Dr Haiyan Liang
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Languages & Cultures School
This course is designed for native speakers of Mandarin Chinese and its dialects who speak English as a second language. It introduces to students the fundamental skills in Chinese to English translation through a variety of media and genres, both oral and written, drawn from sources including television, film, and formal and informal written texts. Specific training will be given in the selection of context appropriate English expression. The course is divided into modules designed to give students training in the translation of different genres including texts drawn from areas such as the popular press, literature, fiction and film. Students will be introduced to general skills required for Chinese to English translation and translation revision, utilising theoretical concepts and contrastive linguistic analysis, translation issues relating to each genre and specific translation issues raised by texts under study. Students will be guided through the production of a linguistically and culturally appropriate, idiomatic translation of the source text. This course is not recorded.
The course is divided into modules designed to give students training in the translation and revision of different genres including texts drawn from areas such as the popular press,ﾠliterature,ﾠfictionﾠandﾠfilm. Students will be introduced to general skills required for Chinese>English translation, revision and sight translation, utilising theoretical concepts and contrastive linguistic analysis, translation issues relating to each genre and specific translation issues raised by texts under study. Students will be guided through the production of a linguistically and culturally appropriate, idiomatic translation of the source text.
Course requirements
Assumed background
This course is (only) for native speakers of Chinese and its dialects.ﾠ It assumes the ability to read and understand newspaper standard Chinese, and to ﾠunderstand primary audio texts such as film.
ﾠ
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
CHIN3300
Restrictions
Restricted to students who are native speakers of Chinese.
Course staff
Course coordinator
Lecturer
Dr Haiyan Liang
Dr Chunxuan Shen
Ms May Zhang
Dr Shirley Wu
Dr Guangli Li
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
You attend one 2-hour "contact" class per week (there is no separate lecture or tutorial).
Public holidays:
Alternative arrangements for affected students will be announced through the Blackboard site.
Class allocation:
In order to optimise the student experience, it may be necessary to reallocate students to a different class from their first choice. Before this happens, every effort will be made to enable students to voluntarily change into an alternative class that is suitable.
Please note: Teaching staff do not have access to the timetabling system to help with class allocation. Therefore, should you need help with your timetable and/or allocation of classes, please ensure you email hass.mytimetable@uq.edu.au from your UQ student email account with the following details:
- Full name,
- Student ID, and
- the Course Code
Additional information and support can be found here.
Aims and outcomes
ﾠThis course aims to introduce to native speakers of Chinese the fundamental issues concerning translation and translation revision of common genres from Chinese into English.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
translate/revise common genres from Chinese into idiomatic English in a linguistically and culturally appropriate manner
LO2.
access and understand the application of a variety of translation resources and conduct translation revision
LO3.
appreciate diasporic differences across genres
LO4.
have a basic grasp of Hanyu Pinyin
LO5.
understand traditional and simplified character Chinese texts
LO6.
have a basic linguistic vocabulary to talk about texts
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiz |
Weekly e-quizzes on Bb
|
30% |
8/08/2025 5:00 pm 15/08/2025 5:00 pm 22/08/2025 5:00 pm 29/08/2025 5:00 pm 5/09/2025 5:00 pm 12/09/2025 5:00 pm 19/09/2025 5:00 pm 26/09/2025 5:00 pm 10/10/2025 5:00 pm 17/10/2025 5:00 pm 24/10/2025 5:00 pm 31/10/2025 5:00 pm
Due at 5 pm Friday from WEEK 2 to WEEK13. |
| Examination, Translation/ Interpretation |
In-semester exam (School Exam)
|
35% |
5/09/2025 9:04 pm
Friday, WEEK 6 The exam starts at 7:40 pm and is due at 9:04:59 pm. You have 10 minutes preparation time + 60 minutes working time + 15 minutes submission time. Please note, any exam submitted at exactly 9:05 pm will be automatically marked by Blackboard as "LATE". Your exam must be submitted by 9:04:59 pm at the latest. Regardless of when you start the exam, the final submission time is still 9:04:59pm. |
| Practical/ Demonstration, Translation/ Interpretation |
Oral Interview (Sight Translation)
|
35% |
10/11/2025 - 12/11/2025
Each student will be assigned a timeslot to take the exam between Monday 10 November to Wednesday 12 November 2025. Details will be published on Blackboard closer to date. |
Assessment details
Weekly e-quizzes on Bb
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
8/08/2025 5:00 pm
15/08/2025 5:00 pm
22/08/2025 5:00 pm
29/08/2025 5:00 pm
5/09/2025 5:00 pm
12/09/2025 5:00 pm
19/09/2025 5:00 pm
26/09/2025 5:00 pm
10/10/2025 5:00 pm
17/10/2025 5:00 pm
24/10/2025 5:00 pm
31/10/2025 5:00 pm
Due at 5 pm Friday from WEEK 2 to WEEK13.
