Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Languages & Cultures School
This course focusses on specialised translation and interpreting in legal and related fields. Students will be trained to develop specialised knowledge and skills for legal translation and interpreting, including legal textual conventions and the language of law. Since knowledge of the subject matter is vital in order to produce quality interpretations and translations, students will gain a necessary understanding of key legal concepts and how the judicial system works. Interpreting skills will be further consolidated for consecutive and simultaneous interpreting in legal settings.
Course requirements
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
TRIN7220 and TRIN7230
Restrictions
CHIN7444
Course staff
Course coordinator
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
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
This course is designed to develop specialised knowledge and skills for translation and interpreting in legal and related fields.
ᅠ
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Understand legal textual conventions, terminology and concepts
LO2.
Gain knowledge of the law required to perform translation and interpreting in the field of law
LO3.
Obtain skills required to perform translation and interpreting in the field of law
Assessment
Assessment summary
Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
---|---|---|---|
Examination |
In-Semester knowledge exam on legal domain (in class)
|
20% |
Week 7, Tue
In-Semester Exam (In class) |
Essay/ Critique, Reflection |
Reflective essay on legal translation
|
30% |
11/10/2024 5:00 pm |
Examination, Translation/ Interpretation |
Interpreting exam
|
50% |
Exam week 1 - Exam week 2 |
Assessment details
In-Semester knowledge exam on legal domain (in class)
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
Week 7, Tue
In-Semester Exam (In class)
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02
Task description
This in-class knowledge exam may include the following topics:
- Legal terminology
- Knowledge of Australian legal systems and processes
- The role of the interpreter in the legal context
- Ethics
Statement on Generative AI & MT
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct
Exam details
Planning time | no planning time minutes |
---|---|
Duration | 30 minutes |
Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
Exam platform | Inspera |
Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Reflective essay on legal translation
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique, Reflection
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
11/10/2024 5:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03
Task description
Students will be required to translate an English passages in the legal context into Chinese or Japanese individually or in a group. While translating, be conscious of your decision-making processes in handling various translation-related issues, such as the context of the source text and its translation, specific terminology, and stylistic issues. You are encouraged to read widely on the topic in both languages and conduct necessary background research.
Whether doing the translation individually or in a group, each student individually is required to write a reflective essay on their translation that explains how they handled various translation issues they encountered and how they developed effective solutions to the issues. It should also contain discussions of specific comprehension problems and specific target-language problems and include their observations about how they improved in these areas as they proceeded with the translations.
Length of reflective essay: 1500 words plus or minus 10% allowance, excluding translation, lists of background materials, captions, diagrams, tables, or appendices.
Submit your translation, a list of useful background articles and other information (between 10 and 15), and your reflective essay in one Word file. Note that the translation itself will not be assessed.
The essay must:
- be typed on A4 paper (1.5 line spacing);
- use 12-point Calibri font;
- include any tables or diagrams in their appropriate position in the text, not at the end; and
- use the APA referencing style.
Statement on Generative AI & MT
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) provides emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Maximum extension length allows assessors to give timely feedback before subsequent tasks are due.
Late submission
A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.
Submit your work via Turnitin.
Interpreting exam
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Examination, Translation/ Interpretation
- Weight
- 50%
- Due date
Exam week 1 - Exam week 2
- Learning outcomes
- L03
Task description
Students will be required to interpret two monologues in the consecutive mode: one monologues from English into Chinese/Japanese and the other from Chinese/Japanese into English. For each consecutive interpreting monologue task, students will use the consecutive mode to interpret a monologue of about 500 words (or equivalent characters). The monologue is played from an audio recording. One week prior to the test, students will receive the topics for the consecutive monologue tasks. On the day of the test, students will not have any preparation time for these tasks.
Statement on Generative AI & MT
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.
