1. Awarding Body University of Surrey 2. Teaching Institution (if different) University of Surrey
3. Final Award MA
4. Programme title/route/pathway MA in Translation
5. Subsidiary award(s) and title(s) PG Diploma in Translation/PG Certificate in Translation
6. FHEQ Level 7
7. Credits and ECTS credits 90 ECTS credits = 180 UK credits 8. Name of Professional, Statutory or
Regulatory Body (PSRB)
N/A 9. Date of last accreditation (if
applicable)
Revalidated in March 2011
10. Mode of study Full-time.
11. Language of study English
12. UCAS Code N/A
13. QAA Subject Benchmark Statement (if applicable)
N/A 14. Other internal and / or external
reference points
N/A
15. Faculty / Department FAHS, School of English and Languages 16. Programme Director Dr Ana Frankenberg-Garcia
17. Date of Production / Revision of the specification
January 2014
18. Educational aims of the Programme
The programme combines the study of the major principles of, and scholarly approaches to, Translation with opportunities for application and practice – with the aim of enabling students to: • perform relevant translation tasks in different contexts
• reflect on their own practice, using scholarly and professional writing on relevant aspects of translation, transfer the acquired skills and knowledge to novel and unpredictable situations of translation.
• develop a broad understanding of current and future challenges of translation in different contexts, • apply scholarly approaches to critically evaluate professional practice in the light of current and
future requirements,
• instil in students the capacity for carrying out independent research in an area of translation. 19. Programme learning outcomes – the programme provides opportunities for students to develop
and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:
Knowledge and Understanding
• A thorough understanding of issues
relevant to translation as a discipline and as a practice/industry;
• A thorough understanding of different aspects of translation as a profession, in particular with respect to principles of good practice, efficiency and professional
standards, translation quality and resourcing;
• Comprehensive knowledge of the strategies involved in good translation practice, i.e. audience identification,
Teaching and learning strategies • Provide a systematic framework for
understanding the various aspects of translation as a process and as product, defining principles of good professional practice and enabling self-development and critical assessment;
• Enable students to apply this framework to practical problem-solving and translation tasks, allowing them to take responsibility for their own learning;
• Introduce students to language- and market-specific parameters and the latest scholarly writing in the field of Translation.
translating for a specific purpose;
• A thorough understanding of overarching issues in the translation industry, such as the impact of technology and the need for adaptability in the context of different markets;
• A thorough understanding of translation in the context of various settings (such as translating in a company compared to translating for a company), and their changing external/social environment.
• Mainly through large group sessions, e.g. lectures.
Assessment
• 250-300 word regular translation assignments, 3,000-word essaysand 1,000-word guided commentary on a text for translation;
• Regular coursework and classwork, conceptual research, and translation assignments.
Skills and other attributes - Intellectual / cognitive skills
• Identify theories of translation and be able to show insight into own practice;
• Reflect upon the knowledge gained and incorporate this into independent learning and professional development strategies; • Critically appreciate the different frames for
analysing text types, genres and other translation-related requirements and apply this to the research work required for the writing of the MA dissertation;
• Formulate and address research questions relating to the field of study;
• Conduct conceptual and topic-based research related to specific tasks.
Teaching and learning strategies
• Foster reflective practice in translation and the applications of technology in the context of translation;
• Raise awareness for typical translation
issues/problems and for relevant strategies and solutions;
• Combination of lectures and workshops to enable students to develop their critical and analytical skills by engaging in debate with their lecturers and peers.
Assessment
• The ability to solve problems in the context of a particular translation task and to reflect on that process will be assessed through the essay-type assignments, presentations, written translations, exams and in the MA dissertation. Skills and other attributes - Professional
practical skills
• Apply good principles of practice in the translation of semi-/specialised texts; • Gauge and acquire an appropriate
understanding of selected areas in economics/business and science/
technology, as well as in related language registers;
• Identify issues in computer-assisted translation and terminology and have practical skills in these and other related professional skills as appropriate;
alternatively (depending on options taken) be familiar with some aspects of the study of literary translation;
• Work independently on extended pieces of work in a sustained way, with or without guidance, and have further improved research skills.
• Apply evaluation skills for translation purposes.
Teaching and learning strategies
• Practical exercises exploring theoretical concepts, usually based on authentic, realistic situations and data;
• Practice-based classes in which students may develop their technical skills, apply their
knowledge and understanding to solve complex problems, and learn how to work collaboratively on specific tasks;
• Provide opportunities for students to evaluate professional practice and the work of peers.
