69423 - Translation from Italian into French I (Second Language)

Course contents

This course focuses essentially on a practical approach to translation from Italian to French of a variety of documents (press, corporate documents, literature), with three main objectives:

- improving the student's language skills in French (grammar, syntax, vocabulary), with a specific focus on register;

- expanding their cultural knowledge of France, the French, and the French-speaking world, through systematic contextualising of the documents to be translated (concepts, references, subtext);

- mastering the basis of translation techniques, using the skills acquired over the first semester.

Documents studied in class will always be of linguistic and cultural relevance (topics regarding France and the French-speaking world) and/or have a specific typology (source, nature, goal and recipient of the document).

Structure

Each student has to prepare their own translation of the documents, following this structure (a few variations may occur):

- first look as a group of the text: contextualization by the teacher, group reading, identification of potential problems regarding the translation;

- documentary and terminological research by the students under the teacher's supervision;

- individual translation of the text into French;

- proofreading and correcting in pairs or as a group;

- submission of the finished translation.

Over the course of the semester, students will gather a collective glossary with French expressions and vocabulary they will have come across in class and during their documentary research.

Readings/Bibliography

The texts to be translated (press, corporate documents, literature) will be published on the Moodle platform at the beginning and over the course of the semester.

In their personal time, students are expected to read as much as possible in French, in order to improve their language skills and their cultural knowledge of the French-speaking world.

Teaching methods

The course relies on the active participation of students during the preparation of classes and in class.

Documents to be translated will be published on the Moodle platform, through which students will also be expected to upload their translations for further discussion and corrections.

Students are expected to attend 70% of classes in order to be allowed to take the exam

Assessment methods

To assess the students' language skills and knowledge of basic translation methods, the exam will consist of a written translation of a text of approximately 300 words. For the translation, students can use Italian and French monolingual dictionaries, as well as a glossary prepared in class.

Teaching tools

In addition to the Moodle platform, students will use monolingual printed and electronic dictionaries, encyclopedias, the press and the Internet.

One of the first classes will be dedicated to the use of online resources that will be helpful to students for writing in French.

Office hours

See the website of Cyril Christophe Guillaume Laumonier