82026 - Media Communication (Spanish)

Learning outcomes

The student - knows the basic features (terms, concepts and methods) needed for the study of the structure, functions and textual organization of the Spanish language - knows the basic techniques required for information mining, drafting, editing and revising texts - is able to understand, analyze and coherently produce complex written texts (but also oral speeches) belonging to various specialized text types and genres, particularly multimedia ones

Course contents

The course is organized into three combined parallel streams aiming at the single, combined goal of furthering professional writing in public communication registers, both printed (as in traditional media: e.g., newspapers) and digital:

Path 1 focuses on Spanish professional writing exercises, from sentence level to full texts, that will be worked upon once a week. Printed and digital genres and writing styles will be underscored and contrasted. Final, text-level exercies will be revised in class in the next meeting.

Path 2 focuses on both oral and written one-to-many communication, through group presentations, whose contents cotribute to the overal course goals:

1.     Cognitive biases, which may skew translators’ rational train of thoughts and result in poor writing and translations. By raising awareness of cognitive biases, students should also develop a critical mindset to identify problems in the originals written by third parties;

2.     Rhetorical figures. Students should develop a professional, technical approach to writing that includes effects and devicesthat will add and modulate the desired effects, so as to better serve their communicative purpose. Again, by raising awareness of the intentional or haphazard use of rhetoric in third-party originals, student should become better prepared to consciously streamline their communicative intentions and steer their writing expertise to achieve their purposes;

3.     Clichés. Professional writing should make a critical use of clichés, so as to employ them when they are strategic and avoid them when adequate:

4.     International writing norms. Students will become familiar with the style guidelines of international organizations, so as to make sure that their writing accommodates to standards and approved usage:; and

5.     Students will review the basics of orthotypography and page layout, so as to become better prepared for teamwork in text production.

 

Path 3 will let students develop a website with a topic of their choice, with the default suggestion of building their own freelance translator page.

Readings/Bibliography

Camús, Juan Carlos. Tienes cinco segundos. Gestión de contenidos digitales. Disponible en http://tienes5segundos.cl/pdfs/libro-tienes5segundos-final.pdf

Contreras, Ana M^a. y Rodolfo J. Ochoa Jiménez. 2010. Manual de redacción científica. Guadalajara, MX: Ediciones de la noche.

El País. 2014. Libro de estilo de El País. Nueva edición actualizada. Madrid: PRISA.

Franco, Guillermo. Cómo escribir para la web. Austin, TX: Centro Knight para Periodismo en las Américas.

Fuentes Arderiu, X., F. Antoja Ribó & M. J. Castiñeiras Lacambra. [s.d.]. Manual de estilo para la redacción de textos científicos y profesionales. Disponible en http://www.bio-nica.info/Biblioteca/Fuentes&Antoja.pdf

López Jiménez, Caridad B., Ileana Regla Alfonso Sánchez & Ileana Armenteros Vera, eds. 2011. Redacción y edición de documentos. La Habana: Editorial Ciencias Médicas.

Martínez de Sousa, José. 1987. Diccionario de ortografía técnica. Madrid: Fundación Germán Sánchez Ruipérez.

Martínez de Sousa, José. 2004. Ortografía y ortotipografia del español actual. Gijón: Trea.

Martínez de Sousa, José. 2008. Diccionario de usos y dudas del español actual. Gijón: Trea.

RAE. 2015. Diccionario panhispánico de dudas. Madrid: RAE.

RAE. 2018. Libro de estilo de la lengua española: según la norma panhispánica. Madrid: RAE.

Senplades. 2015. Manual de estilo y redacción. Quito: Secretaría Nacional de Planificación y Desarrollo.

Unidad de Comunicación. [s.d.] Manual y guías para la administración y uso del sitio web. Montevideo: Universidad de la República.

Fundeu BBVA. https://www.fundeu.es/

Unos tipos duros https://www.unostiposduros.com/

Teaching methods

This is a hands-on course, where students will work in all three paths every week. The course will be based on a continuous work in class with assignments of both individual and team tasks.

Assessment methods

Course attendance should always be above 70%.

Throughout the course, orientational formative assessment will be used to monitor students’ progress and also to offer them feedback.

The final course grade will result from a summative evaluation, resulting from the addition of partial scores on writing exercises (33%), oral presentations (2 for each student, 17% each), and website quality, as presented and defended by the end of the course (33%)

The exam will consist of:

(a) a written test (with a text completion task, followed by description and examples of cognitive biases, rhetorical devices, cliches, international writing norms and page layout procedures);

(b) an oral test, where students will individually present their websites.

Teaching tools

Students will be provided with assignments, text materials and revisions through individual and class-wide DropBox folders.

Any other arrangements and circumstances will be dealt with through Moodle.

Office hours

See the website of Ricardo Munoz Martin