Assessment
• 250-300 word regular translation assignments, 3,000-word essays and 1,000-word guided commentary on a text for translation;
• Regular coursework and classwork, conceptual research, and translation assignments;
• The specialist translation modules and the ab initio module will follow the established and proven method of combination of a dossier of best coursework plus a 2-hour unseen written examination with full access to paper-based and
selected electronic resources.
Skills and other attributes - Key / transferrable skills
• Display competence in a range of skills at postgraduate level, including advanced analysis and synthesis of arguments, presentation, conducting independent research, and the speedy and efficient processing of complex information;
• Work both independently and with others in order to achieve common goals;
• Manage learning self-critically;
• Organise and manage a research project of significant complexity.
Teaching and Learning strategies
• Tutors use a variety of methods of formative assessment for developmental and diagnostic purposes, including team classwork, peer- and self-assessment, questionnaires and
activities/tasks involving independent research and critical review skills;
• Professional translators experts as tutors establish market-based quality standards.
Assessment
• Regular coursework and/or translation assignments;
• Optional modules follow established
assessment patterns including, for example, a series of projects of increasing difficulty and length.
20. Programme structure – including the route / pathway / field requirements, levels modules, credits, awards and further information on the mode of study.
All taught modules are worth 15 credits, which is indicative of 150 hours of learning, comprised of student contact, private study and assessment. In order to achieve the PG Diploma, students must complete 120 credits at FHEQ Level 7. This includes 75 credits from compulsory modules and 45 credits from optional modules.
Compulsory modules in the MA Translation: • Translation Issues I (TRAM056)
Plus any two of the following strands (each consisting of two compulsory modules) • Strand 1: Business/economic translation I and II (TRAM 259 and TRAM 260) • Strand 2: Scientific/technical translation I and II (TRAM 313 and TRAM 314)
• Strand 3: Ab initio language for translation purposes I and II (TRAM 400 and TRAM 401)
• Strand 4: Technology: Computer-assisted translation in semester one(TRAM 050) and Corpora in translation/interpreting practice and research in semester two (TRAM 051).
Optional modules:
• Students not taking the above modules as compulsory modules can take them as options, provided that Business/economic translation I and II, Scientific/technical translation I and II and Ab initio language for translation purposes I and II are taken together in semester one and two respectively. Computer Assisted Translation (TRAM 050) and Corpora in translation/interpreting practice and research (TRAM 051) are independent from one another.
• Other options are:
- Translation of Persuasive Texts (TRAM 058) - Translating Cultures (TRAM 178)
- Translation Issues II (TRAM 057)
- Research Methods in Translation Studies (TRAM 180) - Issues in Literary Translation (TRAM 411)
- Interlingual Subtitling I (TRAM 201) followed by Interlingual Subtitling II (TRAM 202)
- Monolingual Subtitling for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing I (TRAM 255) followed by Monolingual Subtitling for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing II (TRAM 256)
Students can attend a selection of background lectures, where practice-based translation and interpreting modules are currently supplemented by lectures on the Principles of Economics and Principles of Science and Technology.
For the MA, the dissertation (60 credits) will consist of a researched topic related to an aspect of translation or a translation project with commentary.
No components of the programme are contracted out to another educational institution or involve the exchange of students for a period of study.
Programme variances (if applicable) N/A
Programme pathways and variants N/A
In the case of joint honours (equally weighted subjects) or a major/minor combination programme, please provide a rationale for the particular subject combination and details on how the combination will operate.
- Who is the lead faculty, department or school? N/A
FHEQ Level 7: Potential awards – PG Certificate, PG Diploma, MA Module
code
Module title Core
/compulsory /optional
Semester (1 / 2)
Award requirements
TRAM056 Translation Issues I Compulsory 1 The MA requires the
successful completion of the PG Diploma and the MA dissertation at min 50% level.
The PG Diploma requires 120 credits from the taught part of the programme and an average of 50% in all modules.
