MODULE PROFORMA Full module title: Multilingual e-collaboration: Transposing Current Affairs Module code: 5LANS005W Credit level: 5 Length: 1 semester UK credit value: 20 credits ECTS value: 10 credits Faculty and Department: Social Sciences and Humanities, Modern Languages and Cultures Module Leader(s): tbc Extension: Email: Host course and course leader: BA Translation; BA Modern Languages; BA Language and Other Disciplines Status: Option Subject Board: Modern Languages Pre-requisites: None Co-requisites: None Study abroad: Open to all Study Abroad Students Special features: Involves online collaboration, which requires the use of the language laboratory or alternative computer laboratory equipped with PCs, USB headphones/microphones, Webcams and necessary soft/hardware. Access restrictions: Working knowledge of French, Spanish, Chinese or Arabic to a minimum B1/B2 CEF level Are the module learning outcomes delivered, assessed or supported through an arrangement with an organisation(s) other than the University of Westminster. Yes, the Université Catholique de Lille and potentially other universities participating in the UNI-Collaboration network [http://www.uni-collaboration.eu/] Summary of module content: The module is built around a series of languagespecific practical workshops and preparative plenary lectures. It introduces students to a variety of language-transposition skills relevant to the communication of current affairs in an internationalised, digitised world. A variety of language mediation skills will be practised in a collaborative online framework, students working both synchronously and a-synchronously to accomplish specific interlingual and intermodal tasks. Through realtime collaborative exercises with peers from the linguistic and cultural background of their language of study, students will be prepared for their year abroad and exposed to dynamic language uses which go beyond written translation.
Learning Outcomes: By the end of the module, the successful student will be able to: 1. use a range of registers and discourses appropriate to the task and mode of communication; 2. apply to practical tasks and/or peer review the theoretical and methodological concepts introduced in lectures; 3. research, select, understand and manipulate material relating to current affairs in English and/or the foreign language; 4. produce accurate versions of the source content, be it text-based or audiovisual, in written and/or spoken form in the target language; 5. perform technical skills required in specific professional language-transposition contexts; 6. collaborate effectively with students from the linguistic and cultural background of their language of study; 7. reflect critically on one s own work and the work of others, and engage in peer review; 8. make use of a variety of digital tools for the accomplishment and assessment of work. Course outcomes the module contributes to: All Level 5 course outcomes are developed in the learning process without necessarily constituting primary module learning outcomes and without being directly assessed. The module learning outcomes are, however, a specific form of development of the following two BA Translation Level 5 course outcomes: 1. Level 5 course outcome 4 Competency in transferring increasingly conceptual and complex content from and into the foreign language; 2. Level 5 course outcome 8 Advanced competency in working productively, resourcefully and efficiently alone or as part of a team. Indicative syllabus content This module will cover topical issues concerning both the UK and the societies of the foreign languages studied. Students will address current affairs from an applied perspective, through a variety of semi-specialised language mediation skills, such as interpreting, voice-over and subtitling. Each week, an online collaborative task will be set, with synchronous and asynchronous components, in spoken and/or written form, on a topic of social, political or cultural significance at the time. The theoretical and methodological concepts introduced during the weekly lectures will feed directly into the linguistic and modal transposition sessions, which are designed to give students an introduction to a breadth of skills, rather than in-depth professional training. This collaboration builds on an existing collaborative e-project with the Université Catholique de Lille and prepares students for the teamwork, peer review, intercultural awareness, interlingual flexibility and digital competence required in contemporary language professions, whilst also giving them experience of spontaneous, face-to-face exchanges in the foreign language and culture, ahead of their year abroad. Themes explored during the lectures may include Multimodality and the concept of transduction ; audience, design and the motivated sign; texture, context and structure in interpreting; adapting language to strict structural frameworks;
