Specialised Communication (Introduction to Interpretation)

Code:

MTSL045

Acronym:

CEII

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Language Sciences - Translation

Instance: 2022/2023 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Germanic Studies
Course/CS Responsible:	Master of Arts in Translation and Language Services

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MTSL	8	Study plan	2	-	3	21,5	81

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

The main objectives of this course are:

- to present the specificities of intepreting in its different modes and familiarise students with the origins and history of the interpreting profession; 

- to give students the opportunity to simulate sight translation and liaison interpreting situations, as well as to practice short consecutive.

 

Learning outcomes and competences

Students who successfully complete this class will be familiar with:

• the differences and complementarities between Translation and Interpreting;

• the different modes of Interpreting with their specificities and demands as well as the skills needed in each one of them;

• ethical and deontological standards in Interpreting;

• the main events in the history of Interpretation in the western world.

In addition, students will be able to:

• research and prepare vocabulary and phraseology specifically linked to themes of texts to be interpreted;

• do sight translations into their language of habitual use;

• orally summarise written speeches;

• orally summarise oral speeches with the help of notes (short consecutive);

• act as linguistic and cultural mediators in simulations of real-life situations which call for liaison interpreting;

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Good knowledge of working languages and their cultures (languages A, (B) and C).

Good concentration skills.

Excellent memory skills.

Good summarising skills.

Cognitive agility and ability to adapt to different situations.

Program

Class work will be centred around the following topics:

1. A continuum of translation activities and the myth of a dichotomy between oral and written discourse.

2. Brief history of Interpreting

2.1. From Ancient times to Nuremberg

2.2. The institutionalization of the interpreting profession

2.3. The Interpreter as communicator and language and cultural mediator

3. The rise of Interpreting Studies as an academic discipline and field of scientific research

4. Professional ethics and deontology

5. The different interpreting modes and their social contexts

6. Working as an Interpreter

6.1. Updating of individual knowledge, preparation and team work

6.2 Working conditions

6.3 Interpreting and technology

7. Exercises
 
7.1 Practical exercises to train: concentration, memory, analysis and synthesis

7.2 Rhetorical skills: style, register,  lexical adequacy and discourse fluency

7.3 Analysis of different speeches and training of note-taking techniques (practical recommendations on how to deal with false friends, idioms, neologisms, foreign expressions, acronyms and abbreviations)

7.4 Sight translation, short consecutive and liaison interpreting exercises The materials to be interpreted will focus primarily on current affairs and topics suggested by students. The following aspects will be emphasized: fluency and naturalness of discourse, consolidation of linguistic and cultural skills in both the language of habitual use and in other working languages, analytical skills, summarizing skills, and memorization.

7.5 Community interpreting: role playing of possible situations which require the linguistic and cultural mediation of an interpreter.

Mandatory literature

BOWEN, Margareta. in Jean DELISLE and Judith WOODWORTH (Eds.), ; Interpreters in the making of History, John Benjamins Publishing Company, 1995
JONES, Roderick ; Conference Interpreting Explained, Manchester: St. Jerome, 2002
PÖCHHACKER, Franz; Introducing Interpreting Studies, London, New York: Routledge, 2004
PÖCHHACKER, Franz; Miriam SCHLESINGER; The Interpreting Studies Reader, London, New York: Routledge, 2002
SNELL-HORNBY, Mary et al. (Eds); Translation Studies: an interdiscipline. (vol.2) , Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, 1992
http://europa.eu.int/comm/scic/index_en.htm, Webpage of the EU Directorate general for Interpretation
http://www.openstarts.units.it/dspace/handle/10077/2119, The Interpreter’s Newsletter
http://www.aiic.net, Webpage of the ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONALE DES INTERPRETES DE CONFERENCE http://www.cirinandgile.com CIRIN - An international information network on conference interpreting research (CIR)
HALE, Sandra Beatriz; Community Interpreting, London:Palgrave Macmillan, 2007
http://interpreters.free.fr/ Interpreter Training Resources, The only dedicated site for students of conference interpreting
FALBO, Caterina; Mariachiara Russo e Francesco Straniero Sergio (Eds); Interpretazione Simultanea e Consecutiva. Problemi Teorici e Metodologie Didattiche., Milano: Hoepli., 1999
FALBO, Caterina; La Ricerca in Interpretazione, Milano:FrancoAngeli, 2004

Complementary Bibliography

Jalón, Jesus Baigorri; La Interpretación de Conferencias: El Nacimiento de Una Profesión. De Paris a Nuremberg., Editorial Comares, 2000. ISBN: 84-8444-055-9

Comments from the literature

Reading major newspapers and keeping up to date with world events is considered essential.

Teaching methods and learning activities

The course includes lectures as well as practical and tutorial classes. Lectures about the topics in the syllabus are followed by class discussions on the research topics chosen by students for their research papers.

Software

Vários recursos em linha (bases de dados terminológicas, glossários, etc.)

keywords

Social sciences > Communication sciences
Humanities > language sciences > Languages > Modern languages

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Prova oral	50,00
Teste	50,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	51,00
Frequência das aulas	21,50
Trabalho escrito	8,50
Total:	81,00

Eligibility for exams

Students are expected to attend 75% of classes, unless otherwise specified in the regulations (working students, etc.)

Calculation formula of final grade

The weightinasg of the assessment components is as follows:

Written work (50%)

Practice (50%), including a sight translation (25%) and a short consecutive interpreting test (25%)

 

Examinations or Special Assignments

Not applicable.

Internship work/project

Not applicable.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Applicable to working students and to be agreed upon with between teachers and students at the beginning of the semester.

Classification improvement

Students wishing to improve their final grade will have to repeat the oral test.

Observations

Languages of instruction: Portuguese and English. Other languages may be used in practical exercises, depending on students' language combinations.