The PG Certificate is an exit award. It requires 60 credits and a mark of 50% or higher in the two
compulsory strands chosen by the students, i.e., two of the following four:
• Business/economic translation I and II (TRAM 259 and TRAM 260) • Scientific/technical
translation I and II (TRAM 313 and TRAM 314) • Ab initio language for
translation purposes I and II (TRAM 400 and TRAM And two of the following four:
TRAM 259 Business/economic translation I
Compulsory 1
TRAM 313 Scientific/technical translation I
Compulsory 1
TRAM 400 Ab initio language for translation purposes I
Compulsory 1
TRAM 050 Computer-assisted translation
Compulsory 1
TRAM 259, TRAM 313, TRAM 400 and TRAM 050 can also be taken as options in semester 1
TRAM 058 Translation of Persuasive Texts
Optional 1
TRAM 178 Translating Cultures Optional 1
ELIM 002 Creative Writing and Professional Practice I
Optional 1
TRAM 201 Interlingual Subtitling I Optional 1 TRAM 255 Monolingual Subtitling
for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing I
Optional 1
Two of the following four: TRAM 051 Corpora in
translation/interpreting practice and research
Compulsory 2
TRAM 260 Business/economic translation II
TRAM 314 Scientific/technical translation II
Compulsory 2 401)
• Technology: Computer-assisted translation in semester one (TRAM 050) and Corpora in
translation/interpreting practice and research in semester two (TRAM 051).
TRAM 401 Ab initio language for translation purposes II
Compulsory 2
TRAM 260, TRAM 314, TRAM 401 and TRAM 051 can also be taken as options in semester 2
TRAM180 Research Methods for Translation Studies
Optional 2
TRAM 411 Issues in Literary Translation
Optional 2
TRAM 202 Interlingual Subtitling II Optional 2 TRAM 256 Monolingual Subtitling
for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing II
Optional 2
How many optional modules must a student choose in order to achieve the necessary amount of credits to achieve this level?
Students must choose three from the listed optional modules (ideally one in semester I and two in semester II).
21. Opportunities for placements / work-related learning / collaborative activity Data supplied by an external source for student analysis which contributes to an assessment
External / guest teaching
External markers
Student placement (please indicate if this is one day, one month, six months, a year etc) Module Placement
Professional Training Year
Clinical Placements (that are not part of the PTY Scheme) ERASMUS Study (that is not taken during Level P)
Study exchanges (that are not part of the ERASMUS Scheme) Dual Degree
Joint Degree
Further information External / guest lecturing:
Students have access to the MA Translation Studies series, a series of guest lectures given by external guest speakers and open to all CTS PGT and PGR students. The lectures provide students with insights into the profession from the perspective of practitioners and scholars. The guest speakers include translators/interpreters, professionals working in public services, companies and international organisations as well as translation/interpreting researchers.
22. Criteria for admission
Native English speakers: a minimum of a UK 2.2 honours degree, or equivalent, in the relevant
language or another relevant subject (e.g. translation, law, criminology, forensic linguistics, healthcare, business studies, international or area studies). Speakers of other languages: an equivalent to a minimum of a UK 2.2 honours degree in English or another relevant subject. In exceptional cases, alternative qualifications and professional experience may be considered. Non-native speakers of English will also normally be required to have IELTS 6.5 or above (or equivalent), with a minimum of 7in writing, and 6.0 in all other components.
23. Assessment regulations
Please click on the following links for University Regulations and Guidance on Assessment http://www.surrey.ac.uk/learningandteaching/regulations/index.htm
http://www.surrey.ac.uk/learningandteaching/guidelines/index.htm
programmes also reference and follow the Code of Practice on the Assessment of Students’ Work within Taught Programmes.
24. Support for students and their learning
Sources of help and advice include a comprehensive induction to the programme and the facilities at Surrey during the induction week, a programme handbook which provides all essential information and further information on Surrey’s website.
Each student is assigned a personal tutor and supervisors for project work. In addition, students can contact the Programme Director and/or the Director of CTS at any time.
During the first semester, students benefit from a series of academic writing tutorials to support the completion of written academic work including essays, project reports and MA dissertations. At the beginning of the second semester, students attend a series of MA Dissertation workshops designed to facilitate the preparation and development of the MA Dissertation.
Throughout the year students have access to central support services and advice from the careers service.
With regard to IT facilities, students can use SurreyLearn and have technology classes in computer labs and access to specific IT software for this MA programme, which include but are not limited to SDL MultiTerm, SDL Trados, the SketchEngine corpora and tools and Swift.
25. Quality management – indications of quality and the methods for evaluating and improving quality
We use both the MEQs and the feedback from External examiners to improve the quality of this programme on a continuous basis. Moreover, this programme provides a good opportunity to elicit feedback from stakeholders, as representatives of stakeholders—i.e. professionals who work with interpreters— are invited to contribute to the programme (see section 21 above).
26. Further information
Further information can be found on our webpages at http://www.surrey.ac.uk/postgraduate/translation and within the Programme Handbook, which is provided on entry to the Programme.
The General Regulations and Codes of Practice for taught programmes can be found at http://www.surrey.ac.uk/learningandteaching/regulations/index.htm
