Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook

Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2023-2024 (archived)

Module RUSS3381: Russian for Professional Communication

Department: Modern Languages and Cultures (Russian)

RUSS3381: Russian for Professional Communication

Type Open Level 3 Credits 20 Availability Available in 2023/24 Module Cap 24 Location Durham

Prerequisites

  • Russian Language 2A (RUSS2191) OR Russian Language 2B (RUSS2012) OR an equivalent.

Corequisites

  • Modern Languages, Combined Honours and all Joint and 'with' programmes: Russian Language 4 (RUSS3031). Others: see Chairman/Chairwoman of the Board of Studies in MLAC or his/her representative.

Excluded Combination of Modules

  • Students may take up to a total of two Translation/Interpreting modules in MLAC, Spanish Translation (SPAN3131), French Translation (FREN3051), Specialised Arabic-English Translation (ARAB3041), German Interpreting (GERM3041), French Interpreting (FREN3331) and Russian for Professional Communication (RUSS3381). Students may NOT take both French Interpreting (FREN3331) and German Interpreting (GERM3041).

Aims

  • To develop understanding of linguistic and cultural specifics of Russian business context.
  • To develop skills in sight translation, consecutive and liaison interpreting.
  • To develop skills in textual translation from Russian to English, English to Russian, and in working with various documents used in a business environment (emails, faxes, contracts etc).

Content

  • Each strand will be divided into the same thematic/lexical areas related to Russian business and commercial environment, ensuring an element of both focus and depth, and that work done in one strand will re-inforce by the other.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:
  • Students will enhance their practical knowledge of Russian business and commercial language, culture and etiquette through textual preparation for interpreting and through translations.
Subject-specific Skills:
  • Students will further develop their ability to work with a range of texts in Russian across business-related subjectareas/lexical domains; in parallel, they will acquire particular skillsin generating and translating commercial texts and consecutive and liaison interpreting by working with material in the same thematic and lexical areas.
Key Skills:
  • Students will develop key skills relevant to the professional language environment, as well as further developing the ability to work individually or as part of a team in response to a range of time-specific tasks.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Both 'strands' of the course will be delivered in the form of weekly practicals:
  • Translation and work with texts will be classroom based and vary between work on seen and unseen texts;
  • Interpreting will be laboratory based, and focus on 'live' tasks on the basis of advance lexical and thematic preparation.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity Number Frequency Duration Total/Hours
Practicals 40 Twice weekly 1 hour 40
Preparation, Reading and Assessment 160
Total 200

Summative Assessment

Component: Examination Component Weighting: 50%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
Written Examination 2 hours 100% No
Component: Examination Component Weighting: 50%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
Interpreting Examination 1 hour 100% No

Formative Assessment:

The tet-based strand will require 12 pieces to be submitted over the course of the year; interpreting will incorporate three formative 'mock' examination pieces, one in each term.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University