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Curricular information is subject to change
On successful completion of this module students should be able to
- Produce fluent and idiomatic translations from a range of complex and specialised German-language texts;
- Explain some of the theoretical issues in Translation Studies and apply these to the translation process;
- Analyse the source text in order to better comprehend it semantically and stylistically;
- Benefit from productive peer collaboration;
- Work critically with dictionaries and online tools;
- Subtitle short audiovisual excerpts;
- Comment on and post-edit existing translations.
The module looks at three different text-types:
Weeks 1-3: Current affairs
Week 4-7: Commercial or consumer-oriented texts
Weeks 9-12: Cultural and literary texts including media subtitling
Class activities include collaboration on different translations, explanations of and exercises practising certain grammatical points and stylistic issues (e.g. reported speech, nominalisation, collocation, modal particles, dictionary work), as well as the introduction via short lectures to some basic concepts of translation theory. There may also be a talk from a professional translator who will provide an insight into translation as a career.
Student Effort Type | Hours |
---|---|
Seminar (or Webinar) | 20 |
Specified Learning Activities | 40 |
Autonomous Student Learning | 45 |
Total | 105 |
All students must have a very good standard of German (European Common Framework B2 level) and students of German at UCD should have passed both level 2 German language modules.
Learning Recommendations:Students should have a good command of written English.
This module is suitable for visiting students with native or near-native competence in English.
Description | Timing | Component Scale | % of Final Grade | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class Test: In-person test in the second class of week 6. Translation into English of an unseen text, and the post-editing (correcting) of a translation of another text | Week 6 | n/a | Graded | No | 30 |
Group Project: Collaborative subtitling homework of short video (done in pairs) | Week 10 | n/a | Graded | No | 15 |
Examination: 2-hour written (in-person) exam: 2 passages (choice of 3) to be translated | 2 hour End of Trimester Exam | No | Graded | No | 55 |
Resit In | Terminal Exam |
---|---|
Spring | Yes - 2 Hour |
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities
• Self-assessment activities
Regular formative homework exercises submitted on time via Brightspace will get individual feedback. Students will also compare and peer review translations done in class. All assessed pieces of work are graded according to rubrics that equally weight comprehension and transfer of the original (German) and expression in the target language (English).
Name | Role |
---|---|
Dr Michael Kane | Lecturer / Co-Lecturer |