B2758 - Dialogue Interpreting for Specific Purposes - Spanish Language (Second Language)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the module, the student understands the issues related to dialogue interpreting and is able to assess ethically appropriate behavior in this field. They are capable of using a wide range of dialogue interpreting strategies between Spanish and Italian in complex communicative situations that simulate real professional practice.

Course contents

The course aims to deepen and, in particular, apply linguistic knowledge in complex communicative and dialogue interpreting contexts. Specifically, the course will focus on:

· Speaking accurately and listening effectively: characteristics of spoken discourse, lexical appropriateness, communicative competence, rhetorical strategies.

· Oralization of written texts, memorization, active listening, summarization, and reformulation.

· Preparatory research work before an interpreting assignment.

· Sight translation (both into and from the target language) as a preparation tool and as a task in real-life contexts.

· Dialogue interpreting in complex settings: institutional contexts (course introduction), specialized business contexts (approximately half of the course), and health and social care contexts (approximately half of the course).

The course will have a predominantly practical and applied focus. Students will be required to complete exercises related to communicative situations typical of dialogue interpreting, including:

· Active listening and memorization exercises

· Oralization of texts (from written to spoken discourse) and reading/oral production techniques

· Summarizing oral messages

· Syntactic and lexical reformulation

· Sight translation (into and from the target language)

· Documentation and preparatory activities for dialogue interpreting

· Dialogue interpreting in complex contexts through simulations of real-life situations in specialized commercial and socio-healthcare settings

· Managing conflict and turn-taking in dialogue interpreting

Great importance will be given to linguistic and communicative competence in both the foreign language and the student’s native language. To this end, numerous activities will be proposed to strengthen listening, comprehension, and oral production skills in both Italian and Spanish.

Readings/Bibliography

The list does not constitute a set of required readings, but rather a collection of methodological resources that are extremely useful for successfully following the course.

 

Amato, A. (2012). L’interprete nel contesto medico. Bologna: Clueb.

Arumí Ribas, M. (2018). La interpretación dialógica como práctica estratégica. Análisis de la toma de decisiones de cinco intérpretes en los Servicios Públicos. Meta, Volume 63, Number 1, April 2018, 118–138.

Bertozzi, M., González Rodríguez, M.J., Russo, M. (2021). “Interpretare tra spagnolo e italiano”. In Russo, M. (ed.), Interpretare da e verso l’italiano. Bologna: BUP, 289-314.

Briz, A. (2008). Saber hablar. Aguilar-Instituto Cervantes, Madrid.

Collados Aís, A., M. M. Fernández Sánchez (eds.) (2001). Manual de interpretación bilateral. Comares, Granada.

González Rodríguez, M. J. (2014). "La interpretación bilateral como disciplina de especialización: formación y perspectivas en investigación", Skopos Revista Internacional de Traducción 5, 59-76, https://www.uco.es/ucopress/ojs/index.php/skopos/issue/archive

González Rodríguez, M. J. (2021). "Quieres ser intérprete? Las competencias en interpretación dialógica, su adquisición y desarrollo". In San Vicente, Félix e Bazzocchi, Gloria (ed.), LETI (Lengua española para traducir e interpretar). Bologna: CLUEB, 371-392.

González Rodríguez, M. J. e Radicioni, M. (2021). “Interpretazione umanitaria”. In Russo, M. (ed.), Interpretare da e verso l’italiano. Bologna: BUP, 373-394.

Niemants, N. (2021). “Teoria e prassi dell’interpretazione dialogica”. In Russo, M. (ed.), Interpretare da e verso l’italiano. Bologna: BUP, 41-60.

Niemants, N. e Bernardi, E. (2021). “Interpretare per i servizi sociosanitari”. In Russo, M. (ed.), Interpretare da e verso l’italiano. Bologna: BUP, 395-414.

Russo, M., Mack, G. (2005). Interpretazione di trattativa. La mediazione linguistico-culturale nel contesto formativo e professionale. Milano: Hoepli.

Spinolo, N. (2021). “La interpretación dialógica en ámbito sociosanitario”. In San Vicente, Félix e Bazzocchi, Gloria (ed.), LETI (Lengua española para traducir e interpretar). Bologna: CLUEB, 415-432.

Trovato, G. (2011). "La interpretación bilateral: algunas reflexiones metodológicas en torno a la combinación lingüística español-italiano", Revista Electrónica de Didáctica del Español Lengua Extranjera 23.

