COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Students perform introductory translation assignments from Spanish to English and vice versa. They develop an understanding of translation theory through reading and class discussion and come to understand communicative translation and compare it to a direct, word-for-word approach. Problematic grammatical, discursive, and pragmatic issues are analyzed and the grammar of Spanish is reviewed in detail. Taught in Spanish.
Credit to CSUMB Catalogue.
COURSE NARRATIVE:
This course was unlike any other I had every taken. The topic stood out to me, since I thought myself experienced on translation, at least at a rudimentary level, thanks to living as a bilingual my whole life. Yet, from the very beginning it was nothing like I had expected. The activities in class ranged from lessons on 'amigos falsos' or tricky words that had similar spellings in English and Spanish but entirely different meanings. It was terms like this that caught my attention a lot, since I found (as did a number of my classmates) that many of the false match terms were words we often utilized, mistakenly thinking they meant they held the same meaning. We also had a number of opportunities to translate published articles from English to Spanish, or vice versa. This was an activity that began from the first day, working our way from words to sentences, then to short stories and even news articles. It was fascinating to learn the numerous tricks and methods that could be seen in translation. I had been terribly mistaken to assume that it was a simple transition from one language to another. (This I learned was an often made mistake: direct translation. Since it often ended in incorrectly altering the meaning of the original word or phrase.) This class took a fun twist to taking tests: we completed our tests in groups four. The objective of the test was to utilize the techniques, tools, and knowledge that we had gained up until that point to translate a text that was given to us. The fact that it was done in a group meant that we used our combined knowledge to create one translation. The most interesting aspect of this for me was seeing the different vocabulary banks that we each had, given our different backgrounds in both languages and in the context that we put each language into use.
In this course, we learned about the different types of translation, the mistakes that are easily made, and about online tools like WordReference.com., a dictionary type website that has since remained a constant and reliable aid in all my work. We also had the privilege of viewing the talent of two interpretation students, and were able to really see the massive task that interpreters take on around the world: as they live interpreted the words, as they were presented (It seemed so efficient, like a machine.)
This course fulfills the requirement of MLO1: Language Proficiency that demonstrates the students are able to communicate effectively in Spanish in three modes: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentation, and in a culturally appropriate manner in a variety of social and professional settings and circumstances at the Advanced Low level of language proficiency according to ACTFL Guidelines.
An example of a homework assignment that we did in this class translating phrases:
Students perform introductory translation assignments from Spanish to English and vice versa. They develop an understanding of translation theory through reading and class discussion and come to understand communicative translation and compare it to a direct, word-for-word approach. Problematic grammatical, discursive, and pragmatic issues are analyzed and the grammar of Spanish is reviewed in detail. Taught in Spanish.
Credit to CSUMB Catalogue.
COURSE NARRATIVE:
This course was unlike any other I had every taken. The topic stood out to me, since I thought myself experienced on translation, at least at a rudimentary level, thanks to living as a bilingual my whole life. Yet, from the very beginning it was nothing like I had expected. The activities in class ranged from lessons on 'amigos falsos' or tricky words that had similar spellings in English and Spanish but entirely different meanings. It was terms like this that caught my attention a lot, since I found (as did a number of my classmates) that many of the false match terms were words we often utilized, mistakenly thinking they meant they held the same meaning. We also had a number of opportunities to translate published articles from English to Spanish, or vice versa. This was an activity that began from the first day, working our way from words to sentences, then to short stories and even news articles. It was fascinating to learn the numerous tricks and methods that could be seen in translation. I had been terribly mistaken to assume that it was a simple transition from one language to another. (This I learned was an often made mistake: direct translation. Since it often ended in incorrectly altering the meaning of the original word or phrase.) This class took a fun twist to taking tests: we completed our tests in groups four. The objective of the test was to utilize the techniques, tools, and knowledge that we had gained up until that point to translate a text that was given to us. The fact that it was done in a group meant that we used our combined knowledge to create one translation. The most interesting aspect of this for me was seeing the different vocabulary banks that we each had, given our different backgrounds in both languages and in the context that we put each language into use.
In this course, we learned about the different types of translation, the mistakes that are easily made, and about online tools like WordReference.com., a dictionary type website that has since remained a constant and reliable aid in all my work. We also had the privilege of viewing the talent of two interpretation students, and were able to really see the massive task that interpreters take on around the world: as they live interpreted the words, as they were presented (It seemed so efficient, like a machine.)
This course fulfills the requirement of MLO1: Language Proficiency that demonstrates the students are able to communicate effectively in Spanish in three modes: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentation, and in a culturally appropriate manner in a variety of social and professional settings and circumstances at the Advanced Low level of language proficiency according to ACTFL Guidelines.
An example of a homework assignment that we did in this class translating phrases:
tarea_1.pdf | |
File Size: | 47 kb |
File Type: |
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