Course syllabus
SEMESTER 1, 2017
Course Information
Course Coordinator and teacher:
Dr Vanessa Enríquez Raído - v.enriquez@auckland.ac.nz
Office hour: Tuesday, 10-11 am by appointment, Arts 2 Building, Level 4, Room 415
Class contact hours:
Wednesday, 1-4 pm, room 201E-411a
Summary of course description:
This 30-point course teaches student translators how to produce clear, concise, and correct technical texts in English through practical advice on editing and revising techniques. The course first examines Brian Mossop's four types of editing (i.e. structural editing, content editing, copyediting and stylistic editing) and then focuses on copyediting and stylistic editing, which are considered the most useful types for practicing translators. Copyediting involves correcting technical texts to bring them into conformance with the rules of a language community, while stylistic editing seeks to produce readable texts by e.g. tailoring vocabulary and sentence structure, making sentences more concise and removing ambiguities. The course also provides students with the necessary skills to apply revision and quality assessment techniques to original and translated texts with the aid of text processing software.
Course objectives:
The main learning objective of this course is to acquire relevant skills to edit and revise self-produced translations and accept work in related areas such as technical writing and editing. Editing and revising skills are also useful for revising the translations done by others and post-editing machine translation output, two areas in which job opportunities frequently arise. This course subsequently places special emphasis on micro-level work by looking at line-by-line and the small details of a text, thus promoting the use of plain English to produce language which is clear and straightforward, and which avoids obscurity, ambiguity, abstract vocabulary, and complex sentence structures. As practicing translators are increasingly asked to be more involved in the final production of technical texts (either by writing or editing them), the course ultimately aims to help students write and set out information “in a way that gives a cooperative, motivated person a good chance of understanding the document at the first reading” (Cutts 1998:3).
Main topics:
- Editing vs. revising
- Structural editing
- Content editing
- Copyediting
- Stylistic editing
- Machine translation post-editing (PEMT)
Class content schedule:
|
Week |
Date |
Contents |
|
1 |
March 8 |
|
|
2 |
March 15 |
|
|
3 |
March 22 |
|
|
4 |
March 29 |
|
|
5 |
April 5 |
|
|
6 |
April 12 |
|
|
MID-TERM BREAK (APRIL 14-29) |
||
|
7 |
May 3 |
|
|
8 |
May 10 |
|
|
9 |
May 17 |
|
|
10 |
May 24 |
|
|
11 |
May 31
|
|
|
12 |
June 7 |
|
Course materials:
Topic-related materials are provided in the form of course-packs on a weekly basis. These will include both literature and practical exercises for each topic discussed in class. Course materials also include PowerPoint presentations uploaded onto Canvas.
Teaching format and methods:
Course contents will be taught through lectures, guided group discussions, and individual as well as collective practice. Teaching methods will promote both individual work and teamwork to develop students' own specialized knowledge, intellectual skills, and interpersonal qualities. Students will also be provided with opportunities to actively participate in their own learning processes, structure their own learning experiences and relate them to the course syllabus, and gradually become independent learners.
Expectations of students:
Students are expected to read the literature provided with every course-pack; carry out multiple consolidation exercises for each topic discussed in class; and produce, edit, and revise a number of technical texts. Students are also expected to actively participate in class, be involved in their own learning progress, and cross-evaluate peer work as required.
Student assessment:
Students’ performance, knowledge, and learning progress will be assessed based on the editing and revising of two different texts. A multi-choice/short answer test will also be administered in class. Final grades are weighted according to the following percentages:
Assignment 1: Copyediting (40%)
Assignment 2: Stylistic editing (40%)
Assignment 3: Multiple-choice test (20%)
Requirements for the preparation of work:
Assignments will be prepared electronically, i.e. no hand-written works will be accepted, and submitted in electronic format via e-mail (see details below). Hard copies of preliminary assignment versions are to be brought to class as indicated in the class schedule above.
Procedures for the submission of work:
Please send your electronic assignments to v.enriquez@auckland.ac.nz and hand hard copies to the Arts Collection Centre on Level 3, Arts 1, 18 Symonds Street.
