CHIN 3222 - Translation for Chinese Speakers: Project

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2014

This course is a practical project that engages students to apply the translation knowledge and skills learned from the Translation courses in practice. Students will practise translation techniques through translation exercises from Chinese into English and from English into Chinese in the workshops each week. In addition, each student will conduct a major translation project on a topic agreed by the lecturer.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code CHIN 3222
    Course Translation for Chinese Speakers: Project
    Coordinating Unit Asian Studies
    Term Semester 1
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Prerequisites CHIN 3221 or CHIN 2213
    Corequisites CHIN 3221 (if not having studied the course before)
    Assumed Knowledge Completion of junior secondary school or above in China, other Chinese speaking countries or regions, or equivalent with native or near native Chinese language proficiency (including Chinese dialects)
    Assessment Chinese-English section: in-class written tests, 1000 word group translation assignment, workshop activities & participation, English-Chinese section: 1200 word tutorial presentation/participation, 2500 word translation research project.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Ning Zhang

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    At the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
    1 Recognise basic syntactical and semantic differences and characteristics between English language and Chinese language
    2 Understand the information conveyed in the source text for different contexts
    3 Understand and respect socio-cultural differences and diversity through translation texts.
    4 Diagnose mistranslation and loss of meaning in translation
    5 Recognise and understand ethical issues in professional and intellectual contexts of translation.
    6 Improve information literacy for problem solving purposes during a translation process.
    7 Enhance translation capability through peer or group work
    8 Employ basic information technology in a group work environment
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Knowledge and understanding of the content and techniques of a chosen discipline at advanced levels that are internationally recognised. 1-8
    The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner. 1-8
    An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems. 2-8
    Skills of a high order in interpersonal understanding, teamwork and communication. 1-8
    A proficiency in the appropriate use of contemporary technologies. 2,6,8
    A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life. 1-8
    A commitment to the highest standards of professional endeavour and the ability to take a leadership role in the community. 1-8
    An awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues within a global context and their importance in the exercise of professional skills and responsibilities. 2,3,5
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Workshop practice materials will be given in class or through MyUni.
    Recommended Resources
    An English-Chinese Dictionary, and a Chinese-English dictionary

    The Barr Smith Library has a collection of books and references on translation. Some of them are as below: 1. Newmark, Peter, About Translation, Call No. 418.02 N556ab 2. Knarr, Norbert, Translation planes: foundations and construction principles, Call No. 510.5 L471 1611 3. Catford, J.C. A linguistics theory of translation: an easy in applied linguistics, Call No. 808 C359 4. Nida, E.A.& Taber, C.R. The theory and practice of translation, Call No. 418.02 N664 5. Savory, T. The art of translation, Call No. 808 S26.2 6. Li, Yanlin, Theory and practice of translating culture in translation from English to Chinese (in Chinese), Call No. 495.1802 L6937l 7. Xu, Jun, Introduction to translation (in Chinese), Call No. 418.02 X8f 8. Jin, Huikang, Translation as cross-cultural commmunication (in Chinese). ŒCall No. 418.02 J618k 9. Li, Changshuan, Non-literary transaltion (in Chinese). ŒCall No. 495.1802 L6931f
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    This course adopts a student-centred approach and skill-based training. The workshop includes two sections of work and exercise. One is practice from Chinese to English and the other is exercises and research projects from English to Chinese. Workshop plans will be posted on MyUni.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    1 x 3-hour workshop (or equivalent) per week 36 hours per semester
    6 hours reading per week 72 hours per semester
    2 hours research per week 24 hours per semester
    2 hours assignment preparation per week 24 hours per semester
    TOTAL WORKLOAD 156 hours per semester
    Learning Activities Summary
    Schedule
    Week 1 Introduction
    Week 2 Chinese – English translation exercise
    Week 3 Chinese - English translation
    Week 4 Chinese – English translation test (1), translation exercise
    Week 5 Chinese – English translation
    Week 6 Chinese – English translation test (2), translation exercise
    Week 7 English – Chinese translation exercise
    Week 8 English – Chinese translation exercise (continued)
    Week 9 English – Chinese translation exercise (continued)
    Week 10 English – Chinese translation exercise (continued)
    Week 11 Group presentation
    Week 12 Group presentation
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Task Type Weighting Learning Outcome
    2 x written in-class tests Formative and Summative - Category A 30% 1-8
    Participation Formative and Summative - Category B 10% 1-8
    Translation assignment and oral presentation Formative and Summative - Category C and D 25% 1-8
    1500 word translation project Summative 35% 1-8
    Assessment Detail
    Assessment in this course is criteria-based, i.e. the desired learning outcomes are specified and are designed to indicate progress towards the learning outcomes. The assessment grade is a measure of the extent to which the student has achieved the learning outcomes. The standard of performance required for the award of a particular grade is a judgement based on the professional expertise of the staff who contribute to the assessment process and is informed by experience of accepted standards. There is no predetermined distribution of grades.

    In-Class Tests
    There will be 2 Chinese to English tests during the first 6-week section of Chinese to English exercise, each worth 15% of the semester total. The main criteria used for assessment include:
    1. Evidence of ability to recognise basic syntactical and semantic differences and characteristics between English language and Chinese language.
    2. Demonstrated ability to understand and apply basic theories and techniques in translation.
    3. Demonstrated ability to understand and respect socio-cultural differences and diversity through translation texts.
    4. Demonstrated ability to understand the information conveyed in the source text for different contexts.
    5. Ability to use accurate and varied structures in English written form.

    Participation: students are expected to attend and participation in all workshops.

    Translation assigment and oral presentation
    There will be one group assignment in the English to Chinese workshop. A group-based translation work (approx. 1,000 words) and research note regarding the translation (approx. 500 words) are to be handed in through TURNITIN. Each group is required to demonstrate their work by an oral presentation during the last two weeks. The main assessment criteria include:
    1. Evidence of ability to recognise basic syntactical and semantic characteristics and differences between English language and Chinese language.
    2. Demonstrated ability to understand and apply basic theories and techniques in translation.
    3. Application of basic translation research skills.
    4. Demonstration of ability to understand and respect socio-cultural differences and diversity through translation texts.
    5. Evidence of ability to recognise and understand ethical issues in professional and intellectual contexts of translation.
    6. Demonstrated ability to use complex and varied structures in Chinese written form.

    1500 word translation project
    Each student will conduct a translation project (approx 1,500 words) on a topic agreed by the lecturer. The project is due on or before 20 June. Criteria for assessment are the 6 areas listed in the Group Seminar Presentation and Translation Work Section. Students will receive feedback in class regarding their tests as soon as is reasonably possible. Additional feedback can be arranged with the teaching staff during consultation times. Results of all tests will be available on the CHIN 3222 MyUni website.
    Submission
    Written assignments are to be submitted electronically through Turnitin and/or e-submission via MyUni.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

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    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

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