Draft Syllabus

Practical Training in Translation

Introduction to Translation

What is Translation, the role and ethics of the Translator

Nature of Language and possibilities of translation
Translation as a separate discipline
Translation as a linguistic procedure and as socially constructed and
oriented activity
Translation Theories and Methods

Advanced Grammar (supplementary) following a Proficiency Test

For English Language,

(Grammar lessons for Sinhala/Tamil should also be prepared as applicable)
Review of tenses (if necessary)
Transitive & intransitive verbs
Mono-transitive/ditransitive/complex-transitive, etc.
Use of passive version
Types of Simple Sentences (SV, SVC, SVO, SVOO, SVOC, etc)
Syntactic Analysis of Compound Sentences
Complex Sentences (a Comprehensive Clause Analysis)
Adjectival Clauses (grammatical function)
Adverbial Clauses (explain each type)
Nominal Clauses (grammatical unction)
Converting Simple to Compound, Compound to Complex Sentences
Any other clarifications

Translation of Administrative Documents

Familiarizing students with established terms in administrative

documents (Extracts from Establishments Code, Financial Regulations,
Procedural Rules, etc.)
Familiarizing students with the type of documents
In-class Translation (group activity) Translation of some texts &
Discussion
 Discussion of Models (by providing both source & target texts)
Letters/Memos & other internal Communications, Circulars, Gazette
Notifications, Cabinet Memoranda, Bid Notices, Audit Reports, Annual
Reports, Progress Reports, Project Proposals, Action Plans, Minutes, etc.

Take-home Assignments (individual task)

Translation of Technical & Scientific Texts

Characteristics of technical & scientific documents

Translation problems, principles and methods
Translating words, phrases and sentences
Terminology: theoretical bases and application to specialised translation.
Terminological problem solving
In-class Translation (group activity) Translation of short passages
Discussion of one model for each

Legal Translation

Characteristics of legal language

Legal translation problems, principles and methods
Translating legal words, phrases and sentences
In-class Translation (group activity) Translation of some texts &
Discussion
Discussion of Models (by providing both source & target texts)
Extracts from: the Constitution, By-laws, MOUs, Contracts &
Agreements, Acts/Bills & Ordinances, Deeds, etc.
Take-home Assignment/s (individual task)

Creativity in Translation (particularly, non-literary texts)

The translator as a creative writer & the degree of creativity in translation

In-class Translation (pair work) to assess creativity of the students
Texts for translation: Plaques, invitations & advertisements, Themes,
mottos, vision & mission statements, Messages, commendations,
Speeches, etc.
Discussion of Models (by providing both source & target texts)
Extracts from non-literary texts highlighting translators creativity
Strategies to use creativity in wider scope
Challenges in Translation
(an example-based analysis of source & target texts, which is more practical
than theoretical)

Translatability & non-equivalence

Challenges at deferent levels:
Words (lexical level)
Multiword Units: idioms and collocations
Grammatical level
Structural Level (syntactic level)
Semantics & Pragmatics Level
In-class Translation (group activity) Translation of challenging texts &
discussion
Take-home Assignments challenging texts (individual task)
Individual Assessment (based on assignments) to examine at which level
the student has more difficulties in translation and instruct to overcome
such difficulties

Bilingual Editing Skills (Post-translation Editing)

Screening for correct grammar, idiom and spelling

Keeping the argument and logic of the source text
Using consistent and correct terminology
Applying house-styles to the translation

Technology for Translation: Scope, Tools and Resources

Using internet for translation

Electronic dictionaries/glossaries
Machine Translation, CAT tools, etc.

Miscellaneous

Opportunities for translators

Becoming a sworn-translator
Registering as a translator in public/private institutions
Carrier development (local/foreign training)
Working with translation agencies

Valuable Reference Materials

Students Feedback
Final Assignment/s
To the teacher,

Learner-centered approach is preferred to teacher-centered approach

Learning is most effective when it is learner-centered which is to say, when

each learner (each student, but the teacher as well) has experiences and makes
discoveries on his or her own, and those experiences and discoveries arise out
of and are tied back into his or her previous experience and knowledge as well.
The teacher has to be willing to enter into a learner-centered environment to
work with his or her students to create that kind of environment. This means:

The teacher is not the source of all knowledge, but a facilitator of

students learning experiences, and a learner along with the students.

The students are not passive recipients of knowledge or knowhow but its
active generators, and thus teachers along with the teacher.

The discussion topics or exercises should be designed to help groups of

learners draw on what they already know in order to develop effective
strategies for finding out things that they dont yet know, and each group
will get different things from doing them.

Not all the discussion topics and exercises will work with all groups,
since people are different; the teacher must be prepared to fail with
some topics and exercises, and to try something else instead.