ENGLISH LINGUISTICS AND TRANSLATION

Academic Year 2022/2023 - Teacher: Francesca Maria VIGO

Expected Learning Outcomes

1.Knowledge and understanding

Knowledge of the vocabulary, morphosyntactic and pragmatic aspects of the English language at C1+ level (CEFR). Being familiar with what Discourse is and how it is construed through language and emotions. Knowledge and understanding how a verbal or multimodal text can be analysed and understood by means of the tools provided by Discourse Analysis. Being aware of the main translation research lines within Translation Studies and know translation strategies and translation tools.

2.Applying knowledge and understanding

Being able to identify the main language items necessary to perform a fruitful analysis of discourse, including those related to the various text types or to the exploitation of emotions. Being able to apply the acquired knowledge to translate texts of various types. Being able to apply the acquired knowledge to different types of texts, placing them in a given social context to highlight how the language, together with emotions, can be a tool of persuasion, influence and discrimination.

3. Making judgements

Drawing on the acquired knowledge and skills, being able to autonomously recognise linguistic and semiotic items, also informed by emotions, relevant to the analysis of a text in a given social context.

4. Communication skills

Achievement of the C1+ level competence of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), as for both written and oral skills.

5. Learning skills

Self-assessment of the acquired language skills; awareness of one's own learning needs and goals; ability to understand and interpret a text in English for professional growth; ability to express one's own thoughts in English in different contexts and for different communicative purposes; ability to use varied sources of information

Course Structure

Lectures and language practice classes.

The course is entirely taught in English.

Required Prerequisites

B2+ level of English. General Linguistics basic knowledge, translation studies. IT skills: excel, word, ms office.

Attendance of Lessons

attendance is not compulsory

Detailed Course Content

Thematically, the course consists of two modules: Emotions and Discourse Analysis, and Translation. Language classes are also part of the course. The second module focuses on Translation Studies, as a discipline, from its birth to the latest developments and to translation as a practice with reference to various text types mainly from English into Italian.

MODULE 1 – Emotions and Discourse Analysis

The course starts off from the concept of ‘discourse’, defining its research scope together with analytical tools and techniques. After this first introductory phase, more attention will be devoted to the role emotions play in the construction of discourse, and how discourse manages to exploit emotions strategically by means of language items, in return. Special attention will be given to the analysis of contemporary texts.

MODULE 2 – Translation, Discourse and Emotions

The module presents Translation Studies as a discipline, specifically focusing on translation and text typology, translation and text/discourse analysis, considering translation strategies.

The module has a twofold aim: on the one hand strengthening the translation strategies students acquired during their BA course through practice, on the other widening the students’ knowledge with reference to Translation Studies. Students will work, mainly, on direct translation: English to Italian.

Language practice

Students will be also offered language classes, which are part of the course.

Textbook Information

Compulsory texts.

Paltridge, Brian, 2012, Discourse Analysis. An Introduction, London : Bloomsbury, pp.224
James Paul Gee, 2014, An Introduction to Discourse Analysis- Theory and method, London/New York: Routledge. (chap. 2 What is discourse analysis) (pp. 14).
Mackenzie J. Lachlan & Alba-Juez, Alura (eds), 2019, Emotions in Discourse, Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins (Introduction, pp 1-2; Chap. 1, pp. 3-28; Chap. 2 pp. 29-54; Chap. 3 pp. 55-86; Chap. 6 pp. 139-159).
Busch, Brigitta, 2020, Chap. 15 ‘Discourse, Emptions and Embodiment’ in De Fina, Anna & Georgakopoulou, Alexandra, The Cambridge Handbook of Discourse Studies, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 327-349.
Lindquist, Kristen A., Satpute, Ajay B. and Gendron, Maria, 2015, Does Language Do More That Communicate Emotions?’, Current Directions in Psychological Science, Vol. 24 (2) pp. 99-108, DOI: 10.1177/0963721414553440
Munday, Jeremy, 2016 Introducing Translation Studies. Theories and Applications. London: Routledge, 376 pp.
Schäffner, Christina, 2019, Translation and discourse Analysis,

Slovo.ru: baltiс accent, Vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 28-42. Doi: 10.5922/2225-5346-2019-3-2.

Please remember that in compliance with art 171 L22.04.1941, n. 633 and its amendments, it is illegal to copy entire books or journals, only 15% of their content can be copied.

For further information on sanctions and regulations concerning photocopying please refer to the regulations on copyright (Linee Guida sulla Gestione dei Diritti d’Autore) provided by AIDRO - Associazione Italiana per i Diritti di Riproduzione delle opere dell’ingegno (the Italian Association on Copyright).

Learning Assessment

Learning Assessment Procedures

compulsory written exam to be taken before the oral one

Mid-term exams are also part of the course, though not compulsory. The first one concerns MODULE 1. Students will be asked to hand in a project to be discussed orally. The project must be handed in 15 days before the oral exam. Accuracy, vocabulary, rhetoric skills, and consistency will be assessed.

The second one concerns MODULE 2 and aims at verifying the skills in translation. Students will translate a text and will add comments with reference to the translation process.

If both mid terms exams are positively assessed, students will finalize their exams with an oral production with native speakers.

Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises

The oral exam is in English. Following is a list of possible topics to discuss during the oral exam:

Read the text and identify useful items for DA (Discourse Analysis)
In the following text, what language and discourse strategies are at play to support the author’s point of view?
In the following text, how is ………….. described and depicted?
Reading the following text, what kind of information on what is described are provided?
How is context described in the following text?
What emotion level does the author rely on?
In the following text, what role do emotions have (or seem to have)? And how are they expressed linguistically?
Considering the birth of Translation Studies, discuss Holmes’ proposal (maps included) in terms of completeness of the items considered.
Considering the development of Translation Studies, what role did the cultural and sociological turns play?

Read the following text and identify possible translation problems

VERSIONE IN ITALIANO

Corso di laurea magistrale in

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