TRANSLAT 711

Professional English Communication for Translators

Description

This course aims at improving the professional communication skills of translators from non-English-speaking backgrounds. We will do so by focusing on two main areas.

First, we will provide students with an introduction on how to produce clear, concise and correct technical texts in English through practical advice on editing and revising techniques. In so doing, we will analyse the concepts of “editing” and “revising” and then introduce Mossop's four types of editing. Discussions will then focus on these types of editing individually, which include structural editing, content editing, copyediting and stylistic editing. In addition to Mossop's four types of editing, the course provides guidance and learning materials on revision parameters and quality assessment procedures with the aid of text processing software.

Second, we will focus on the production of clear, concise and correct written and spoken discourse in English. We will therefore provide practical advice on developing techniques in writing for translation, as well as general writing, and on developing oral presentation skills that are required for interpreting and other professional situations.

The main objective of this course is to provide translation students from a non-English-speaking background with the professional communication skills necessary to succeed in their future careers. In particular, we will focus on editing and revising skills that will help students to critically revise their own translations, and accept work in related areas such as technical writing or editing.

We also aim at helping students improve their skills in the field of spoken and written English discourse through discussions on different types of text production used in translating and interpreting. Special emphasis will be placed on micro-level work relating to spoken and written media with the aim of producing clear, concise and correct English. The ultimate goal of the course is to promote the use of plain English, ie, to produce language which is clear and straightforward (using only as many words as are necessary) and which avoids obscurity, ambiguity, abstract vocabulary and complex sentence structures.

Availability 2012

Semester 1

Lecturer(s)

Coordinator(s) Dr Vanessa Enriquez-Raido

Points

TRANSLAT 711: 30.0 points

Restrictions

TRANSLAT 721, 722. This course is available only to students of non-English speaking backgrounds