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
Type: E-quizzes on Bb
Reading: 0 minutes
Duration: 20 minutes
Format: Translation and multiple-choice
Starting from Week 2, each Monday, an online quiz will be posted on the "Assessment" page on Blackboard, which you must complete before Friday 5 pm of the same week.
On an "odd" [单数] week (Weeks 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 & 13), the online quiz is a practical translation task or a translation revision task (consisting of 6-8 sentences) based on the contents of the preceding week(s) and/or that week. For instance, the quiz in Week 3 is about the contents in Weeks 1, 2 and/or 3 and the one in Week 5 is about the contents in Weeks 4 and/or 5, and so on so forth.
On an "even" [双数] week (Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 & 12), the online quiz is a multiple choice quiz (consisting of 8 questions) that tests what is discussed in that week's and the preceding week's Online Modules. There is only 1 correct answer for each of the 8 questions.
The best 10 e-quiz results for each student will be used to calculate the final mark for this assessment item.
You must complete an e-quiz in 20 minutes without interruption. So, be sure to use reliable internet, e.g. UQL.
No reading time is allowed. Note that for school and central based end-of-semester exams, perusal time must be either 0 or 10 minutes. This restriction does not apply to practical exams or any other form of assessment.
AI and MT Statement
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
Submit on Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
No extensions are allowed for this series of tasks as students are given a seven-day period to complete them, and only the best 10 out of 12 results will be used to calculate final mark for this assessment task. Individual results and correct answers are automatically released on a weekly basis. Timely engagement with these tasks supports sequential nature of learning in this course.
Late submission
Late submissions not accepted, as the task remains open for one week.
In-semester exam (School Exam)
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination, Translation/ Interpretation
- Weight
- 35%
- Due date
5/09/2025 9:04 pm
Friday, WEEK 6
The exam starts at 7:40 pm and is due at 9:04:59 pm. You have 10 minutes preparation time + 60 minutes working time + 15 minutes submission time. Please note, any exam submitted at exactly 9:05 pm will be automatically marked by Blackboard as "LATE". Your exam must be submitted by 9:04:59 pm at the latest. Regardless of when you start the exam, the final submission time is still 9:04:59pm.
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
The in-semester assessment will test students' knowledge and understanding of all the W1-W5 course content, particularly the in-class materials. Students will translate seen texts or texts similar to the in-class materials (25% of exam content) and an unseen text (75% of exam content), based on Newspaper Texts 1 & 2, and Film Texts 1 & 2. The unseen text is approximately 320 characters in length. The texts will represent the different genres studied in W1-W5 (i.e. news, film).
Students may have access to lecture notes and paper dictionaries during the exam.
The exam will be designed as an online Blackboard timed assessment and will be scheduled with a strict time limit of 60 minutes so that all students will complete the exam simultaneously.
Starting time: 7:40 pm
Duration: 10 minutes' planning + 60 minutes' working time + 15 minutes submission time.
You should make sure to access a reliable internet connection.
You may use online tools to support your work, but receiving unauthorised assistance from another person is considered academic misconduct.
AI and MT Statement
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Exam details
| Planning time | no planning time minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Open book examination - any written or printed material is permitted; material may be annotated |
| Exam platform | Other |
| Invigilation | Not invigilated |
Submission guidelines
10 minutes planning time + 60 minutes work time + 15 minutes submission time.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Late submission
Exams submitted after the end of the submission time will incur a late penalty.
Oral Interview (Sight Translation)
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Practical/ Demonstration, Translation/ Interpretation
- Weight
- 35%
- Due date
10/11/2025 - 12/11/2025
Each student will be assigned a timeslot to take the exam between Monday 10 November to Wednesday 12 November 2025. Details will be published on Blackboard closer to date.