File names
Please name your files in the following way: "FamilyName_StudentID_Assignment#.doc". Example 1: "Enriquez_ 234567_assignment1.doc"
Layout
Please work on an A4 paper format (21 cm x 29.7 cm), portrait, with margins of 2.5 cm top and bottom and 3 cm left and right.
Basic presentation
Use Times New Roman, 12 points, black, 1.5-spaced, as your basic font. Your text should be justified.
Name
Please don't forget to add your name and student ID at the top of your MS Word document in all your work.
Assignments policy: extensions, deadlines, and penalties
HOW TO SEEK/ REQUEST/APPLY FOR AN EXTENSION
In serious circumstances* beyond the student’s control (see below), s/he may request an extension from the course coordinator. The request should:
- be made by email at least 2-3 days BEFORE the due date for the assignment
- 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. 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 long-term illness (for essays 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 & PENALTIES FOR LATENESS
Any work submitted after the due date and without an extension form or permission in writing from the Course Coordinator 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 percent (at the discretion of the Course Coordinator) 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, deduct up to 2 marks per day 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.
OUT-OF-CLASS ASSESSMENT (i.e. take-home essays/projects/assignments etc.)
When a staff member grants an extension they will set 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 above.
IN CLASS TESTS, ELECTRONIC TESTS, ORAL PRESENTATIONS, ETC.
When serious circumstances (e.g. sudden serious illness or a car accident) cause a student to miss an in-class test/assessed presentations or electronic test it is expected that the student will notify the Course Coordinator at the earliest possible opportunity, if possible before the scheduled test or presentation takes place. If the student or their representative makes no contact within five days of the scheduled test/presentation, they will be awarded a zero grade for that piece of assessment.
Extreme cases will be judged by the Course Coordinator on their own merits. Documentation may be required.
Plagiarism and use of Information and Communication Technology:
PLAGIARISM
The University of Auckland will not tolerate Cheating or assisting others to cheat and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offense. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting his or her learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the World Wide Web. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerized detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerized review.
Students may not translate work from another source without proper acknowledgment and referencing.
The penalties for plagiarism are severe and can range from gaining no marks for the assignment to disciplinary action under the terms of the Examination Regulations. For further information and advice on University regulations and how to reference appropriately, see http://www.cite.auckland.ac.nz/index.php?p=overview.
All students entering the University are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module. For further information on this module please see https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/about/learning-and-teaching/policies-guidelines-and-procedures/academic-integrity-info-for-students/about-academic-integrity/academic-integrity-course.html.
Information about third-party assistance in postgraduate coursework can be found at http://www.auckland.ac.nz/webdav/site/central/shared/about/teaching-and-learning/policies-guidelines-procedures/documents/guidelines-third-party-assistance-ugpg-senate-appr-05112007.pdf.
The Student Academic Conduct Statute can be found at https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/about/the-university/how-university-works/policy-and-administration/teaching-and-learning/students/academic-conduct-statute.html.
USE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (E.G. CLASS FACEBOOK PAGES)
If students in any course wish to set up a Facebook page for the course or to use any other form of ICT, they need to be aware that the University of Auckland Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Statute sets out rules governing use of any ICT hardware or software at or for University activities. It forbids using ICT “to store, display or communicate … files containing any text, image that is deceptive or misleading, is abusive or defamatory, contravenes anyone’s privacy … or that reproduces all or part of any work in breach of the Copyright Act 1994”. The Statute refers students to the relevant University Disciplinary Statute and the penalties that may apply.
Students are urged to discuss privately any impairment-related requirements face-to-face and/or in written form with the Course Coordinator. Please contact Dr Vanessa Enríquez Raído as soon as possible if you have any impairment-related needs.
Complaint procedures:
The University of Auckland seeks to encourage the prompt and informal resolution of all students’ learning and research grievances as they arise. Students should be aware that support is available through either their class or faculty representative, the Student Advocacy Network or their Students' Association. For detailed information on academic disputes and complaints, see https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/for/current-students/cs-academic-information/cs-regulations-policies-and-guidelines/academic-disputes-and-complaints..html.
Aegrotat information:
For information on how to seek seek either Aegrotat or Compassionate consideration, please see Aegrotat Information sheet_09Feb17_final.pdf.
Course summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|