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LING30190

Academic Year 2026/2027

Translation: Methods & Skills (LING30190)

Subject:
Linguistics
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
Languages, Cultures & Linguis
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Sandrine Peraldi
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This course is designed to introduce and explore key concepts, theories and challenges in the field of Translation Studies, while also providing an overview of translation as a professional practice.

Although the module is not language-specific, it combines theoretical and practical components, allowing students to engage with core translation issues through hands-on activities and applied tasks.

Students will not be assessed on their translation skills per se, but rather on their ability to critically analyse translation challenges and solutions. They are, however, expected to have a working proficiency in at least one foreign language in order to engage with the practical components of the course.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

- demonstrate an understanding of the processes involved in translation, particularly that translation cannot be reduced to a purely linguistic activity based on word-for-word correspondence;
- recognise and critically reflect on the cultural dimensions of translation;
- identify key activities and current trends in the translation market;
- identify and apply a range of translation strategies and techniques.

Indicative Module Content:

Students will be introduced to the following concepts:

- Various modes and methods of translation (e.g. technical, literary, and sight translation; differences between translation and interpreting; sign language, simultaneous, and conference interpreting; source and target languages).
- The practice of translation (the language industry, translation as a profession, EU multilingualism, standards and ethics, pricing, proofreading, and revision).
- Central issues in translation (e.g. equivalence, translatability, and translating across language-cultures).
- Translation strategies and techniques (e.g. normalisation, simplification, and translation universals).
- The social roles and functions of translators and interpreters.
- Computer-assisted translation.
- Audiovisual translation (e.g. subtitling, dubbing, and fan-subbing).
- Website and software localisation.
- An introduction to machine translation (rule-based, statistical, and neural machine translation), post-editing, and automatic speech recognition.

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Not addressed

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Proficient

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Proficient

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Not addressed

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Proficient

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Not addressed

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Not addressed

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Not addressed

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Competent

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Competent

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Not addressed

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

12
Seminar (or Webinar)

12
Specified Learning Activities

20
Autonomous Student Learning

56
Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
A combined approach integrating theoretical content with hands-on activities, enabling students to engage critically with key concepts while applying them in practical translation-related tasks.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
LING20110 - Introduction to Translation

Additional Information:
It is highly advised to have at least a B1 level in any foreign language (Chinese, French, German, Irish, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, etc.) to be able to engage with the activities and pass the module.


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Practical Skills Assessment: Essay (with two types of questions) discussing translation strategies and procedures. Week 6 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
40
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Subtitling task, involving the post-editing of subtitles for a short video, followed by a critical discussion of the challenges encountered & translation choices made. Week 12 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
60
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Individual feedback to students following assessment: Students are provided with personalised feedback on their performance, highlighting strengths, areas for improvement, and specific suggestions for developing their work. Group/class feedback following assessment: General feedback provided to the class on common strengths, difficulties, and recurring issues identified across the submissions, with guidance on how these could be addressed in future work.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Wed 14:00 - 14:50
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