FREN3511: Translatio and Transformations of French Culture

• French Language 2 (FREN2051) OR an equivalent qualification to the satisfaction of the Chair of the Board of Studies in MLAC or their representative.

• Modern Languages, Combined Honours and all Joint and 'with' programmes: French Language 4 (FREN3041). Other: see Chair of the Board of Studies in MLAC or their representative.

• None

• To examine translation as a cultural practice within French history and culture. Taking as its starting point the medieval concept of translatio - that is, an expanded notion of translation that encompasses reinterpretation through different modes of expression - the module will analyse acts of cultural transformation associated with particular Francophone authors, texts, or historical moments.

• Topics to be covered may include: historical conceptions of translation, issues related to Translation Theory, literary translation, intermedial translations between texts, image, music, theatre, and film, and translation as a phenomenon that is temporal, spatial, cultural and/or linguistic.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• By the end of this module, students will be able to:
• develop a broader understanding of translation as a multimodal cultural practice
• develop an awareness of the significance of translation and translational acts at given moments in French history
• gain a clearer understanding of linguistic and literary translation by studying broader concepts of translation
• appreciate the fluidity of cultural and literary artefacts in response to changing circumstances of reception

Subject-specific Skills:

• By the end of this module, students will be able to:
• apply concepts from translation theory to instances of translation in the expanded sense (e.g. film adaptations, literary adaptations, theatrical versions, musical performances)
• perform acts of translation that are on a continuum with, but not limited to, linguistic translation.
• improve their translation skills by engaging creatively with intermedial translation
• gain analytical skills from comparative close reading

Key Skills:

• By the end of this module, students will have acquired:
• translation skills
• analytical and close reading skills
• writing skills
• research skills

• Weekly lectures will offer theoretical frameworks and case studies that will provide a starting point for translation and analysis in the seminars. Each block of lectures will analyse a range of "acts of translation" relating to a coherent topic, author, or text.
• Fortnightly seminars will encourage students to engage with the material taught in lectures through a range of activities that will include: translation of primary texts; analysis of existing translation; revising existing translations; intermedial translations; comparative readings.
• Summative assignments will assess the ability to analyse translation practices and to engage with broader notions of translation in the students' own practice. The final assessment will consist of a dossier containing three different translations relating to a topic of the students' choice (these may include: interlingual translation, translation into a different genre, creative adaptation into a different medium, etc), with an accompanying commentary explaining how the different translations are informed by the concepts studied on the module.

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