This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Undergraduate Handbook 2010-2011 (archived)
Module GERM1021: GERMAN LANGUAGE 1 (II): TRANSLATION
Department: Modern Languages and Cultures (German)
GERM1021: GERMAN LANGUAGE 1 (II): TRANSLATION
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 1 | 20 | Available in 2010/2011 | None. | Durham |
Pre-requisites
- B in German at A level (or its equivalent).
Corequisites
- Modern European Languages, Combined Honours and all Joint and 'with' programmes: German Language 1(I) (GERM1011). Other: see Chairman/Chairwoman of the Board of Studies in MLAC or his/her representative.
Excluded Combinations
- None.
Aims
- To improve translation skills by encouraging students to increase their command of vocabulary and syntax, and to develop their awareness of German idiom.
Content
- Students are introduced to techniques of translation from German to English and English to German.
- Both 'seen' and 'unseen' translations are undertaken - the first with the help of dictionaries and other reference works, the second without previous sight of the material.
- Practice and theory are interlinked throughout the module.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge
- By the end of the year students should have increased and reinforced not only their passive knowledge of German (i.e. what you recognise and can understand), but also their active command of German (i.e. what they themselves can express and render accurately into German).
Subject-specific Skills
- Students will sharpen and enhance their awareness of English vocabulary and usage. These skills will lead to an increased awareness of the problems posed by translation, and of the solutions that can be found to address them.
Key Skills
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- Students will be divided into groups of approximately 9-13 students, depending on numbers; and each group will have TWO contact hours per week. The course proceeds in cycles alternating between hours devoted to class translation work based on the dossier, with some set work at home; vocabulary work; and feedback tutorials on submitted work which is marked. During this part of the cycle students will be allocated an individual slot to discuss your work in detail with your tutor. Tests involving prepared or unseen translations will be set from time to time. All groups work to the same pattern, so that everyone has consistent teaching. This pattern continues for two terms; the final term is devoted to revision classes and examinations.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seminars | 21 | Weekly | 1 Hour | 21 | Yes |
| Tutorials | 10 | Fortnightly | 1 Hour | 10 | Yes |
| Preparation and Reading | 169 | ||||
| Total | 200 |
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | 100% | Written examination | 3 hours | 100% | Yes |
Formative Assessment
Regular practice translations.
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.