audiovisual translation as a creative process. The practical workshops will involve such language transfer processes as transcreation; consecutive and liaison interpreting; subtitling; and voiceover. At the beginning of the module, students will be provided with a Weekly Schedule specifying the particular skills and tasks, theoretical / methodological concepts and current affairs to be covered in each session. Teaching and learning methods Through a range of innovative methods, students will learn the conceptual, practical, independent and collaborative skills required to transfer current affairs across languages, cultures and modes, and to achieve the learning outcomes of the module successfully. These blended learning methods include: technology-enhanced learning via the VLE, for example, the Discussion Board, Voice Board and Wiki tools of the module Blackboard site using English and the foreign language; face-to-face tutor-led theory / methodology lectures in English; language-specific (i.e. Arabic, Chinese, French or Spanish) practical workshops; multilingual task-based activities in simulated professional mediation contexts; supervised self-study language-laboratory sessions; autonomous research, study and a-synchronous contributions to the VLE; synchronous, realtime collaboration with external students via the VLE, as directed by Westminster and/or external tutors, with support from in-house IT staff. This is a practice-focused module requiring a high level of student engagement with the stimuli provided by the module tutors, regular and punctual attendance in class, and consolidation through self-study. Therefore, students active participation in classes and online contribution to synchronous and asynchronous collaborative tasks, via the dedicated Blackboard platform of the university s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), is mandatory. The module is delivered in 10 x 1-hour preparative lectures; plus 10 x 2-hour languagespecific collaborative workshops; plus 10 x 1 hour supervised language-lab sessions. Activity type Category Student learning and teaching hours* Lecture Scheduled 10 Practical workshops in language laboratory Scheduled 20 Supervised time in language laboratory Scheduled 10 Total Scheduled 40 Theoretical reading Independent 50 Language work Independent 60 Consulting/researching materials Independent 20 Peer review Independent 20 Writing up assessment Independent 10 Total independent study 160 Total student learning and teaching hours 200 *the hours per activity type are indicative and subject to change.
Assessment rationale Assessment for this module takes the form of weekly formative tasks, together with a final summative e-portfolio/blog and an evaluation of class contribution throughout the collaborative process. The formative assessment is designed to give students an opportunity to test their applied skills informally and exchange feedback with peers on the effectiveness and accuracy of their transposition work; the summative e- portfolio brings together the three most successful pieces of work from the practicebased collaborative sessions and is accompanied by a critical / reflective introduction, assessing students acquisition and application of the concepts introduced during the theory-based lectures. The Learning Portfolio evaluates students participation, class contribution and preparation. It consists of a collection of small pieces of summative assessment that demonstrate the students learning journey. It may include summaries of readings, reviews, peer reviews, contributions to the VLE, and reports on outside visits. Assessment criteria In keeping with established pedagogical guidelines, assessment criteria have been devised to relate directly to the module Learning Outcomes (LOs 1-8) listed above. These criteria will be published in the VLE at the beginning of the module and are incorporated in the learning process. The following statements correspond to the highest level of achievement (70% +), gradated versions of which are applied when assessing students coursework: 1. (LO1) Stylistic transposition Register and discourse are entirely appropriate to the task and mode of communication; 2. (LO2) Conceptual insight Theoretical and methodological concepts (introduced in lectures) are confidently and correctly applied to practical tasks and/or peer review; 3. (LO3) Decoding Material on current affairs has been researched, selected and manipulated extremely effectively, demonstrating full understanding of English and/or the foreign language; 4. (LO4) Encoding A semantically, grammatically and syntactically accurate version of the source content, be it text-based or audiovisual, has been produced in written and/or spoken form in the target language (with excellent pronunciation, intonation and articulation if transferring material into the spoken mode); 5. (LO5) Technical competence Professional techniques relevant to the specific language-transposition context, such as subtitling, interpreting or voiceover, are performed with confidence, accuracy and credibility; 6. (LO6) Team-work Collaboration with students from the linguistic and cultural background of the foreign language of study has been consistently professional, punctual and engaged; 7. (LO7) Reflective criticism Peers and/or students own work has been convincingly critiqued and constructively reviewed, in a timely fashion; 8. (LO8) IT skills Online digital tools are used correctly and appropriately to fulfil the task(s).
