78677 - Mediation - English (LM)

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to familiarize the students with theories of linguistic and cultural mediation and its diverse practical/professional applications. The students are expected to be able to apply the theoretical and practical tools learned in class to the needs of the public and social services, as well as to international and intercultural communication. They are also expected to progress to being able to independently monitor and update their skills and competence, also for the purpose of conducting autonomous research in the field. 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

This course aims to provide the students with an introduction to the process of mediating between cultures and languages through dialogue interpreting, translating, cultural mediation, etc.

The two basic leitmotifs in this course, in a comparative English-Italian perspective, are culture and language. The culture-language interface will be examined in a cross-cultural perspective through basic elements of sociolinguistics, pragmatics, field-specific terminology and politeness theory.

Video clips of communication between native-native and native-non native English speakers will be analyzed in class to see how verbal and non-verbal communication is negotiated, how comprehension is constructed collaboratively and how meaning emerges in a recursive process; interpersonal communication and meaning-creating strategies such as accommodation will be discussed.

Lessons focus on the ‘language mediator' and the public service interpreter (PSI) at the theoretical and practical level. Indeed, one of the premises for this course is that the language mediator is an essential link in the access to basic public services (legal, medical and social) for non-Italian speakers. (By ‘interpreting' we are here referring to the dialogic, face-to-face mode and not simultaneous conference interpreting.) We will discuss the strategies to adopt in the mediation process.

During the course of the lessons we will be discussing how this new profession has developed in Italy and how it compares to the emergence and development of the profession in other countries.

Given its function and status as a global language in a variety of contexts that are pertinent to this profession, there will be at least one lesson on the development of English as a global language, and exercises aimed at improving the comprehension and oral reproduction of ‘non-standard' varieties of English, especially African and Asian varieties. Micro-linguistic (morphological, lexical, syntax-related) as well as pragmatic cross-cultural differences will be addressed.

Guest speakers from local institutions that are pertinent to the profession will be invited.

The course teacher will be using audio-visual material to give concrete examples of how the work of the language mediator and the public service interpreter functions in practice.

The students will be invited to take an active part in the lessons through practical exercises to improve their speaking skills and oral presentations relating to the language-mediator profession, to improve presentation skills and to deepen their knowledge of the literature and theoretical aspects of the profession.

Practical work

Theory will be alternated with practical language exercises throughout the course. Beginning with general language texts we will gradually move on to the more technical field-specific language contained in the three sectors (business, medical, legal).

The practical work will be structured in the following manner:

1) oral translations (interpreting) of scripted dialogues with the course teacher;

2) oral translations (interpreting) of scripted dialogues in groups;

3) sight translation, progressively moving from simple to more complex texts, and oral translations (interpretation) of brief passages from television and internet;

4) spontaneous and/or prepared public peaking exercises;

5) preparation in groups of dialogues on subjects assigned to the class by the course teacher (terminology research);

6) some basic note-taking exercises.

A lesson on how to prepare and write the academic essay that constitutes one of the exam components is also included in this course.

The course programme and the written test are the same for those students who attend lessons as for non-attenders.

 

LM Mediazione: Language classes ("Lettorato/ Esercitazioni")

Language classes aim, on the one hand, at building on and expanding students' language skills and, on the other, at broadening students' knowledge of language and discursive aspects of English in the field of business/economics, law, health and social services. More precisely, students work towards improving their oral and written skills by means of text production. In addition, classes work on the oral exposition of topics through PowerPoint presentations.

 

Study material will be available online (portal Prof. Rudvin) and at the Master Copy and Ecrire copy centres in via Cartoleria.

 

Teacher: Nigel James.

Office hours: TBD. office 136, 4th floor, staircase B. Tel: 051-2094241. Email: nigel.james@unibo.it

Readings/Bibliography

Textbooks:

G. Garzone, M. Rudvin (2003), Domain-specific English and Language Mediation in a Professional and Institutional Setting, Milano, Arcipelago (this book can be found at the bookshop 'Capitello del Sole' in via Cartoleria)

S. Hale (2007) Community Interpreting, MacMillan

Heather Bowe and Kylie Martin (2007) Communication Across Cultures. Mutual Understanding in A Global World . Cambridge University Press

Rebecca Tipton and Olga Furmanke (2016), A Guide to Interpreting in Public Services and the Community, Routledge

 

Recommended reading:

A. Gentile, U. Ozolins, M. Vasilakakos, (1996), Liaison Interpreting. A Handbook, Melbourne, Melbourne University Press

Supplementary reading material will be available in the library and in the photocopying shop in Via Cartoleria ( MasterCopy). Some material will also be made available online.

All of the books on this list can be found in the Department library.

Teaching methods

As well as lectures on the theory of the discipline, much of the course will be interactive, based on the active participation of the students through discussions, oral presentations, role-play e various class exercises and the analysis of interpersonal communication strategies observed in selected audiovisual material.

Videos will be shown to illustrate visually the work of the interpreter/ language mediators in the legal and health settings and to generate class discussion on theoretical and practical aspects of this profession.

Assessment methods

 

The exam will consist of a written test and an oral test.

The evaluation of the students' competencies and abilities acquired during the course consists of a written test and an oral test aimed at ascertaining the students' language mediation skills. The written exam and essay/presentation will test the students' writing skills and their ability to produce a text in the English language using correct orthography, morphology, syntax, semantics and clarity of expression. The student must demonstrate an appropriate knowledge of the bibliography in the course programme. Students will be encouraged to give an oral presentation in class (not compulsory).

Those students who are able to demonstrate a wide and systematic understanding of the issues covered during the lessons, are able to use these critically and who master the field-specific language of the discipline will be given a mark of excellence. Those students who demonstrate a mnemonic knowledge of the subject with a more superficial analytical ability, a correct command of the language but not always appropriate, will be given a ‘fair' mark. A superficial knowledge and understanding of the material, a scarce analytical and expressive ability that is not always appropriate will be awarded a pass mark or just above a pass mark. Knowledge gaps in the subject matter, inappropriate language use, lack of familiarity with the literature in the programme bibliography will not be given a pass mark.

Exam - language classes

The exam accounts for 25% of the student‘s final mark.  The paper is compulsory for all students whether they attend language classes or not during the semester.

Papers will be assessed on the basis of language requirements at the C1 level of the Common European Framework and graded according to the degree of appropriacy of the topic's exposition; presentation of the information; adherence, as far as possible, to linguistic elements of the source text; lexico-grammatical accuracy.

 

 

Teaching tools

The course professor will use Power Point slides, internet sources, videos as well as photocopies and audio-visual material for the practical exercises.

For the Language Exercises (Esercitazioni, Nigel James) photocopies and audio-visual material will be used.

Office hours

See the website of Mette Rudvin