Department of European Studies & Modern Languages, Unit Catalogue 2008/09 |
EU50585 Translation management |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Semester: 1 |
| Assessment: CW 100% |
| Requisites: |
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Aims: This unit is designed to equip students with the skills and understanding of management systems that are required for a variety of linguistic and administrative work in the translation industry. The aim is to maximise each student's potential so that as many as possible of the group achieve the necessary standard.
Learning Outcomes: After completing the unit, students should be able to demonstrate qualities of the kind needed for employment in this specialised sector, e.g. the ability to plan and implement tasks at a professional level and to take independent decisions in a range of complex situations. In particular, they should be able to approach with confidence the practical professional tasks of managing a translation project and coordinating the work of freelance translators. They should also have acquired an awareness of the context in which these operations are carried out, and of the differing demands of clients, translation businesses and the translators themselves. Skills: This unit teaches students a knowledge and understanding of the processes involved in a particular area of professional translation. It enables them to make the kind of linguistic and administrative judgements that will result in the production of the best possible translation for the client. Students will enhance their interpersonal and communication skills by learning how to liaise with both corporate and individual clients and how to obtain the best results from subcontracted freelance translators, where necessary by working with them as a team. All these skills are developed through the use of real-life scenarios based on genuine case studies. Content: * It will first be explained to students how a translation business operates in practice, focusing especially on the relationships between the business and its clients on the one hand and its freelance translators on the other. * Particular attention will be given to the issue of quality control at the different stages of the translation process, and the implications for all the parties concerned. * Students will then consider a range of case studies drawn from the experience of the tutors and Syntacta (the Department's own language services business, which will be involved in the delivery of the unit). In their assessed coursework, they will be asked to analyse the options for decision-making at various key points, thereby generating a debate on the possible outcomes. * For their final assessment, students will work through a translation project scenario as a management team, responding collectively to the issues and challenges that arise and producing an agreed report. |