SPAN 723: Advanced Spanish Translation Practice

2017, Semester 2 (30 points)

Description

This course focuses on developing the skills required for translating from and into Spanish through extensive exposure to authentic translation materials in Spanish and in English. Fields covered will be chosen from: literature/culture, industry, finance, commercial correspondence, and selective translation of official certificates.

Lessons are interactive, with opportunities for practice in pairs, small groups or the whole class. Attendance at all lectures is strongly recommended in order to benefit from interactive activities which help develop translation skills and ensure steady progress.

 

Aims of course

The overall intended learning objectives are to develop translator competence –which includes linguistic, methodological, disciplinary and technical competence- within general, literary and technical knowledge domains.

Specific skills include:

• Mastering the different phases in the translation process
• Understanding the main textual and contextual features of Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP) texts
• Documentary research skills
• Correct use of translation aids
• Editing and proof-reading skills

This is achieved through:

• Full translations into first language (approximately 80% of final mark)
• Full translations into second language (approximately 20% of final mark)
• Topic-based research
• Summary and selective translation
  

Prescribed texts
There are no prescribed texts for this course. Material will be posted on Canvas and/or distributed in class.

Course coordinator
Wendy-Llyn Zaza
Semester 2 office hours: Tuesday 2-3 or by appointment
Email:    w.zaza@auckland.ac.nz
DDI:       923 7144
Office:    Arts 2 – Room 407

Lecture times and venue
Day and time: Th 11-2
Venue: Arts 2 Room 312 (computer lab.)

Assessment breakdown
This course has 100% on-course evaluation:

• 3 assignments @ 20% each                  60%
• 2 in-class tests @ 15% each                 30%
• Logbook                                                  10%
  

 

Assignment hand-in dates

Assignment 1 (general)	Part 1 Part 2	4 p.m. Tuesday week 2 4 p.m. Tuesday week 3
Assignment 2 (industry)	Part 1 Part 2	4 p.m. Tuesday week 5 4 p.m. Tuesday week 6
Logbook 1		2 p.m. Thursday week 6
Assignment 3 (business/economics and commercial correspondence)	Part 1 Part 2	4 p.m. Tuesday week 8 4 p.m. Tuesday week 9
Logbook 2		2 p.m. Thursday week 12

 

Workload
Time management is essential to academic success, and it is the responsibility of students to manage their academic workload and other commitments so that all assignments can be submitted on or before the due dates.

As with other 30-point courses, the University of Auckland’s expectation is that students spend 20 hours per week on this course. The one 3-hour block of lectures each week for SPAN 723 leaves 17 hours per week outside the classroom for group work, revision and assignments, and to study for tests.

Submission of assignments, extensions and late penalties

Submission of assignments

• Unless indicated otherwise by the Course Convenor, hard copies of assignments should be posted in the appropriate assignment box on the 3^rd floor of the Arts 1 building before 4 pm on the due date.  Assignment boxes are cleared at 4 pm and any assignment handed in after 4 pm will not be date-stamped until the next working day.
• Penalties for lateness (see below) apply from 4pm on the due date for the submission of the hard copy.
• The Reception Area is not open on Saturday or Sunday or during public holidays.
  
  

Extensions

In serious circumstances* beyond the student’s control (see below), s/he may request an extension from the person in charge of that section. The request should

• be made by email to the course coordinator at least 2-3 days BEFORE the assignment due date
• provide an explanation of the circumstances
• be supported by a satisfactory medical certificate or other documentation.

If an extension is granted, you will be given a new due date.  The completed assignment must be submitted on or before the new due date together with the medical certificate and other documentation.  If an assignment is submitted after the new due date, penalties for lateness apply as below.

• Only ONE extension can be granted to a student per assignment.
• Only in extreme circumstances will late requests for extensions be considered.

*Serious circumstances means sudden illness (in the case of in-class tests etc.) or mid/long-term illness (for assignments etc. done over a week or more).  It does NOT mean time management difficulties, wanting to go on holiday, relatives visiting from overseas, computer breakdowns, etc.

 

Deadlines and penalties for late submission

If an extension has not been granted, any work submitted after the due date will be treated as overdue and penalties will apply (see below). 

• The mark given to an overdue assignment will be reduced by up to 10 per cent (at the discretion of the Course Convenor) of the total possible marks for that assignment for each day that it is late up to 5 days (e.g. for an assignment marked out of 20, up to 2 marks per day may be deducted up to a total of 10 marks). Assignments which are due on Friday, or the day before a university holiday, but are not received until the next working day will be counted as TWO days late.
• Overdue assignments that are submitted more than five days late will not be marked; nor will assignments be marked if submitted after the assignment has been marked and returned.  Unmarked assignments will be held by the marker until the end of the semester, and in cases where the final grade for the student is borderline (D+), the marker may choose to award a minimal completion mark.  For this reason, it is better to hand in an assignment late than not at all.
  
  

Illness at test time

When serious circumstances (e.g. sudden serious illness or a car accident) cause a student to miss an in-class test, it is expected that the student will notify the course coordinator at the earliest possible opportunity, if possible before the scheduled test takes place. 

• In the case of illness for a test, you must also obtain a form, “Notes of Consideration for Written Tests Application” from the Clocktower Information Centre (x88199/88378), Clocktower Building, 22 Princes St, complete it and hand it in within a week of the date of the scheduled test or exam. In the case of illness for a final exam, you must complete an SA49 form, obtainable from the Examinations Office (x87557).
• If the student or his/her representative makes no contact within five days of the scheduled test, a zero grade will be awarded for that piece of assessment. 
• Extreme cases will be judged on their own merits.  Documentation may be required.
  
  

Academic integrity          

The University of Auckland takes any form of academic dishonesty (e.g. plagiarism) extremely seriously and it is compulsory for all incoming students to complete a short academic integrity module: ignorance of the requirements will not be considered a defence in cases of academic misconduct.