Introduction to Polish-English Translation

obligatory courses

The course provides students with practice in translating a variety of general texts and discusses the most typical translation problems. Its aims include: raising awareness of the translation process, providing guidelines on the stages of translation, presenting some typical problem-solving strategies, teaching students to go beyond dictionary equivalents and raising awareness and sensitivity to the different styles, registers and nuances of the source and target languages, as well as cultural associations.

This is a one-semester course which can be treated as a continuation of the course on English-Polish translation offered to II-year students within the Practical English curriculum. Here classes are devoted to practising Polish-English translation. The main aims of the course are:

- to raise awareness as to what the actual process of translation implies;

- to show the importance of translation as an act of communication taking place in a specific context;

- to give students the possibility of translating non-specialised texts that provide examples of typical translation problems;

- to present general guidelines as to the different stages of translation and some typical problem-solving strategies;

- to teach students to go beyond dictionary equivalents;

- to raise awareness and sensitivity to the different styles, registers and nuances of Polish and English usage, as well as to cultural associations;

- to raise awareness as to possible language errors and Polish interference in the target text.

Main issues discussed and practised:

- translation problems above word level (false friends, synonyms, word formation, terminology, wordplay);

- translating grammatical structures;

- translating thematic and information structures (reference, substitution and ellipsis, conjuction, grammatical and lexical cohesion);

- translation analysis at the pragmatic level (coherence, process of interpretation: implicature);

- looking at both source and target texts from the point of view of genre or text type, register, function, communicative context;

- how to use dictionaries and the Internet.

Types of texts:

- reviews (books, films, the theatre);

- news reports/news items (political, economic, social);

- magazine articles of general interest;

- essays (culture, literature, social studies);

- academic papers (linguistics, literature, social sciences);

- tourist texts (brochures, guides).

Because we have only fifteen weeks at our disposal, the choice of texts is left to the individual teacher.

Requirements and evaluation: Active participation in class and regular attendance. Students will be evaluated throughout the course on the basis of their written translations done in class and at home.

Baker, Mona (1992) In Other Words. A Coursebook on Translation, London & New York: Routledge.

Korzeniowska, Aniela & Piotr Kuhiwczak (2005 - 3rd ed.) Successful Polish-English Translation. Tricks of the Trade, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.

Korzeniowska, Aniela (1998) Explorations in Polish-English Mistranslation Problems, Warszawa: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego.

Macpherson, Robin (2006) English for Writers and Translators, Warszawa: Wydawnictwa Naukowe PWN.

Newmark, Peter (1995) Approaches to Translation, London & New York: Prentice Hall International.

Raised awareness as to the implications of the translation process. Improved translation skills.

Code reference: K_W07, K_U03,4, 5, 11,12, 13,17

K_W07 has basic knowledge of translation theories and is aware of complexities of the translation process.

K_U03 is able to express himself/herself in English correctly, with precision and coherence, adjusting language forms to the communicational context.

K_U04 is able to present the aquired knowledge in a clear and logical way in the oral and written form.

K_U05 is able to monitor and diagnose the correctness of the Polish and English languages in use.

K_U11 is able to appreciate the diversity of opinions presented in assigned reading and class discussions, using them as a source of inspiration rather than a threat to his/her own value system.

K_U012 is able to recognise cultural symbols and use cultural codes in interpersonal and intercultural discourse.

K_U013 is able to find information in different sources, evaluate its relevance and interpret it for theoretical and practical purposes in the context of English studies.

K_U17 knows English at least at the C1 level according to the European framework of reference for languages.

Written assignments (c. 5) and work in class.

The retake consists in translating new extra texts equal in number to the translations the students failed to submit and/or for which s/he received negative grades. The submitted translations must obtain positive grades.

Two or three (to be determined by a specific group teacher) formally justified absences are allowed.