Students

TRAN8905 – Specialised Translation Practice

2023 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Adelis Huang
Marc Orlando
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(TRAN8020 or TRAN820) and (TRAN8077 or TRAN877 or TRAN816)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

Professional translators are required to work in a broad range of institutional settings with a great variety of genres. The aim of this unit is to provide students with the opportunity to discuss and practice advanced translation skills in specialised areas such as business, law, medicine and technology. Students will analyse the complex linguistic, cultural and ethical challenges of translating specialised documents. They will explore theoretical and practical aspects of different specialised domains, and build up skills in specialised terminology management. Applied aspects of the unit focus on the specific expectation and challenges faced by translators working in different institutional settings, preparing them for professional practice in specific translation markets and working with professionals in other fields. This unit will comprise a mix of combined and language-specific sessions.

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: Apply advanced translating techniques, skills and knowledge to the translation of specialised texts.
  • ULO2: Undertake efficient domain and genre specific research for the purpose of translation.
  • ULO3: Critically analyse source and target texts for the purpose of self-reflection.
  • ULO4: Explain and justify translation choices on the basis of translation theory and self-reflection.
  • ULO5: Apply revision techniques to evaluate and edit target texts to a professional level in accordance with international industry standards.
  • ULO6: Explain and apply knowledge of professional ethics to translation tasks

General Assessment Information

Grade descriptors and other information concerning grading are contained in the Macquarie University Assessment Policy.

All final grades are determined by a grading committee, in accordance with the Macquarie University Assessment Policy, and are not the sole responsibility of the Unit Convenor.

Students will be awarded a final grade and a mark which must correspond to the grade descriptors specified in the Assessment Procedure (clause 128).

To pass this unit, you must demonstrate sufficient evidence of achievement of the learning outcomes, meet any ungraded requirements, and achieve a final mark of 50 or better.

Further details for each assessment task will be available on iLearn.

Late Submissions

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (OF THE TOTAL POSSIBLE MARK) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern. 

 For example:

Number of days (hours) late

Total Possible Marks

Deduction

Raw mark

Final mark

1 day (1-24 hours)

100

5

75

70

2 days (24-48 hours)

100

10

75

65

3 days (48-72 hours)

100

15

75

60

7 days (144-168 hours)

100

35

75

40

>7 days (>168 hours)

100

-

75

0

 

For any late submissions of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Translation assignments 40% No Weekly
Weekly translation task preparation and participation 20% No Weekly
End of semester evaluation 40% No Week 14

Translation assignments

Assessment Type 1: Translation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 24 hours
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 40%

 

Over the semester, students will submit four 300/350-word translation assignments from language B into language A, accompanied with a self-reflective journal/annotations.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply advanced translating techniques, skills and knowledge to the translation of specialised texts.
  • Undertake efficient domain and genre specific research for the purpose of translation.
  • Critically analyse source and target texts for the purpose of self-reflection.
  • Explain and justify translation choices on the basis of translation theory and self-reflection.
  • Apply revision techniques to evaluate and edit target texts to a professional level in accordance with international industry standards.
  • Explain and apply knowledge of professional ethics to translation tasks

Weekly translation task preparation and participation

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 24 hours
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 20%

 

Students complete the weekly translation tasks assigned by their respective language tutors and prepare for active discussions in practical tutorial. Students must be able to present the draft of their translation and discuss content as part of a team, focussing on the process of translation.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply advanced translating techniques, skills and knowledge to the translation of specialised texts.
  • Undertake efficient domain and genre specific research for the purpose of translation.
  • Critically analyse source and target texts for the purpose of self-reflection.
  • Explain and justify translation choices on the basis of translation theory and self-reflection.
  • Apply revision techniques to evaluate and edit target texts to a professional level in accordance with international industry standards.
  • Explain and apply knowledge of professional ethics to translation tasks

End of semester evaluation

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 3 hours
Due: Week 14
Weighting: 40%

 

Two 300-word texts to be translated from language B into language A (40%).

In exceptional circumstances, and with the approval from the unit convenor and the language tutors, students can be given the option to translate one 300-word text from language B into language A, and one 300-word text from language A into language B (20% + 20%).

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply advanced translating techniques, skills and knowledge to the translation of specialised texts.
  • Undertake efficient domain and genre specific research for the purpose of translation.
  • Critically analyse source and target texts for the purpose of self-reflection.
  • Explain and justify translation choices on the basis of translation theory and self-reflection.

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

As a student enrolled in this unit, you will engage in a range of learning activities. Classes in the Translation and Interpreting Program will be delivered in a face-to-face mode on campus. Students will have access to pre-recorded lectures made available on iLearn and will attend a tutorial/workshop where activities will allow them how to discuss and apply the concepts dealt with in the lecture to their translation and interpreting practice. Attendance and active participation in the tutorial/workshop are expected.

Students will take part in weekly sessions consisting of one hour of common workshop and 1-2 hours of language specific workshops. 

Translation task materials are sourced from different domains and require in-depth and specialist knowledge. For detailed information, please refer to the Unit iLearn page. 

Unit Schedule

Please refer to the unit outline at the beginning of the semester.

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

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

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

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

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

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

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.

INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY

Social inclusion at Macquarie University is about giving everyone who has the potential to benefit from higher education the opportunity to study at university, participate in campus life and flourish in their chosen field. The University has made significant moves to promote an equitable, diverse and exciting campus community for the benefit of staff and students. It is your responsibility to contribute towards the development of an inclusive culture and practice in the areas of learning and teaching, research, and service orientation and delivery. As a member of the Macquarie University community, you must not discriminate against or harass others based on their sex, gender, race, marital status, carers' responsibilities, disability, sexual orientation, age, political conviction or religious belief. All staff and students are expected to display appropriate behaviour that is conducive to a healthy learning environment for everyone.

Professionalism

In the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, and in the Department of Linguistics, professionalism is a key capability embedded in all our courses.

As part of developing professionalism, students enrolled in the Translation and Interpreting program are expected to attend all small group interactive sessions including tutorials, workshops, practical and team-based learning activities.

Some learning activities are recorded (e.g., face-to-face lectures), however you are encouraged to avoid relying upon such material as they do not recreate the whole learning experience and technical issues can and do occur. As an adult learner, we respect your decision to choose how you engage with your learning, but we would remind you that the learning opportunities we create for you have been done so to enable your success, and that by not engaging you may impact your ability to successfully complete this unit. We equally expect that you show respect for the academic staff who have worked hard to develop meaningful activities and prioritise your learning by communicating with them in advance if you are unable to attend a small group interactive session.

Another dimension of professionalism is having respect for your peers. It is the right of every student to learn in an environment that is free of disruption and distraction. Please arrive to all learning activities on time, and if you are unavoidably detained, please join activity as quietly as possible to minimise disruption. Phones and other electronic devices that produce noise and other distractions must be turned off prior to entering class. Where your own device (e.g., laptop) is being used for class-related activities, you are asked to close down all other applications to avoid distraction to you and others. Please treat your fellow students with the utmost respect. If you are uncomfortable participating in any specific activity, please let the relevant academic know.


Unit information based on version 2023.04 of the Handbook