Teaching Translation at University Level James Dickins Prof. of Arabic University of Leeds

Four contexts in Britain Language and Literature BA: translation as a language-learning exercise Language and Literature BA: translation as a special skill Translation (also Translation and Interpreting) BA Translation (also Translation and Interpreting) MA

Context 1: Language and Literature BA: translation as a language-learning exercise Historical development of language teaching: 1. Grammar-translation method 2.Direct method 3. Audio-lingual method 4. Communicative method Grammar-translation method ‘officially’ disappeared by about 1960, but still in practice used in some university courses

Context 2: Language and Literature BA: translation as a special skill Some universities have only traditional Language and Literature BAs, but offer specific modules in: 1.(General) Translation 2.Specialised Translation 3.Interpreting 4.Translation theory

Context 3: Translation (also Translation and Interpreting) BA E.g. Heriot-Watt University University of Salford University of Aston University of Westminster University of Surrey

Context 4: Translation (also Translation and Interpreting MA) E.g. Edinburgh University Heriot-Watt University University of Durham University of Leeds University of Manchester University of Salford University of Aston University of Westminster University of Surrey

Context 3: Translation (also Translation and Interpreting) BA – for Arabic University of Salford University of Westminster

Context 4: Translation (also Translation and Interpreting) MA – for Arabic University of Durham University of Leeds University of Salford University of Westminster

Leeds MA in Applied Translation Studies (Arabic) as an example Compulsory modules: Computer-Assisted Translation: Semesters 1 & 2 Methods and Approaches in Translation Studies: Semester 1 Optional modules: Six of the following modules (including at least 2 Specialised Translation modules) Specialised Arabic-English Translation A. Semester 1 Specialised English-Arabic Translation A. Semester 1 Specialised Arabic-English Translation B. Semester 2 Specialised English-Arabic Translation B. Semester 2 Principles and Applications of Machine Translation. Semester 2 Introduction to Screen Translation. Semester 2 Corpus Linguistics for Translators. English for Translators. Semester 1 Introduction to Interpreting Genres in Translation. Semester 1 Summer Dissertation or Extended Translations Practical (Specialised) Translation thus ‘embedded’ within overall ‘translation theory and skills’ programme.

Materials for practical translation modules (Arabic) In Other Words, by Mona Baker (includes Arabic examples, but not specifically about Arabic) English-Arabic/Arabic-English Translation: A Practical Guide, by Basil Hatim Thinking Arabic Translation, by James Dickins, Ian Higgins, and Sandor Hervey In-house materials

In Other Words, by Mona Baker: organisation Based around equivalence: Ch. 2: Equivalence at word level Ch. 3: Equivalence above word level Ch. 4: Grammatical equivalence Ch. 5: Textual equivalence: thematic and information structures Ch. 6: Textual equivalence: cohesion Ch. 7: Pragmatic equivalence

English-Arabic/Arabic-English Translation: A Practical Guide, by Basil Hatim: organisation Based around text types: Translating Legal Texts The Preamble The Legal Article Initial and Concluding Legal Articles Translating Detached Exposition The Synopsis The Summary The Abstract The Report (Person-oriented/Entity-oriented) The News Report (Non-evaluative/Evaluative) The Report (Formulaic/Executive/Personalized) Translating Argumentation The Less Involved Through-argument The More Involved Through-argument The Explicit Counter-argument The Implicit Counter-argument The Suppressed Counter-argument

Thinking Arabic Translation, by James Dickins, Ian Higgins, and Sandor Hervey: organisation Based around matrices, levels and ranks Ch. 1Preliminaries to translation as a process Ch. 2Preliminaries to translation as a product Ch. 3Cultural transposition Ch. 4Compensation Ch. 5Denotative meaning and translation issues Ch. 6Connotative meaning and translation issues Ch. 7Phonic/graphic and prosodic issues in translation Ch. 8Grammatical issues in translation Ch. 9Sentential issues in translation Ch. 10Discourse and intertextual issues in translation Ch. 11Metaphor Ch. 12Language variety and translation: register, sociolect and dialect Ch. 13Textual genre as a factor in translation Ch. 14Translating technical texts Ch. 15Translating constitutional texts Ch. 16Translating consumer-oriented texts Ch. 17Revising and editing TTs

Other possible types of module organisation Subject-fields –Politics –Science –Religion –Business Genres (used at Leeds) –Journalistic texts –General and administrative texts –Scientific and technical texts –Literary texts Specific-problem based, e.g. –Compounds –Coordination/subordination –Sentence-length –Metaphors

Class organisation Teacher-focused: –leads discussion, esp. based on his/her own TT –students contribute as asked by teacher Student-focused –Simple individual E.g. one student writes up their version of TT on acetate / board –Multiple individual E.g. a number of students write up bits of their versions of TT on acetate / board –Group E.g. students work in groups to produce versions of TT / parts of TT Teacher- and student-focused –E.g. teacher puts up his/her TT on acetate, students put up theirs on acetate / board

Student class preparation No pre-class work Advantage: spontaneity of class work Disadvantage: not much work is covered in class Pre-class work on key elements Advantage: students deal with key issues before class Disadvantage: class work can still be slow Full pre-class translation Advantage: students have full TT to discuss before class Disadvantage: students don’t receive any pre-class guidance on particularly difficult elements Pre-class work on key elements followed by full pre-class translation

Pre-class work on key elements followed by full pre-class translation: steps 1.Students receive ST (previous class) 2.Students receive ‘key points’ questions relating to ST (previous class) 3.After a few days, students receive proposed answers to ‘key points’ questions (via , etc.) 4.Students produce full TT (for next class) 5.Students discuss their TTs with reference also to TT produced by teacher in class 6.Teacher hands out teacher TT, with translation notes (‘strategic decisions’ and ‘decisions of detail’)

Pre-class work on key elements followed by full pre- class translation: Step 1 - students receive ST (previous class)

Pre-class work on key elements followed by full pre- class translation: Step 2 - students receive ‘key points’ questions relating to ST (previous class)

Pre-class work on key elements followed by full pre- class translation: Step 3 - students receive proposed answers to ‘key points’ questions

Pre-class work on key elements followed by full pre- class translation: Step 4 - Students produce full TT (for next class) Either: –Students bring this work with them to the class, for class discussion in comparison with TT produced by teacher Or: –Teacher marks the work before the class, for further discussion in comparison with teacher TT in class

Pre-class work on key elements followed by full pre- class translation: Step 5 - Students discuss their TTs with reference also to TT produced by teacher in class. TT (from Tutor’s Handbook to Thinking Arabic Translation)

Pre-class work on key elements followed by full pre-class translation: Step 6 - teacher hands out teacher TT, with translation notes (‘strategic decisions’ and ‘decisions of detail’)

Step 6 – contd.

Thank you very much for listening!