This course introduces you to various theoretical approaches and techniques that facilitate the transplantation of texts from one language to another as well as from one culture to another. Designed to enhance bilingual competence and cross-cultural communication skills, this course will expand your glossary of professional terminology and will help you gain practical skills for translation. Particular emphasis will be placed on issues of cultural adaptation. The course is student-centered and task-based. Students will contribute to choosing and/or writing texts to translate that are in line with both their personal interests and the objectives of the course. We will be working on translation techniques in various fields (arts & literature, business, food & tourism, fashion & design) and/or in conjunction with literary creativity (graphic novels, short stories, film scripts, plays, and haikus).
Learning objectives
- To master the key concepts, theories and terminology proper to translation
- To gain an overall understanding of the translation process and of different translating strategies and techniques
- To develop self-assessing and self-correcting techniques in order to monitor one’s own progress
- To work individually and/or collaboratively on a translation project
- To improve knowledge of Italian language & culture and become familiar with grammatical and structural overlaps (or divergences) between Italian and English
Prerequisite: ITAL 202 or permission of the department
Note: Transfer students or students with experience in Italy should contact the undergraduate adviser for a language competence assessment.
Language of instruction: Italian and English