89908 - Translation - English 2 (LM)

Learning outcomes

The course aims at introducing contemporary theoretical debates in Translation Studies, and at providing the students with the methodologies and the tools necessary to translate different text-types. Lectures will provide an overview of scholarly research on translation, from a theoretical, methodological and applied point of view. The students are expected to become expert in the translation, from English into Italian and from Italian into English, of different text-types, both specialized and semi-specialized, in particular in the fields of tourism and business/institutional advertising, and become aware of the problems encountered and the strategies employed, especially to deal with issues arising from cultural differences and language for specific purposes. They are made familiar with the professional task of the translator, the role of the client and the purpose/function of a translation. They are also made aware of the tools and techniques of new technologies in translation research and practice. Language classes aim at improving students linguistic competence; over the two year period students knowledge of English should reach the level C2 according to the European framework in all four abilities. These classes will work in connection with the lectures to improve students writing skills in particular.

Course contents

The course is for students of the second level degree course in “Language, Society and Communication” (LSC). It will be offered in the first term (all term) and will be divided into 2 related modules, i.e., Translation-English 2/'Modulo didattico' and Translation-English 2/'Modulo di titolarità' (in this order).

Please not that, conversely, the courses of Translation-English 1 (second term) and Translation-English 2 (first term) are not related; students may choose 1 course or the other, or both, in any order.

 

Course contents: Translation Studies - Theory and Practice

The course combines a theoretical and a practical approach to translation, focusing on translation from English into Italian, and vice versa. At the end of the course, students will be expected to be familiar with contemporary debate in Translation Studies, be able to apply different translation methods to the task of translating a variety of text-types and engage critically with artificial intelligence (IA).

 

 

Module 1 (30 hours)

The first module introduces students to key aspects of translation from the perspective of Translation Studies and explores different approaches to translation as both a professional practice and an academic discipline. Students will translate short authentic texts in the commercial, promotional and institutional domains, primarily from English into Italian and, to a lesser extent, in the opposite direction, also engaging with localisation and transcreation practices. Throughout the translation and revision process, particular attention will be paid to the different stages of the translation process, beginning with the analysis of the context, text type and communicative functions of both the source and target texts.

The module also provides an overview of current translation technologies and introduces documentation techniques, equipping students with the fundamental tools and specialised competences required in professional translation settings. The technologies covered include computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools, machine translation (MT) systems and generative AI tools. Students will also engage in pre-editing, post-editing, prompting and the critical use of generative AI to support different stages of the translation process.

 

Module 2 (30 hours)

The second module further develops students' theoretical, methodological and practical competences through the study of key theories and perspectives in Translation Studies that have shaped the evolution of the discipline. Practical activities will focus primarily on the translation of authentic tourism communication texts, including promotional content from websites and popular travel articles published in travel magazines, predominantly from English into Italian. Translation will be approached as a form of linguistic and cultural mediation, supported by the critical and informed use of AI tools throughout the translation process.

Within the field of audiovisual translation, particular attention will be devoted to translation for accessibility and, more specifically, to museum audio description for blind and visually impaired audiences, including translation from Italian into English.

Theoretical and methodological issues will be consistently integrated with practical translation activities, with attention being paid to both the translation process and the final product. Students will examine the different stages of the translation process, from analysing the context, text type and communicative functions of the source and target texts to evaluating translation choices in light of both the opportunities and the limitations offered by AI tools.

 

The course will also include language classes (Esercitazioni).

 

The mode of delivery will be in presence, following the University rules.

 

NOTE: Students are strongly advised to have a high level of language competence (reading and writing skills) in both English and Italian in order to be able to successfully complete the course.

 

 

Readings/Bibliography

Selected articles from:

Venuti, Lawrence (ed.) (2026), The Translation Studies Reader, 5th Edition, Routledge.

The text will be available for students at the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures library. The text is available in paperback and as an e-book.

 

Further required reading:

• Nord, Christiane (2018), Translating as a Purposeful Activity: Functionalist Approaches Explained, 2nd Edition, London/New York: Routledge (selected chapters).

• Nord, Christiane (1991/2005), Text Analysis in Translation. Theory, Methodology, and Didactic Application of a Model for Translation-Oriented Text Analysis (revised 2^nd ed), Leiden: Brill (selected chapters).

Further bibliographical information will be provided during the course, according to the activities carried out in class. Students will be provided with a list of brief articles/chapters through which they will be able to explore selected aspects related to the course. A list of recommended dictionaries will also be offered.

The texts for translation practice will be made available online in advance or in class: it will be the students’ responsibility to bring them to class in the format they are more comfortable with.

Finally, students will be able to access a selection of the class PPTs online on the Virtuale page of the course.

As regards the language component (Esercitazioni), a ‘dispensa' will be available on Dottor James' Virtuale page before the start of classes.

Teaching methods

Official course (Translation Studies):

Module 1 will include:

· lectures introducing key theoretical notions, translation methods and tools;

· study of course texts and other individual/group activities (e.g., text analysis, translation and revision);

· practical sessions involving translation tasks and discussion of translation problems and strategies.

Module 2 will include:

· lectures introducing key theoretical notions and translation methods;

· study of course texts and other individual/group activities (e.g. translation and creation of resources);

· practical sessions involving translation tasks and discussion of translation problems and strategies.

Active class participation is strongly encouraged.

In particular, the practical sessions offer the opportunity to focus on translation problems, look for diverse solutions and discuss the effects of different translation choices, as well as to apply the theoretical notions illustrated in class. Hands-on activities will involve translation and text analysis exercises (carried out individually or in small groups), the correction of and reflection on translations to focus on diverse possible problem-solving strategies, and post-translation revision activities (peer review), also critically engaging with AI.

