Study Programmes 2015-2016
TRAD0056-1  
Theory and practice of translation Spanish-French, including translation of scientific and technical texts
Duration :
30h Th
Number of credits :
Master in modern languages and literatures : general (120 ECTS)5
Lecturer :
Yves Counasse
Language(s) of instruction :
French language
Organisation and examination :
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Course contents :
Written Translation The course content is based on a wide variety of texts with difficulty levels ranging from 1 to 4 on a 8-point scale. All documents in this medium tier are genuine (i.e. originally written in) Spanish texts selected as per the following four major criteria : (i) the topic (one per week, in the scientific/technical field, not be be repeated throughout the semester), (ii) the country (texts from major as well as minor Spanish-speaking countries), (iii) the type (opinion, editorial, press review, special report, feature article), and (iv) the relevance of each content with regard to translating (grammar issues, "sister language"-related traps, etc.).
Learning outcomes of the course :
Through a perfect understanding of the source language (a prerequisite unrelated to this course), the sudent is expected to learn and master a range of techniques designed to overcome difficulties when conveying a message from a source to a target language ; re/activate his/her passive vocabulary, and spontaneously use idiomatic expressions ; acquire strong writing skills, and, be capable, at the end of Bac 3, to translate a difficult text from Spanish into French.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills :
Very good knowledge of the Spanish language, and perfect command of the mother tongue.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
Weekly translation ; interactive teaching
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
Face-to-face
Recommended or required readings :
Students are expected to keep track of all text analyzes and translations (black list, stock-phrases, miscellaneous "recipes", etc.).
Assessment methods and criteria :
Written Translation Final exam is based on a 500-word text to be translated in two hours and a half. The student is allowed to use one French monolingual dictionary. This end of the year assessment focuses on four main criteria: a) meaning, b) grammar, c) style, and d) terminology.
Work placement(s) :
n/a
Organizational remarks :
First term
Contacts :
For any further information, please click this link(yves.counasse@ulg.ac.be.)