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PL50812: German/English public service and commercial interpreting

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2018/9
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
Further information on credits Credits: 6      [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Further information on notional study hours Notional Study Hours: 120
Further information on unit levels Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Further information on teaching periods Period:
Semester 2
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: EX 100%
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Examination (EX 100%)
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites:
Further information on descriptions Description: Aims:
This unit is designed to equip students with the full range of skills and techniques in public service and commercial interpreting that are required for work in this particular field. The aim is to maximise each student's potential so that as many as possible of the group achieve the standard necessary for professional work.

Learning Outcomes:
After completing the unit, students will have assimilated all the techniques of this area of work. They will therefore have developed an understanding of the professional context in which public service and commercial interpreting takes place, enabling them to tackle a wide range of interpreting assignments with confidence and success. Students will also have gained an understanding of the role of public service and commercial interpreters and their relationship with particular clients or users, together with a critical awareness of the kind of ethical issues that are likely to arise in the course of their professional work.
In practice, students will be able to function successfully as liaison, public and commercial service interpreters in a range of specialised environments.

Skills:
Public service and commercial interpreting is an exercise in direct communication between individuals that involves transferable key skills such as listening, analysing arguments, oral expression and an awareness of one's own performance. The main intellectual skill developed in this unit is the ability to switch rapidly between language directions while acting as intermediary in a sophisticated dialogue, applying linguistic knowledge so as to deliver a satisfactory performance for the clients or users.
After completing the unit, students will have the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring: the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility, decision-making in complex situations and independent learning ability.
All these skills are developed progressively through classwork, constructive feedback and working in groups between classes.

Content:
This unit develops students' technique, confidence and ability to deal with a wide range of realistic work situations. Immigration, police/court and commercial contexts are among those that may be covered. Within these fields, selected specialist areas are explored with an emphasis on teaching students how to research terminology and build glossaries, working in teams where appropriate. Interpreting skills are practised through role-play scenarios that are defined in advance, allowing preliminary research by the interpreters. The TV studio is used frequently as a venue, and performances are recorded for later analysis by the students and their instructors.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

PL50812 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
  • THPL-AFM10 : MA Translation and Professional Language Skills (German)

PL50812 is Optional on the following programmes:

Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
  • THPL-AFM05 : MA Interpreting and Translating (Path 1 - French & German)
  • THPL-AFM05 : MA Interpreting and Translating (Path 1 - German & Spanish)
  • THPL-AFM05 : MA Interpreting and Translating (Path 1 - Italian & German)
  • THPL-AFM05 : MA Interpreting and Translating (Path 1 - Russian & German)
  • THPL-AFM10 : MA Translation and Professional Language Skills (French & German)
  • THPL-AFM10 : MA Translation and Professional Language Skills (German & Spanish)
  • THPL-AFM10 : MA Translation and Professional Language Skills (Italian & German)

Notes: