Communicative competence at level B2.2 or higher

The module aims to develop students' language competence and translation skills. On completion, students will be able to:

- understand and correctly use English at level C1, with particular stress on written and oral production;

- carry out terminological research using mono- and bilingual dictionaries;

- critically analyse a variety of text types with differing levels of difficulty;

- translate a range of written text types from English into Italian.

- write a critical-analytical commentary on the translation produced.

The module consists of ten 3-hour lessons focusing on the translation of narrative, journalistic and cinematographic texts. Particular attention will be paid to register, stylistic and syntactic conventions, and vocabulary/terminology. Students will also be taught how to find appropriate lexis and terminology to ensure that their translations are functionally and communicatively effective, with particular attention to mono- and bilingual dictionaries. As preparation for the final exam, students will also be taught how to write a critical commentary of their translations.

• The English language classes held by the native-speaker teachers Masturah Alatas and David Tannert are an integral part of the module. The syllabus, materials and timetables for these classes will be posted at the start of the course on their institutional web pages.
• All students – whether they attend classes or not – must follow the same syllabus.

Massimiliano MORINI (2016) Tradurre l'inglese. Manuale pratico e teorico. Bologna: Il Mulino. (Chapters 1-7, approx 140 pages)

Students cannot attempt the oral exam until they have passed the written translation test.

Detailed evaluation parameters for level C1 can be found on pages 16-18 of the document available at https://www.eaquals.org/wp-content/uploads/Checklist-of-Descriptors_EN_2000PortfolioLanguageBiography.pdf

• The translation module will be taught via a combination of lectures and group activities. The instructor will be aided throughout the module by the translator Matteo Bugiolacchi.

  The English language lessons consist of group work, practical demonstrations, and seminars.

• The exam has three components, weighted and evaluated as follows

  1. 30% English language test, level C1, managed by the native-language teachers (3h). This evaluates reading comprehension, grammar, writing, and listening comprehension.
  2. 40% Written translation test (2 hours). This component requires the translation from English into Italian of a short text (c. 300 words), plus critical commentary of the translation produced. Students may consult (paper-based) dictionaries in this test. The evaluation takes account of the comprehension of the source text (1/3), the accuracy and efficacy of the translation produced (1/3), and the student’s critical-analytical abilities (1/3).
  3. 30% Oral exam (15 minutes). Discussion (in English) of the translation and commentary produced by the student in the written test, and with reference to the required course reading. This component represents 30% of the final grade and evaluates students’ oral skills in English at level C1 (1/2), their ability to present information concisely (1/4), and their critical-analytical abilities (1/4)

English

English