87933 - A Language - Interpreting from Italian into German II (5 ECTS)

Learning outcomes

The student has acquired the basic interpreting techniques (consecutive and simultaneous interpreting) to use in different professional settings.

Course contents

Consecutive and simultaneous interpreting require concurrent cognitive, linguistic, communicative and interactional processes: listening, understanding, information processing and storing, note taking of discourse (in the consecutive mode) in a source language (SL) that has to be transferred into a target language (TL). This course aims at enhancing the interpreting skills and techniques acquired in the previous year.

The course programme includes:

- perfecting consecutive and simultaneous interpreting techniques, especially for the language combination Italian-German, by interpreting in the classroom (speeches delivered during real events) and during real conferences organised at different venues;
- perfecting note-taking for consecutive interpreting;

- enhancing analytic and synthetic elaboration of spoken discourse, also with written and visual components, and relay interpreting;

- enhancing expression, communication and public speaking skills, also using documentation and terminological work;

- learning how to prepare for conferences on specific and or/technical topics

Readings/Bibliography

Kalina, Sylvia (1998) Strategische Prozesse beim Dolmetschen. Tübingen: Narr.

Pöchhacker, Franz (2000) Dolmetschen. Konzeptuelle Grundlagen und deskriptive Untersuchungen. Tübingen: Stauffenburg.

Pöchhacker, Franz (2004) Introducing interpreting studies. London: Routledge.

Setton, Robin & Andrew Dawrant (2016) Conference interpreting – A complete course. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Teaching methods

In-depth discussion of the types of discourse most common in interpreting and of chosen topics anounced beforehand. Application of discourse analysis and textual linguistics to both interpreted texts and discourse produced by students.

Practical exercises of consecutive and simultaneous interpreting of live and/or pre-recorded speeches.

Listening to recordings with analytical comments on the students’ exercises and summaries of difficulties and progress made.

Theoretical reflections on the specificity of this type of communication in the various contexts exemplified.

Integration of the teacher's indications through self-evaluation and peer evaluation.

Exercises in the classroom and in the booth based on original speeches dealing with general well as with specialty subjects and namely: social science, environment, politics, history, economics, energy, science and technology.

Where possible, real communications situations will be integrated into the course by exercises in mock or live conferences or events organized by DIT. There will also be videoconference lessons (virtual lascses) with interpreters from the DGs Interpretation of the Commission and the European Parliament.

Assessment methods

The course includes continuous assessment of students' progress in learning consecutive and simultaneous interpreting techniques. The exam at the end of the course aims at checking whether the student has fully acquired interpreting techniques and can master specialised terminology taught during the course.

The exam will consist in consecutive (about 7-8 minutes) and simultaneous (about 15 minutes) interpreting performances from Italian into German on current affairs and/or social, political and economic topics as well as the special subject taught in the specialty module. The final grade will be an average of the marks obtained by the students in the different parts of this exam.

In order to obtain the highest marks (28 to 30 with honours), the student’s performance must have the following features: complete and accurate rendering of the source language text into the target language: only minor mistakes or distortions can be present in the rendering provided they do not undermine cohesion and the main rhetorical features of the original speech; language and register must be appropriate: the rendering can contain minor grammar or pronunciation mistakes only.

Rendering in consecutive mode must not be longer than the original speech.

In order to obtain 25-27 (good) or 21-24 (fair), the student’s performance must have the following features: there can be omissions or inaccuracies provided they are not serious; there can be mistakes or distortions provided they do not cause a complete loss of cohesion and of the main rhetorical features of the original speech; there can be some inaccuracies in register and language the rendering can contain minor grammar, syntax or pronunciation mistakes.

Rendering in consecutive mode must not be longer than the original speech.

In order to obtain a pass (18 to 20) the student’s performance must have the following features: the rendering may contain omissions and distortions but overall it should convey the content of the original speech; language and register may show inaccuracies but should not undermine the comprehension of the rendering: there can be grammar, syntax and pronunciation mistakes.

Rendering in consecutive mode may not excede the original speech by more than 10%.

Teaching tools

Teaching tools include spontaneous and audio/videotaped speeches from authentic communication situations, audio and video tapings of student output, use of e-learning platform and electronic tools for documentation and terminology management.

Office hours

See the website of Christfriede Galatzer