- Other conditions
- Time limited, Secure.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
The final oral is an in-person sight translation task. It will test students' knowledge and understanding and application of the course content, particularly the in-class materials. Students will be required to sight translate one Chinese text into spoken English. Each document is around 300 characters long and will be handed out at the assessment venue. Students will have 10 minutes to prepare for sight translating each document and need to finish the task within the time limit of 7 minutes.
AI and MT STATEMENT
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Marker(s) will be assessing the students' performance during the exam and the entire process will be audio recorded.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
Each student must complete the task within 7 minutes. If the time limit is exceeded, penalties will apply. The teacher or examiner may terminate the exam at the 8-minute mark.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student has not submitted work of any substance. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Frequent comprehension errors, not only of the nuances but also of major points. Failure to recognise and/or convey the dominant function of the source text, be that defined in terms of the message, the style, the tone or other parameters. Frequent grammatical errors cause the meaning to be unclear or misunderstood. Generally unnatural and awkward target text, and many spelling or punctuation mistakes. Very limited variety in use of expressions and synonyms, and often used inappropriately in the context. Fails to consider the discourse structure and no restructuring evident. Fails to pay attention to the connection between sentences. Inappropriate use of terminology, and obvious failure to conduct the necessary background research. In a professional situation the translations/revisions would be considered highly inaccurate and require so much checking and rewriting that it would not be considered viable. Less than half of the quiz answers are correct. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Frequent comprehension errors, not only of the nuances but also of major points. Failure to satisfactorily recognise and/or convey the dominant function of the source text, be that defined in terms of the message, the style, the tone or other parameters. Frequent grammatical errors cause the meaning to be unclear or misunderstood. Generally unnatural and awkward target text, and many spelling or punctuation mistakes. Very limited variety in use of expressions and synonyms, and often used inappropriately in the context. Fails to consider the discourse structure and no restructuring evident. Fails to pay adequate attention to the connection between sentences. Inappropriate use of terminology, and obvious failure to conduct the necessary background research. In a professional situation the translations/revisions would be considered unsatisfactory and require inordinate checking and rewriting to make it viable. Less than half of the quiz answers are correct. |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Only average source text comprehension, with a general lack of understanding of the nuances. Generally accurate in the broad details, but with notable omissions in many key areas, and many inaccuracies in the minor details. Partial recognition of the dominant source text function, be that defined in terms of the message, the style, the tone or other parameters, but with some distortion of this function evident. The meaning is sometimes clear, but many grammatical errors present. Frequent awkwardness in the translation, and frequent spelling or punctuation mistakes. Idioms and figurative language are often misunderstood and/or mistranslated. Limited variety in the use of expressions and synonyms, and they are not always used appropriately in the context. Rarely considers the discourse structure and no evidence of restructuring. Sometimes pays attention to the connection between sentences, albeit with many obvious errors. Few attempts at using appropriate terminology, and necessary background research appears lacking. In a professional situation, the translations/revisions would require considerable checking and significant rewriting. Only half of the quiz questions are correct. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Good source text comprehension, including an understanding of some of the nuances and an ability to convey these nuances accurately, but with some errors or omissions in a few key areas which alter or detract from the source text meaning. Generally faithful to the dominant source text function, be that defined in terms of the message, the style, the tone or other parameters. A few instances of obvious grammatical errors. A few instances of awkwardness in the translation, and spelling or punctuation mistakes, which partially detract from the work as a whole. Some attempt to render idioms and figurative language, but not always with success. Limited variety in the use of expressions and synonyms. Rarely considers the discourse structure and the desirability of restructuring. Pays attention to the connection between sentences, albeit with a few major errors. Use of terminology is generally appropriate, and any necessary background research appears done in part. In a professional situation, the translations/revisions would require checking and rewriting in a few key areas. Most of the quiz answers are correct. