical introduction. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press.