KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: To confirm and improve competence in the C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages with a focus on domain- specific discourse in English.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Through individual assignments, students will acquire the appropriate knowledge and understanding of the C1 level of the CEFR according to the social purpose of the legal and scientific texts. Making evaluations: Students will acquire technical competence on textual analysis in order to become independent and critical cultural mediators.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Feedback to individual assignments will offer the students the opportunity to develop and enhance their communicative skills according to the social and academic purpose of the language.
The course is divided into four modules. The first focuses on specialised discourse in general and its characteristics as discussed in Gotti (2011). The second module aims to give an overview of three types of language varieties, or ‘specialised discourses': the language of the news, the language of politics and the language of the law. The main features of each are outlined and examples of these text types are discussed and analysed in class (Thorne 2008). Some notions pertaining to Critical Discourse Analysis are introduced, particularly with reference to political and news discourses. The third module introduces the interdiscipline of Translation Studies and the main theoretical perspectives that have emerged within the field in the last fifty years. The fourth and final part of the course presents the notion of specialised or 'non-literary translation' (Grego 2010; Rogers 2015). A translation workshop continuing over several lessons in which text analysis and practical experience and discussion of translational solutions will provide students with the skills and approaches necessary for the 'prova in itinere', the analysis and translation of a short specialised text from English into Italian.
1. Introduction to course, modules, and bibliography
2. Module 1. From Specialised Discourse to Specialised Translation: definition of LSP, Community of Practice, Discourse Community - linguistic features of Specialised Discourse (lexical, syntactic and textual features of specialised text. (Gotti 2011)
3. Module 2. From language varieties to microlanguages: The language of Politics, The language of Law, The language of Newspapers (Thorne 2008)
4. Module 3. Perspectives and Approaches to Translation: an overview of key theories in Translation Studies (Grego 2010; Rogers 2015)
5. Module 4. Specialised Translation. From theory to practice (materials and exercises available on Studium).
A. Clare – J.J. Wilson, Speakout, Advanced, (Student’s Book + Workbook), 2012, Units 4; 6; 8; 9; 10;
M. Foley – D. Hall, My Grammar Lab (advanced C1/C2), Harlow, Pearson, 2012. Moduli da definire.
Specialised discourse
M. Gotti, Investigating Specialized Discourse, Bern Peter Lang, 2011 (Capp. 1, 2, 3, 4);
S. Thorne, Advanced English Language, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2008 (3a ed.) (Capp. 11, 15, 17).
Specialised Translation
K. Greco, Specialized Translation, Polimetrica, 2010. Selected chapters.
M. Rogers, Shedding the non-literary tag, Palgrave, 2015. Selected chapters
Selected readings and articles will be made available on the course platform Studium.unict.it
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).
All the books listed in the programs can be consulted in the Library.