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2010/1 Module Catalogue
 Module Code: TRA3010 Module Title: INTRODUCTION TO TRANSLATION THEORY
Module Provider: Language & Translation Studies Short Name: CTS348
Level: HE3 Module Co-ordinator: ASIMAKOULAS D Dr (Lang & Trans)
Number of credits: 10 Number of ECTS credits: 5
 
Module Availability

Semester 1
Assessment Pattern

Unit(s) of Assessment
Weighting Towards Module Mark (%)
1 essay (1500 words); comparative analysis of three texts to be translated in the students’ preferred TL
50%
1 essay (1500 words); producing two translations of the same text to cater for the needs of different readerships/contexts.
50%

Qualifying Condition(s)
The average mark of the two assignments (equal weighting) needs to be 40 or higher

Module Overview
This module constitutes an introduction to the main theoretical premises that underpin Translation Studies as an independent discipline. It offers students the opportunity to use theoretical concepts as aids of problem solving, describing/monitoring translation and promoting translators’ self-image or of becoming aware of cultural and ideological issues linked to translation.
Prerequisites/Co-requisites

Level HE2 or European university equivalent or equivalent language competence.
Module Aims

This module aims to introduce students to some of the principal approaches in Translation Studies, including its evolution as a discipline. This will form the basis for the discussion of how such approaches can be evaluated and applied to translation problems.
Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, students will have:

  • gained an awareness of the major stages of the historical development of Translation Studies;
  • become familiar with the influence of some major approaches in the field of Translation Studies;
  • gained an understanding of the applicability of Translation Theory to problems in translation
  • be able to synthesize and evaluate major trends and models of translation theory and apply these.
Module Content

The module offers an overview of various strands in translation theory. It touches upon issues of equivalence and attempts to formulate principles about translation. Students are encouraged to approach such attempts in a critical manner and assess the extent to which an awareness of theoretical approaches helps translators find appropriate solutions. The scope of the discussion gradually broadens to account for the various contexts in which translation occurs (i.e. the ‘black box’/cognitive environment, language, the ‘industry’, and society in general). Similarly, the range of issues examined ranges from linguistic problems in translation to ideological and ethical issues that are inextricably linked with the process or the final product of translation and its dissemination.

Methods of Teaching/Learning

2 hours per week for one semester, 20-24 class contact hours over the semester. Weekly lecture followed by practical exercises. Problems of translation will be discussed and students will be encouraged to participate actively, drawing on their knowledge of other cultures and languages in order to identify and illustrate phenomena and principles related to translation which have been put forward throughout the ages.

Selected Texts/Journals
Anderman, G. & Rogers, M (eds) (2003) Translation Today: Trends and Perspectives. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Bassnett-McGuire, S. (3rd edition, 2003) Translation Studies. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Chesterman, A. (ed.) (1989) Readings in Translation Theory, Helsinki: Oy Finn Lectura Ab.
Chesterman, A. (1997) The Memes of Translation. The Spread of Ideas in Translation Theory, Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Dil, S. A. (ed.) (1975) Language Structure and Translation: Essays by Eugene Nida, Stanford: Standford University Press.
Gentzler, E. (2001) Contemporary Translation Theories, Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Hatim, B. and I. Mason (1990) Discourse and the Translator, London and New York: Longman.
Munday, J. (2001) Introducing Translation Studies. Theories and Applications, London and New York: Routledge.
Newmark, P. (1988) A Textbook of Translation, New York and London: Prentice-Hall.

Venuti, L. (ed.) (2000) The Translation Studies Reader. London: Routledge
Last Updated

JULY 2009