Translation Course – Law I - Caribbean School of Languages

Course ID

TLA151

Duration

One Semester (Fourteen Weeks)

Prerequisite

DELE Diploma at C2 Level (for English speakers), IELTS Band 9 (for Spanish Speakers)

Total Study Hours	Assessment Components	Assessment Description
• 151 Total • 56 Scheduled Learning & Teaching Hours • 95 Guided Independent Study	• Coursework – 40% • Examinations – 60%	• Three (3) timed translation papers of 450 words each • Six (6) research projects and presentations • Eight (8) assignments

Course Summary

This course introduces students to the field of law and to all aspects related to the various sub-fields of law both in English and in Spanish. It provides a solid foundation in the understanding of the legal world in every region of the world. Students explore case studies, civil law, commercial law, criminal law, court reports, family law, law reports, legal journal articles, international law and many other aspects of the field related to countries, regional and international organisations and other groupings around the world and their interaction with one another. Interactive lectures, seminars and group discussions are designed to encourage student autonomy, enhance participation in class and develop the range of skills needed for effective study, self-confidence and achievement.

Syllabus

The syllabus of this course includes:

A practical introduction to translation studies and translation techniques in the legal field.
An introduction to legal aspects in the world not limited to Spanish or English speaking countries.
An introduction to case studies and law reports.
An introduction to civil law, family law and commercial law.
An introduction to criminal law and court reports.
An introduction to international law and legal journal articles.
An introduction to contemporary legal issues and related topics of international, regional and national relevance.
Law-specific monolingual and bilingual glossary creation.
The translation of journalistic texts on the topics above.

Independent Study and Scheduled Teaching Activity

Interactive lectures, seminars and discussions will allow for the discussion and presentation of the different themes outlined in the syllabus. There will be opportunities for tutor feedback to encourage personal development and reflection, with a view to producing the final version of assignments to the required international standards. Participants will also develop the various learning skills through exercises performed individually, in pairs and in groups. The teaching/facilitating process will focus on improving translation skills such as information seeking, research, critical reading, academic writing, comparative analysis and many others. Individual assignments, projects and extensive readings will aim at broadening the general knowledge of the participant in all the areas listed in the syllabus.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

Understand the key concepts and techniques in legal translation;
Be able to create different types of specialised monolingual and bilingual glossaries for use in CAT-unaided translation.
Be familiar with, discuss, present, analyse and summarise local, regional and international aspects of relevance in the legal field;
Demonstrate an awareness of the written skills required by the professional legal translation industry;
Be able to produce legal translation of a simple text that shows the correct transfer of information and evidence of comprehension and accuracy, transfer of names, dates and figures;
Be able to produce legal translation of a simple text that is grammatically sound, cohesive and coherent, as well as well organised and accurate in punctuation, orthography and accentuation.

Assessment Strategy

Summative assessment is divided into coursework and examinations. Coursework is weighted at forty per cent (40%) of the total grade and comprises six (6) research projects, the findings of which will be presented to the class in the foreign language and a bilingual synopsis submitted and shared with the class, as well as eight (8) assignments to be submitted to the lecturer. The tutor will provide feedback for all coursework. Examinations are weighted at sixty per cent (60%) and comprise three timed legal translation papers of four hundred and fifty (450) words each.

Formative tasks will include glossary building, translation exercises and problem-solving exercises in translation.

Note

The Translation Course – Law I does not certify participants as professional translators.

Prerequisite

A DELE C2 diploma (English speakers) or IELTS Band 9 certificate (Spanish speakers) not more than two (2) years old.