The University of Adelaide
Course Outlines

SPAN 3007 - Translating Between English and Spanish

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2021

This course aims to provide students with the opportunity to develop their skills in translating from English into Spanish, to gain knowledge of some basic issues related to translation, and to acquire an understanding of the concerns of translation studies. Emphasis will be on the practice of translating a variety of written documents from English to Spanish using appropriate registers, grammar constructions and idiomatic expressions. The course will concentrate on the translation of cultural, literary and business documents and discourses. Upon completion, students will acquire a more developed sense of the richness of language and the importance of its precise and adroit use. Students will also be able to demonstrate usage and understanding of the processes involved in translating.

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  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code SPAN 3007
    Course Translating Between English and Spanish
    Coordinating Unit Spanish Studies
    Term Semester 1
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Prerequisites SPAN 2102
    Assumed Knowledge Advanced knowledge of Spanish grammar and intermediate level of fluency in the language
    Assessment 1000 word Report 15%, Weekly minor translations 25%, 3 x Major translations 60%
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Jorge Paredes

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

    1. Demonstrate the processes and competencies in translation documents from English to Spanish.
    2. Make appropriate usage of the different translating tools used in the field, including dictionaries, software, and internet engines.
    3. Use the internet to do individual research on business, cultural and literary discourses related to the Spanish-speaking world.
    4. Effectively work with their peers on research and translating projects.
    5. Make logical decisions on the type of register and vocabulary needed to translate a specific document.
    6. Produce accurate translation of documents from English to Spanish following strict guidelines and deadlines.
    7. Understand and use in a respectful way, the cultural and linguistic specificities of the source language and the target language in the document they are translating.
    8. To be part of a community of learners, sharing resources and ideas on a weekly basis.
    9. Contribute examples and personal experiences on the difficulties of translating documents.
    University Graduate Attributes

    No information currently available.

  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    - Handbook of Spanish-English Translation (Textbook) by Lucia V. Aranda (University Press of America, 2007)
    - Larousse Concise Dictionary Spanish-English / English-Spanish. 3rd. ed. Paris, 2009
    - Computer with Word for Windows 2011 or newer version and internet access.
    Recommended Resources
    MLA Style Manual (available from the Barr Smith library, in the reference section).
    Online Learning
    This course is offered 100% online.

    Readings, assignments and other resources will be available from MyUni.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    - The teaching of this course will be based on a two-hour lecture a week, which will deal with the theory, history, and methods of translation. The lecture will be supported by one 1-hour tutorial a week, in which students will engage on practical translation work, both individually and in group projects. As part of the lectures, support will be given to students to develop academic literacies and research skills. The use of the internet will be of great importance to learn how to find and use electronic resources that support the work of the translator. Students will be also trained on how to use the internet and the university-library collections to do research on translation theory and history, linguistics and Hispanic cultures.
    - This course is aimed at students in their third year of Spanish studies (either completing a major or a diploma in languages in Spanish).
    - International students will be supported by allowing them to use translation tools used in their language and culture and by taking into account their life experiences outside the English world.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    WORKLOAD TOTAL HOURS

    1 X 2-hour lecture per week 24 hours per semester
    1 X 1-hour tutorial per 12 weeks 12 hours per semester
    3 hours reading per week 36 hours per semester
    2 hours research per week 24 hours per semester
    4 hours assignment preparation per week 48 hours per semester
    11 hours final translation preparation 14 hours per semester

    Total: 154 hours
    Learning Activities Summary
    WEEK LECTURE TOPIC

    1 Introduction to the course / Translation Studies: main issues.
    2 Different approaches to translation.
    3 Translating colloquial vocabulary and idiomatic expressions.
    4 Translating documents to entice tourists.
    5 Postcolonial translation / Translating cultural documents from “other worlds”.
    6 Refranes in Spanish and how to find equivalents in English.
    7 Literary translation: history and registers.
    8 Equivalence and text analysis
    9 Translating letters of reference and recommendation.
    10 Translating documents that offer services.
    11 Translating the news / Worldviews and the construction of "the other"
    12 Subtitles
    Specific Course Requirements
    - Students are expected to have access to a desktop computer or a laptop computer to work in this course. The use of mobile phones or tablets to participate in lectures and tutorials is strongly discourage.

    - It is the responsibility of all studenst enrolled in this course, to have access to a reliable internet connection to at the time of participating in lectures and tutorials.
    Small Group Discovery Experience
    Students will be organised in groups of 3 to do the foundation work (determining difficult vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and specific registers that show who the target group is in a document, and finding the best equivalents in Spanish) for each of the 3 major translation assignments. Each group will expected to meet at least twice and to see the course coordinator (the mentor) at least once, to report on the group meetings and discuss progress in the assignment. The final version of the translation will be produced and submitted individually.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary

    ASSESSMENT TASK TASK TYPE WEIGHTING COURSE LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
    Written report (1000 words) Formative and Summative 10% 1, 3, 4
    4 minor translations (350 words each) Formative and summative 30% 1, 2, 5, 6, 7
    2 major translations (1250 words each) Formative and summative 60% 1, 2, 5, 6, 7

     
    Assessment Related Requirements
    1) Students must submit/complete all assessment tasks in order to pass this course. If they fail to comply with this requirement, they will receive of 49% or the actual mark they through the semester, whichever is lower.

    2) Students must submit all assignments on time, as stipulated in the course outline. If an assignment is submitted late, students will be penalised at the rate of 2 points per calendar day late, to a maximun of 7 calendar days. If an assignment is submitted more than 7 days
    late, it will automatically receive a mark of cero ("0"). Notwithstanding, the assignment still must be submitted, to comply wth rule number 1, above.
    Assessment Detail
    - 1200 word report. Students will work in groups of 3, researching specific topics related to translation studies and after group discussions will produce a 1200-word written report in English, outlining their findings and conclusions.

    - Minor translations. Students will work on minor translations assigned by the lecturer on weeks 3, 5,  9 and 10. Students will be allowed to work with other classmates on each translation task, for the purposes of clarifying ideas, vocabulary, sentence structure and cultural sensitivities, but the final version of the translations will have to be produced and submitted individually. 

    - 2 Major translations. Students will translate two documents of about 1250-1500 words from English into Spanish. The first one will be due on week 7 and the other one on week 13.
    Submission
    - All assignments must be submitted via MyUni.
    - Assignments must be written in "Word for Windows" 2011 or newer version. Assignments written in other formats/platforms will not be accepted. 
    - Assignments that are submitted late will be penalised at 2 points per calendar day late up to a maximun of 7 calendar days. If an assignment is submitted more than 7 days late it will automatically receive a mark of zer ("0").
    - Students must submit all assignments in order to pass this course.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines

    This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.

  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.
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