Wadensjö, C. (2002). “The double role of a dialogue interpreter”. In F. Pöchhacker & M. Shlesinger (eds.) The Interpreting Studies Reader. London: Routledge, pp. 355-370.

Teaching methods

The course will consist primarily of practical and collaborative sessions, with practical exercises starting from the very first lessons. All teaching materials used during the classes, together with additional resources for independent practice, will be made available on the Virtuale platform.

For each topic covered within the two main subject areas (business and healthcare/social services), students will receive preparatory materials in advance to help them acquire the essential domain-specific terminology. This vocabulary will then be consolidated through classroom activities. Students will also engage in exercises designed to develop their ability to memorize and reformulate content based on listening to and watching audio and video materials in Italian and Spanish. These activities will also aim to enhance students’ ability to identify and accurately convey communicative intentions and informational content in a coherent and well-organized manner.

In addition, students will practise both active and passive sight translation. These exercises are intended not only to develop concentration, quick thinking, and a repertoire of linguistic and intercultural automatisms, but also to familiarize students with sight translation as a professional task commonly required in dialogue interpreting settings.

Finally, the course will include role-play activities in which students will take turns acting as dialogue interpreters between Italian and Spanish. For part of the course, a native speaker of Spanish will co-teach the classes, providing continuous methodological and linguistic feedback on the role-play activities while helping to recreate a communicative environment that closely reflects real professional practice.

Assessment methods

It is strictly forbidden to use AI during the exam. Any violation of this rule will be considered a serious breach of academic ethics.

To demonstrate achievement of the intended learning outcomes, students will be assessed throughout the course on the basis of an optional group assignment set by the instructor (worth up to 2 bonus points) and will take a final oral examination.

The group assignment will consist of an oral presentation in Spanish to be delivered in class. The presentation will be based on a research article selected from a list provided by the instructor (further details will be given during the course). The presentation may be followed by brief questions from either the instructor or the class.

The group assignment will be assessed according to the following criteria: ability to synthesize information, clarity of presentation, knowledge of the topic, and command of the language.

The final oral examination consists of:

• sight translation (Spanish into Italian and Italian into Spanish) of a text of approximately 200 words (interlingual task);

• a dialogue interpreting role-play involving the simulation of a dialogue interpreting scenario in one of the domains covered in the course (interlingual task).

The two components of the final examination carry equal weight in determining the final grade. Students must obtain a passing mark in both components in order to pass the examination.

Grading scale for the final exam:

· 30–30L (cum laude): Excellent performance, demonstrating full mastery of interpreting techniques and oral language skills (active and passive), outstanding quality of delivery, and excellent management of the interlinguistic and intercultural communicative situation.

· 27–29: Above-average performance, showing very good command of interpreting techniques and oral language skills (active and passive), high-quality delivery with only minor content or form inaccuracies, and very good handling of the interlinguistic and intercultural communicative situation.

· 24–26: Satisfactory performance, with some difficulties in the use of interpreting techniques and/or issues in the form or content of the oral delivery, but demonstrating an overall appropriate ability to manage the interlinguistic and intercultural communicative situation.

· 21–23: Sufficient performance, but with noticeable problems in interpreting techniques and/or significant content and form inaccuracies in the oral delivery, and a limited ability to manage the interlinguistic and intercultural communicative situation.

· 18–20: Barely sufficient performance, with serious technical shortcomings and/or substantial inaccuracies in the form and content of the delivery, and poor management of the interlinguistic and intercultural communicative situation.

· Fail (Insufficient): The performance demonstrates inadequate acquisition of the knowledge, skills, and competences expected in the field of Spanish-Italian dialogue interpreting.

 

Students with specific learning difficulties (SpLD) or with disabilities that can affect their ability to attend courses are invited to contact the University service for students with disabilities and SLD at the earliest opportunity -- ideally before the start of the course: https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students. The University service will suggest possible adjustments to the course work and/or exam, which must then be submitted to the course leader so they can assess their feasibility, in line with the learning objectives of the course. Please note that adjustments to the exam must be requested at least two weeks in advance.

Teaching tools

Computer with speakers and projector

Textual and audiovisual materials

Virtuale platform of the course

In addition to attending lessons, students are strongly encouraged to practice regularly, both individually and in small groups, and to record and self- and peer-evaluate their performances.

Office hours

See the website of Nicoletta Spinolo