Translation Studies MA (Distance Learning)

(Please note: For September 2020 entry, course modules will be changing to match that of the campus based MA Translation Studies programme. For February and April 2020 intakes, the modules will be as below. Please contact Emma Tyler for more details)

You will study five compulsory modules:

This introduces key concepts in the theory and practice of translation. It concentrates on general issues that arise when a text is rendered from and into your particular language combination. The process and product of translation are considered in relation to social and cultural contexts.
Assessment: Written assignment

This will familiarise you with the technology available to enhance the day-to-day work of translators. You will learn both theoretical and practical aspects of translation memories and machine translation, as well as discovering the possibilities for online terminological and text resources exploitation. This, combined with a clear view of the role of translation in the localisation industry, will equip you with the tools to work in the world of language services.
Assessment: One 4,000-word essay

This course looks at current issues in translation theory. The study of translation as a social practice takes into consideration the role of the translator in the transmission of identities, in shaping images of communities and in the spread of political and religious ideologies. Activities in this unit are designed to encourage participants to explore the possibilities open to the translator as an intercultural mediator.
Assessment: One 4,000-word essay

This module offers research training for professional translations and academic researchers. The main aim of this module is to show you the different types of research projects that can be undertaken within the field of translation either to improve your own practice or to fill in a gap in existing knowledge.
Assessment: One 4,000-word essay

This module explores the different aspects of the translation profession. The aim is to gain an understanding of how translation and translators work in the ‘real world’. The module provides an insight into the role and status of translators in society and the different aspects that are pertinent to the professional environment addressing all phases of a translation project, from setting up a translation company to the production of documents to industry specifications. Particular emphasis is given to conceptual and terminological research and to translation (and localisation) of a wide range of texts, such as media (subtitling in TV and film industry) and official and institutional documents.
Assessment: One 4,000-word (or equivalent) translation project

You will also choose one optional module from a range which typically includes:

This module first introduces you to the approaches and methods adopted in language teaching as part of the curricular design of translator training programmes. It then examines the approaches and methods used in translation teaching as part of the curricular design of modern language degrees. The main objective of the course is to make you appreciate the importance of language-enhancement activities in the development of translator competences as well as the relevance of translating for achieving language proficiency. We will therefore consider language and translation pedagogy as being closely related in the formation of multilingual language professionals.
Assessment: One 4,000-word essay

The aim of this module is to provide an overview of the major issues in the area of Multimodal Communication. Particular reference will be made to current social semiotic theories that take into consideration a diversity of communicative modes – language, image, music, sound and gesture – and to how these theories relate to the concerns of teachers and researchers in Applied Linguistics. Gesture and body language, for example, are discussed in relation to spoken discourse, and photography, visual design, colour, typography and layout are considered in relation to written discourse.
Assessment: Written assignment

In addition to your taught modules, you will complete a 15,000-word research project. You can choose to complete this in one of two ways:

• Traditional written dissertation: a substantial piece of independent research totalling 15,000 words.
• Extended translation project: you will translate a 7,500 word text of your choice, drawing on appropriate theories, methodologies and approaches to the translation of different text-type and genres, reflecting on issues such as target audience and function, and using a range of translation resources. You will also provide a 7,500-word commentary on the text in a separate analytical essay in English.