Language component (Esercitazioni):

The course will include 36 hours of language classes (Esercitazioni), which will be held by Dottor Nigel James.

Language classes aim at the acquisition of communicative language skills through various activities. The main focus is on the translation, from Italian into English, of a wide variety of text-types. Principal text-types include: tourism-related texts, technical brochures, promotional material, and abstracts of articles related to translation and new technologies.

Assessment methods

Official course (Translation Studies):

Assessment will be through a written exam only (exams take place twice in each exam session).

As regards the practical and methodological part, a written examination will be offered after the end of the course; the theoretical part will be assessed either through a midterm exam or a final test in the official exam sessions.

The midterm exam includes two theoretical tests: one at the end of the first module and another one at the end of the second module.

The final exam is divided into two parts:

· a translation task from English into Italian and a translation commentary based on the model offered by Christiane Nord centred on the analysis of the commissioner’s expectations (analysis of the source text purpose, addressees, etc.), analysis of the source text and discussion of the method and the main translation problems encountered (90 minutes);

· a theoretical test regarding Translation Studies, only for students who have not taken the midterm exam (30 minutes).

The two parts of the final exam must be taken in the same “appello”. In the first part, which is addressed to everybody, students are required to translate and analyse a short text (around 250 words). The text-type to be translated will be among those dealt with during the course. In the second part, as well as in the midterm exam, students are expected to show familiarity with and apply the key translation theories discussed during the course.

The exam will be on the computer, with a limited access to resources for the practical part.

Despite the critical engagement with AI for educational purposes throughout the course, the use of AI tools in any form during examinations is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, chatbots, text generation systems, advanced translation tools, content summarization tools, and AI functionalities integrated into electronic devices. Any use of such tools, however minimal, constitutes a breach of academic integrity.

 

Language component (Esercitazioni):

In addition, there will be a written exam on the language component of the course (Esercitazioni). This exam, which is the same for attendees and non-attendees, will be a practical translation, from Italian into English, of approximately 200 words. It will be of a type similar to the text-types offered during the course. Time allowed to perform the task is 60 minutes. The use of monolingual and bilingual dictionaries is permitted.

The exam will be on paper.

The two written exams (the final official course exam and the esercitazioni exam) can be taken in any order and it is not obligatory to take/pass both exams in the same exam session.

 

Students with SLDs or temporary or permanent disabilities: we suggest that you contact the relevant university office ( https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) and your teacher immediately to work together to find the most effective strategies for attending classes and/or preparing for exams.
Any requests for exam accommodations must be made at least 15 days before the date of the exam, by sending an email to the teacher and copying (Cc) the email address disabilita@unibo.it [mailto:disabilita@unibo.it] (in case of disability) or dsa@unibo.it [mailto:dsa@unibo.it] (for students with Specific Learning Difficulties).

 

Marking criteria

Official course (Translation Studies):

Assessment is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate that they understand key issues related to translation theory and practice and are able to make informed translation decisions and justify the choices made.

Evaluation of the translation task will be based on the student's performance in the various components of the exam. Translation practice, from English into Italian, will be evaluated along a range of possibilities typically related to translation, i.e., positively, from ‘brilliant' to ‘appropriate' and to ‘satisfactory' (which broadly correspond to ‘excellent', ‘good', ‘satisfactory'), or negatively, from ‘inappropriate', to ‘undesirable'/‘approximative'/‘misleading' and to ‘containing serious errors'. Students' ability to solve translation problems with limited resources available will be assessed.

Evaluation of the commentary will be based on the student’s ability to apply the model used during the course to the practical analysis of source texts, contextualise their translation activity and describe their specific translation choices, as well as on their proficiency in the English language.

Evaluation of the theoretical test will be based on knowledge and critical understanding of the main theories of Translation Studies and their application.

Thus, students will obtain an excellent mark if they produce an accurate and effective translation, from a linguistic, communicative and editing perspective, if they show the ability to critically justify their translation choices and if they show a good knowledge of the main theories of translation. Students who produce a mediocre translation, who justify their choices in a mechanical way and who show an imprecise knowledge of the main translation theories without the capacity to apply them will pass the exam but with a low mark. Finally, students who display seriously insufficient translation competence, analytical capacity and theoretical awareness will not pass the exam.

 

Language component (Esercitazioni):

In order to obtain a good pass mark, students must: focus attention on the source message in both linguistic/stylistic features and subject matter; bring the target text closer to the target reader whilst adhering as closely as possible to the linguistic elements of the source text. Lexico-grammatical accuracy is of major importance. Papers will be assessed on the basis of language requirements at the C2 level of the Common European Framework.

The final mark for the entire course is calculated as follows: the score obtained in the Translation Studies exam (2/3 of the mark) will be added to the score obtained in the language component exam (1/3 of the mark) in order to obtain a final average mark in the course.

Students cannot refuse a passing mark (a score of at least 18/30) in any of the single (partial) exams taken. Only the final average mark itself can be refused, obliging the student in that case to take each single exam again. Marks obtained remain valid for 4 exam sessions only, including the sessions they were taken in.

Students are advised to regularly consult the personal web page of Professor Manfredi (https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/marina.manfredi/en) and that of the professor responsible for module 2, Professor Antonella Luporini (https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/antonella.luporini), where all notices are kept up to date, as well as that of their language teacher, Dott. James (https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/nigel.james/en ).

 

Teaching tools

Lectures will make use of Power Point presentations.

Texts to be analysed/translated will be presented in digital format. Online dictionaries and other digital resources may be used during the course. AI tools will also be used.

Links to further information

https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/marina.manfredi/ ; https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/antonella.luporini

Office hours

See the website of Marina Manfredi

See the website of Antonella Luporini