Students

TRAN8906 – Specialised Interpreting Practice

2021 – Session 1, Weekday attendance, North Ryde

Notice

As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group activities on campus, and most will keep an online version available to those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.

To check the availability of face-to-face and online activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Della Goswell
Marc Orlando
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
TRAN822 or TRAN8022
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit introduces the skills, techniques and knowledge required by professional interpreters to competently work in specific institutional settings: business interpreting, medical interpreting and legal interpreting. Through a mix of theory and applied practice, students learn about the broader contexts of these domains and then prepare for a simulation of a typical interpreting scenario for each of these settings. Student will build skills in terminology and glossary development, discourse management, message transfer, and reflective self-analysis.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Demonstrate effective interpreting skills and techniques across business, medical and legal interpreting domains.
  • ULO2: Apply theoretical and contextual knowledge to interpreting practice in these specific settings.
  • ULO3: Generate creative solutions to complex interpersonal and professional conduct issues arising in interpreting practice.
  • ULO4: Develop strategies to enable ongoing improvement based on self assessment of interpreting performance across these settings.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Self-assessment report 45% No weeks 6, 9, 14
Participatory task 10% No ongoing
Interpreting performance 45% No weeks 4, 8, 13

Self-assessment report

Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: weeks 6, 9, 14
Weighting: 45%

After the role play sessions, students will be given a copy of their interpretation as a video clip. Students are required to write a report analysing their interpretation and the decisions they made in creating it. Students should discuss any improved decisions that they could make in future. Word length 1,000 words. These reports are worth 15% each.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Generate creative solutions to complex interpersonal and professional conduct issues arising in interpreting practice.
  • Develop strategies to enable ongoing improvement based on self assessment of interpreting performance across these settings.

Participatory task

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 14 hours
Due: ongoing
Weighting: 10%

During semester, students will be asked to do regular readings and homework tasks to extend their learning. Completion of these tasks will support their participation in class discussions. The mark for this aspect will be based on holistic class participation throughout semester.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate effective interpreting skills and techniques across business, medical and legal interpreting domains.

Interpreting performance

Assessment Type 1: Simulation/role play
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: weeks 4, 8, 13
Weighting: 45%

On three occasions throughout semester, students will take part in a domain-specific simulated role play with an industry practitioner (GP, police officer, business person) and a LOTE (Languages other than English) client. During each role play, students will be filmed, so that they can analyse their performance for a later self-analysis report. Performance will be marked by LOTE tutors, and students will be given feedback. Each of the three interpreting performances is worth 15%.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate effective interpreting skills and techniques across business, medical and legal interpreting domains.
  • Apply theoretical and contextual knowledge to interpreting practice in these specific settings.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

This unit is delivered via weekly video-recorded lectures, followed by face to face tutorials for each of the three language streams. Students currently overseas and not able to attend the f2f LOTE tutorials are able to link in to synchronous zoom tutorials.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.


Unit information based on version 2021.03 of the Handbook