Assessment methods and weightings Marks are awarded as follows: Mark in % Level of achievement Classification Band 90-100 80-89 70-79 65-69 60-64 55-59 50-54 45-49 40-44 35-39 30-34 1-29 0 Near flawless Outstanding Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory, some good Satisfactory Acceptable Weak, but meeting pass standard Fail: evidence of some effort towards relevant LO(s) Fail: little evidence of effort towards relevant LO(s) Fail: no clear evidence of engagement with task Fail: no work submitted or the submitted work is in breach of assessment regulations To pass the module, students need an average of 40%. First 1st Upper Second 2:1 Lower Second 2:2 Third 3rd Fail Assessment name Weighting % Qualifying mark % Qualifying set Assessment type Learning Portfolio 30 30 Practical, written e-portfolio/blog with Critical Introduction 70 30 Written Synoptic assessment N/A Sources Essential reading Díaz-Cintas, J., ed. (2008) The Didactics of Audiovisual Translation. John Benjamins. Gottlieb, H. (2005) Screen Translation, Eight Studies in Subtitling, Dubbing and Voiceover. Centre for Translation Studies, Department of English, University of Copenhagen. Hatim, B. and Mason, I. (1997) The Translator as Communicator. Routledge. Kress, G. (2010) Multimodality. A Social Semiotic Approach to Contemporary Communication. Routledge. Nicodemus, B. and Swabey, L., eds. (2011) Advances in Interpreting Research. Inquiry in Action. John Benjamins. Pageon, D. (2007) The World of the Voiceover. Actors World Production. Pederson, J. (2011) Subtitling Norms for Television: An Exploration Focussing on Extralinguistic Cultural References. John Benjamins Serban, A., Matamala, A., Lavaur J-M., eds. (2011) Audiovisual Translation in Close-Up: Practical and Theoretical Approaches. Peter Lang. Venuti, L., ed. (2012) The Translation Studies Reader. London and New York: Routledge. (in particular, the chapter by Abe Mark Nornes For an Abusive Subtitling Subtitles of Motion Pictures )
Further Reading BBC Subtitling Guide / BBC Subtitling Style Guide Buffagni, C., Garzelli, B. and Zanotti, S. (2009) The Translator as Author: perspectives on literary translation: Proceedings of the international conference, Universita per Stranieri of Siena, 28-29 May 2009. Chalvin A., Lange A., Monticelli D., eds. (2011) Between Cultures and Texts: Entre les cultures et les texts. Itineraries in Translation History. Peter Lang. Díaz-Cintas, J. and Remael, A. (2007) Audiovisual Translation: Subtitling. St. Jerome Publishing. Gambier Y., van Doorslaer L., eds. (2011) Handbook of Translation Studies. Volume 2. John Benjamins. Hervey, S. and Higgins, I. (2002) Thinking French Translation: A Course in Translation Method: French to English. Routledge. Inghilleri, M. (2012) Interpreting Justice: Ethics, Politics and Language. Routledge Jackson, J. (2014) The Routledge Handbook of Language and Intercultural Communication. Routledge. Krebs, K., ed. (2014) Translation and Adaptation in Theatre and Film. Routledge. Kress, G. and van Leeuwen, T. (2001) Multimodal Discourse: The Modes and Media of Contemporary Communication. Arnold. Levây, J. (2011) The Art of Translation. John Benjamins. Millán, C., and Bartrina, F., eds. (2013) The Routledge Handbook of Translation Studies. Routledge. Moran, A. and Keane, M., eds. (2013) Cultural Adaptation. Routledge. Murray, S. (2012) The Adaptation Industry: The Cultural Economy of Contemporary Literary Adaptation. Routledge. Pedersen, J. (2005) How is culture rendered in subtitles? in MuTra Conference Proceedings. Available online: http://www.euroconferences.info/proceedings/2005_proceedings/2005_pedersen_jan. pdf Sponholz, C. (2003) Teaching Audiovisual Translation. Theoretical Aspects, Market Requirements, University Training and Curriculum Development. Available online: http://isg.urv.es/library/papers/thesis_christine_sponholz.doc Date of initial validation: Dates of approved modifications: March 2016 Date of re-validation/review: