This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Undergraduate Handbook 2005-2006 (archived)
Module MELA3111: TRANSLATION THEORY
Department: Modern Languages and Cultures
MELA3111: TRANSLATION THEORY
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 3 | 20 | Available in 2005/2006 | None. | Durham |
Pre-requisites
- Any two Level 1 modules in Linguistics.
Corequisites
- None.
Excluded Combinations
- Students may only take up to two Translation modules in MLAC, selected from Translation Theory (MELA3111), Spanish Translation (SPAN3131) and French Translation (FREN3051).
Aims
- To examine various theories of translation and issues in translating, including text type, target audience, general v language-specific considerations.
Content
- Topic 1: Translation considerations: text type, audience, language, context.
- Topic 2: Translation studies/translation theories.
- Topic 3: The science of translation.
- Topic 4: Translation and linguistics.
- Topic 5: Translation and linguistic relativism.
- Topic 6: The translation process.
- Topic 7: Other issues.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge
- At the end of the module the student should be able to demonstrate:
- knowledge and critical understanding of the factors at play in translation, such as source and target language, text type, target audience, and general and language-specific considerations,
- an awareness of how they themselves approach the task of translating,
- understanding of what it means to read a text which has been translated.
Subject-specific Skills
Key Skills
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- The course is taught through lectures which introduce the key areas of translation theory and provide a focus for the reading
- The lectures are supplemented by seminars during the year. The seminars enable the students to discuss theoretical and practical issues relating to translation, and to prepare essays
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 22 | Weekly | 1 hour | 22 | |
| Seminars | 5 | 1 hour | 5 | ||
| Preparation and reading | 173 | ||||
| Total SLAT hours | 200 |
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 100% | Assignment 1 2500 words | 50% | ||
| Assignment 2 2500 words | 50% |
Formative Assessment
Short written summaries of readings set for each lecture
Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods
and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative
assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress
procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be
required to leave the University.