Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE TTI5008

 
TITLE Literary translation workshops

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Translation, Terminology and Interpreting Studies

 
DESCRIPTION This practice-based study-unit consists of a series of literary translation workshops and seminars dealing with a variety of topics relevant for literary translators. It encourages students to think experimentally and creatively during the literary translation process. In this study-unit, students will also be trained to self-revise their own literary translations as well as to edit translations produced by other translators or by machine translation software (CALT) with the aim of achieving quality translations. Moreover, depending on the cohort, they may also practise group translation. This study-unit also aims to introduce students to the publishing industry, the publishing process, and funding opportunities available for literary translators.

Topics vary from year to year depending on the cohort but may include:
- Author-translator collaboration;
- Indirect translation;
- Self-revising literary translations;
- Editing literary translations;
- Computer-Aided Literary Translation (CALT);
- The publishing process Group translation/Translating in teams;
- Funding opportunities.

Study-Unit Aims:

- To foster reflection, experimentation and creativity during the literary translation process;
- To equip students with the necessary skills to effectively revise their own literary translations as well as to edit literary translation produced by other translators;
- To familiarise students with the publishing process;
- To familiarise students with group translation and/or CALT;
- To introduce students to funding opportunities available for literary translators.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- describe the different phases of the literary translation process and identify the challenges involved in each phase of the process. As a result, the student will be able to handle literary translation tasks more efficiently and effectively;
- demonstrate knowledge of the publishing industry. Such knowledge will enable the student to deal more effectively with third parties such as editors, publishers and commissioners;
- understand the complexity involved in the coming-into-being of a literary translation and the underlying cognitive skills.

2. Skills
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- think creatively and experimentally during the translation process and reflect on their decisions;
- effectively revise their own literary translations as well as edit translations produced by other translators;
- write editor's reports;
- justify their decisions and negotiate their position both when editing other translator's work and when working on group translations.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Main Texts:

- Borg, C. 2022. A Literary Translation in the Making: A Process-Oriented Perspective. New York: Routledge.
- Cordingley, A. and Montini, C. (eds) 2016. Towards a Genetics of Translation. Special Issue of Linguistica Antverpiensia, New Series: Themes in Translation Studies 14. https://doi.org/10.52034/lanstts.v14i0.
- Feinauer, I. and Lourens, A. 2020. ‘Another Look at Revision in Literary Translation’. M. Koponen, B. Mossop, I.S. Robert and G. Scocchera (eds) In Translation Revision and Post-Editing. London: Routledge, 165-183.
- Grass, D. 2023. Translation as Creative-Critical Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Rothwell, A., Way, A., and Youdale, R. (eds) 2023. Computer-Assisted Literary Translation. New York: Routledge.
- Washbourne, R.K. and Van Wyke, B. (eds) 2019. The Routledge Handbook of Literary Translation. London: Routledge.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture and Seminar

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Assignment SEM2 Yes 50%
Practical SEM2 No 50%

 
LECTURER/S Claudine Borg

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit