MELA47030: Introduction to Linguistics for Translation

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• To lay the foundations necessary for the practice and study of translation by introducing students to the core areas of linguistics inherent to (a) translation practice, and (b) translation theory. To give a grounding in the major principles of the relevant areas of linguistics, and the metalanguage necessary to access this conceptual world, while bridging the gap between these concepts and principles and students working langua

• What is language?; key Saussurean concepts; core areas of linguistics; grammar, competence and performance; formalism and structuralism; linguistic vs non-linguistic information; language translation issues and turns;
• Language representation: transliteration, transcription, speech, sign
• Linguistic structures below word level (morpho-phonemics; internal structure of words; word-formation processes; cross-linguistic typologies + variation)
• Linguistic structures above word level (syntax: internal structure of phrase/sentence; cross-linguistic typologies + variation)
• Meaning: relations above word level (syntaxsemantics interface; phrasal semantics)
• Meaning: linguistic features of word meaning & meaning relations (lexical semantics; cross-linguistic typologies + variation)
• Beyond the sentence: information structure; discourse/text structure
• Beyond the utterance: pragmatics; contex; register
• Psycho- and sociolinguistic aspects of translation

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• By the end of this module, students will have gained:
• knowledge of the core areas of linguistics;
• knowledge of the major principles and relevant concepts of core areas of linguistics
• a clear understanding of the different levels of equivalence and how these relate to core areas of linguistic competence;
• a clear understanding of basic analytical models;
• an understanding of linguistic structures of some languages not previously encountered;
• knowledge of how these concepts fit into various translation-theoretic frameworks;
• the conceptual ability and metalanguage to discuss linguistic equivalence and apply to their own translation practice;
• knowledge of the relationship between core, formal linguistics and its interfaces with extra-linguistic areas relevant to translation;
• an exposure to aspects of the linguistic structures of their working languages and a point of comparison with languages of other pathways in the MA Translation Studies.

Subject-specific Skills:

• By the end of this module, students will be able to:
• better understand and engage with theories of translation;
• use conceptual language of linguistic equivalence;
• apply their knowledge of linguistic principles and concepts to their own translation practice;
• analyse linguistic structures that are broadly relevant for their translation practice.

Key Skills:

• By the end of this module, students will have gained or improved:
• the ability to analyse linguistic structures not previously encountered, as well as more familiar structures the ability to develop a logical argument
• the ability to critically engage with the literature
• the ability to use new conceptual terminology
• the ability to transcribe, transliterate and gloss language data in an appropriately scholarly manner
• the ability to use and develop a bibliography
• the ability to take notes

• The module is taught through introductory lectures and seminars. The lectures centre around the levels of linguistic equivalence through introducing and discussing key concepts and principles of the core areas of linguistics. The seminars consolidate these concepts through analytical practice, using actual data as appropriate. The mode of teaching is interactive, with lectures involving discussion of key concepts and facilitation of students relating these concepts to their existing knowledge, and seminars involving analytical work in small groups and class discussion.
• The module is assessed by both take-home essay and written exam. The essay will allow students to demonstrate knowledge gained on this module and their ability to contextualise it within a theoretical framework and apply it to relevant linguistic structures of their working language(s). The written exam will allow students to demonstrate their ability to analyse linguistic structures through application of principles and concepts learned through this module.

Weekly seminar discussions that require prior preparation in the form of independent reading and / or collection of relevant linguistic data, and on-going tutor feedback; a formative, take-home linguistic analysis exercise; summative written exam acts formatively for final essay

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