Translation Theory 492
Office: AL-159
Office Phone: (619) 594 1245
Office hours: Monday 2-3:15pm and online
e-mail: cdegueld@mail.sdsu.edu
Class time: Wednesday 4:00 to 6:40 pm
Classroom: EBA247 and online
Online modality:
The first 2 weeks [weeks of August 27, September 3] will be taught in the regular
mode in a classroom, the 3rd week [September10] will be taught in LARC SH205 –
Mac lab- using the technology that will allow us to continue teaching and learning
online. The next 11 weeks of the semester will be taught online in an asynchronous
mode using Elluminate and Moddle. The last 2 weeks [December 3 and December
10] will be taught in traditional mode]. This will allow for the final exam to be taken
in a regular classroom environment. This hybrid/ online mode requires that the
students be present at the beginning and at the end of the semester. Students will have
the opportunity to ask questions related to the content of the class by e-mail and also
in a synchronous mode on the day the class is taught from 8-9am.
The students who will finish the five courses of the Certificate will also have the
opportunity to take the final exam in class on Friday Dec 12, 2014
Important
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for
this class, it is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 5946473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact
Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are
not retroactive, and that accommodations based upon disability cannot be provided
until you have presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student
Disability Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Course Objectives
The course introduces students to both the theory and practice of professional
translation.
Theory: Reflection on the professional aspects of the work of a translator through
various readings in order to have a better grasp of the processes involved and the
conditions under which a professional translator works.
Practice: The course will concentrate on various basic translation techniques;
different types of texts will be presented. Special attention will also be paid to sight
translation, sensitivity to register and accuracy in expression. Students will work on
developing problem solving strategies in order to prepare for the professional world
N.B.PREREQUISITES: 491 OR EQUIVALENT WITH CONSENT OF THE
PROFESSOR.
Learning Outcomes
By successfully completing this course, students will:
1. identify basic theories of translation, sight translation and interpreting.
2. compare and contrast various translation theories and their intersection with
issues of identity, culture, society and politics.
3. analyze differences between written translation, sight translation, consecutive
interpretation and simultaneous interpretation (skills needed and strategies
used).
4. define the translation profession and the ideologies underlying professional
organizations (access, culture, communication, tools, challenges).
5. illustrate the theories of translation with a variety of text/discourse types .
explain critical issues that result from translation in Spanish
Course Organization
The course is made of two parts: readings and practice.
Readings:
Students are responsible for preparing the readings for every class (see Calendar).
The articles for the reading are left on Blackboard. Those articles will be discussed in
class.
Translation exercises will be done in class and as homework to illustrate topics
discussed in class.
IMPORTANT:
1) You are responsible for staying up-to-date with any announced changes in the
syllabus or assignments.
2) If you must miss a class, you are responsible for its content and for making up the
work. You should arrange to get class materials and assignments from a classmate
(NOT the professor) and a replacement if you have to deliver a speech and can't make
the class.
3) You should arrive on time, having done the required work for the class.
Assignments
I- There will be one [group] presentation of a translation project
During the semester, the students will be working on the translation of a text of
around 1000 words [into English or Spanish] in small groups (3-4 students per
group). They can select any topic [ex: agriculture/rice production, food prices].
A week before the scheduled date for the oral presentation of the translation project:
1) they will hand over to the professor a portfolio consisting of the original text, the
group translation, and 20 reference texts [10 texts in both English and Spanish].
2) the group will distribute to the class and the professor a glossary on the selected
topic [around 100 terms- left column English/ right column Spanish] as well as a
segment [200 words] from the selected text. This constitutes the weekly assignment
for the class.
Students are responsible for scheduling meetings with the professor for questions and
advice on their work. The following deadline should be observed:
- Sep 24, 2014: students will submit a proposal of the group presentation
stating group name, group members, topic of the presentation, amount of time
needed, and responsibilities of each member and source text selected for
translation project.
II- Regular translations during the semester into English and Spanish
III- Final exam – Dec 3, 2014, consisting of short translation into English and into
Spanish + questions on the theory presented and discussed in class
Class Participation
Students are required to participate actively in the class
discussion. It is essential that they have done the readings and
worked on the translation in order to benefit most from the class
time. They are responsible for scheduling meetings with the instructor
for questions or advice on their work.
 No handwritten assignments will be accepted.
 No late assignments will be accepted.
 There will be no extra credit.
Please observe deadlines and guidelines for assignments as your grade will be affected by your
complying to them
Course Evaluation
The course will be based on the following:
In-class participation
20%
Translation Exercises
30%
Group presentation
20%
Exam
30%
A 100-93
C 76-73
A- 92-90
C- 72-70
B+ 89-87
D+ 69-67
B 86-83
D 66-63
B- 82-80
D- 62-60
C+ 79-77
F 59 and below
Guidelines for the assignments
* Oral Presentation:
Your grade for the oral presentation will be based upon a number of factors:
1- Clarity of expression
2- Organization: (Remember a presentation in Spanish does not necessarily include the
same elements as a presentation in English: humor, explanation of outline, etc.). The
time limit during presentations must be observed. Deadlines to hand in visual aids for
revision must be observed.
3- Public-speaking skills: Eye contact, rhythm, intonation, and pronunciation.
4- Quality of handouts and visual aids. Students will receive an individual grade for the
individual presentation and a group grade for the group presentation. For the group
presentations students must submit information regarding group members by October
10. Visual aids to be used during presentations will be submitted for final corrections 2
weeks previous to the date of the presentation
RECOMMENDED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies - Routledge - New York
Introducción a la Traductología - Vázquez Ayora, G. - Georgetown University
School of Languages and Linguistics - Washington, DC 1977.
Translation Studies - Basnett-McGuire, S. - New Accents - New York - 1988.
Translation Studies: An Integrated Approach - Snell-Hornby, M. - John Benjamins Philadelphia - 1987
Composición. Proceso y síntesis - Valdés;Dvorak;Hannum - Segunda edición Random House - New York - 1989.
Investigación de Gramática Vining Lunn, DeCesaris Heinle & Heinle Publishers Boston, MA -1992
Translation and Interpreting journals such as:
- ATA Chronicle, a publication of the American Translators Association
- META, (Canadian Journal on Translation, University of Montreal)
- Bridging the gap: empirical research in interpretation (John Benjamins)