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Very good source text comprehension, including an understanding of most of the nuances and an ability to convey these nuances accurately, but with some minor errors or omissions which do not majorly alter or detract from the source text meaning. Generally faithful to the dominant source text function, be that defined in terms of the message, the style, the tone or other parameters. A few minor grammatical errors. Occasional awkwardness in the translation, and occasional spelling or punctuation mistakes, which do not detract significantly from the work as a whole. Attempts have been made to render idioms and figurative language. Variety in the use of expressions and synonyms, and generally used appropriately in the context. Often considers the discourse structure and the desirability of restructuring. Pays attention to the connection between sentences, albeit with some minor lapses. Use of terminology is generally appropriate, and any necessary background research appears to have been done. In a professional situation, the translations/revisions would require some minor rewriting. Most of the quiz answers are correct. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Excellent source text comprehension, including an understanding of the nuances and an ability to convey these nuances accurately, without error. Faithful to the dominant function of the source text, be that defined in terms of the message, the style, the tone or other parameters. Negligible grammatical errors. Style is natural and acceptable, and there are virtually no spelling or punctuation mistakes. Idioms and figurative language are handled skilfully. Extensive range of expressions and synonyms, used appropriately in the context. Considers the discourse structure and the desirability of restructuring, and always pays attention to the connection between sentences. Use of terminology is always appropriate, without error, and any necessary background research has been done. Translations/revisions could be used in a professional situation with little checking or rewriting. Nearly all of the quiz answers are correct. |
Additional course grading information
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
See course Blackboardﾠsite_Learning Resources
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (28 Jul - 03 Aug) |
Workshop |
Week 1: ONLINE MODULE 1 + course introduction Overview of course requirements and content. Introduction to key issues in Chinese>English translation. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 2 (04 Aug - 10 Aug) |
Workshop |
Week 2: ONLINE MODULE 2 + Newspaper Text 1 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 3 (11 Aug - 17 Aug) |
Workshop |
Week 3: ONLINE MODULE 3 + Film Text 1 + Sight Translation Text 1 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 4 (18 Aug - 24 Aug) |
Workshop |
Week 4: ONLINE MODULE 4 + Newspaper Text 2 NO WEDNESDAY CLASS ON 16 AUGUST (ROYAL QUEENSLAND SHOW HOLIDAY)-- WEDNESDAY MAKE-UP CLASS TBA. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 5 (25 Aug - 31 Aug) |
Workshop |
Week 5: ONLINE MODULE 5 + Film Text 2 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 6 (01 Sep - 07 Sep) |
Workshop |
Week 6: ONLINE Mid-semester Exam + Exam Review Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 7 (08 Sep - 14 Sep) |
Workshop |
Week 7: ONLINE MODULE 6 + Newspaper Text 3 Revision Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 8 (15 Sep - 21 Sep) |
Workshop |
Week 8: ONLINE MODULE 7 + in-semester Exam Reflection + Sight Translation Text 2 NO ONLINE MODULE IN EXAM WEEK Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 9 (22 Sep - 28 Sep) |
Workshop |
Week 9: ONLINE MODULE 8 + Sight Translation Texts 3 & 4 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Mid Sem break (29 Sep - 05 Oct) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid-semester break |
Week 10 (06 Oct - 12 Oct) |
Workshop |
Week 10: ONLINE MODULE 9 + Newspaper Text 4 Revision + Sight Translation Text 5 NO MONDAY CLASS ON 2 OCTOBER (KING'S BIRTHDAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY)-- MONDAY MAKE-UP CLASS TBA. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 11 (13 Oct - 19 Oct) |
Workshop |
Week 11: ONLINE MODULE 10 + Literary Texts 1 + Sight Translation Text 6 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 12 (20 Oct - 26 Oct) |
Workshop |
Week 12: ONLINE MODULE 11 + Film Text 3 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 13 (27 Oct - 02 Nov) |
Workshop |
Week 13: Review for Final Exam NO ONLINE MODULE IN WEEK 13 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Additional learning activity information
Each week, you have an Online Module on Bb (except Weeks 6 & 13); and a class consisting of a 2 hour "contact" translating selected texts from specific genres. Please do the weekly Online Module before your weekly class. In the weekly class, you should work collaboratively with 1 or 2 fellow students and your teacher to translate assigned texts and reflect as a group on translations of specific sentences/paragraphs.
After each week's class, you should compare your in-class translation with the reference translation (posted on Blackboard). Consequently, if you identify any issues or questions, you can post them on the course Blackboard Weekly Teaching Discussion Board (Your own class forum), raise them at the beginning of your next class, or discuss them with your teacher in-person outside of class. You should not simply email your in-class translations to your teacher to correct.
Your class teacher will go through the correct answers to your Blackboard e-quizzes, after their due date.
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.