Exam details
Planning time | no planning time minutes |
---|---|
Duration | 120 minutes |
Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - specified written materials permitted |
Materials | One A4 sheet of handwritten or typed notes, double sided, is permitted |
Exam platform | Other |
Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
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: Very limited comprehension. Extremely inaccurate. Unjustifiable omissions. Serious distortion of the dominant function of the source text, be that in terms of the message, the style, the tone or other parameters. (This delity may or may not involve delity to the form of the source text.) Numerous grammatical errors cause the meaning to be unclear or misunderstood. Very unnatural and awkward target text, and many spelling or punctuation mistakes that might hinder communication of the meaning. Idioms and figurative language are nearly always misunderstood and/or mistranslated. No variety in the use of expressions and synonyms, and they are frequently used inappropriately. Pays no attention to the connection between sentences. No effort to check terminology or to carry out the necessary background research. Never considers the discourse structure and the desirability of restructuring. Translation speed is very slow, and homework is often not submitted at all. In a professional situation so much checking and rewriting would be required that it would not be economically viable to employ this person as a translator. Professional manner is totally lacking. Very little of the target language information is accurate. There are numerous unjustified omissions and/or additions. Target language output is characterised by unnatural expressions and grammatical/syntactical errors. Delivery is uneven; ranging from very slow and hesitant to very fast, with many pauses and corrections. Output is largely incomprehensible. |
2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Limited comprehension. Highly inaccurate. Unjustifiable omissions. Little or no attempt to convey the dominant function of the source text, be that in terms of the message, the style, the tone or other parameters. (This delity may or may not involve delity to the form of the source text.) Frequent grammatical errors cause the meaning to be unclear or misunderstood. Unnatural and awkward target text, and many spelling or punctuation mistakes that may hinder communication of the meaning. No variety in the use of expressions and synonyms, and they are often used inappropriately in the context. Fails to consider the discourse structure and the desirability of restructuring. Usually fails to pay attention to the connection between sentences. Little effort to check terminology, and little or no evidence of background research. Translation speed is very slow, and homework is sometimes submitted late or not at all. In a professional situation so much checking and rewriting would be required that it would not be economically viable to employ this person as a translator. Professional manner is not adequately maintained. Only some of the information given in the target language is accurate. There are frequent unjustified omissions and/or additions. Target language outputs often characterised by unnatural expressions and grammatical/syntactical errors, which distort the meaning and make the output difficult to comprehend. Delivery is uneven; ranging from very slow and hesitant to very fast, with frequent pauses and corrections. |
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. Unjustifiable omissions. Frequent failure to recognize and/or convey the dominant function of the source text, be that in terms of the message, the style, the tone or other parameters. (This delity may or may not involve delity to the form of the source text.) Grammatical errors cause the meaning to be unclear or misunderstood. Frequently unnatural and awkward target text, and many spelling or punctuation mistakes. Very limited variety in use of expressions and synonyms, and sometimes used inappropriately in the context. Rarely considers the discourse structure and the desirability of restructuring. Frequently fails to pay attention to the connection between sentences. Inappropriate use of terminology, and frequent failure to conduct the necessary background research. Translation speed is slow, and homework is occasionally submitted late or not submitted at all. In a professional situation the translations would require extensive checking and rewriting. Good professional manner is not maintained. More than half of the target language output is inaccurate and/or not readily comprehensible. There are many meaning errors, unjustified omissions and/or additions. Many grammatical/syntactic errors and unnatural expressions distort the meaning, and the output is often difficult to comprehend. Unsuccessful delivery and presentation. Many instances of inappropriate linguistic style and register. Limited ability to use appropriate terms and expressions. |
4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Reasonable source text comprehension, but a lack of understanding of the nuances. Accurate in the broad details, but inaccuracies in the minor details. Unjustifiable omissions. Recognition of the dominant source text function, be that in terms of the message, the style, the tone or other parameters, but some distortion of this function. (This delity may or may not involve delity to the form of the source text.) The meaning is clear despite any grammatical errors present. Some awkwardness in the translation, and some 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. Sometimes considers the discourse structure and the desirability of restructuring. Sometimes pays attention to the connection between sentences. Some attempt has been made to use appropriate terminology and conduct any necessary background research. Translation speed is probably rather slow, but most homework has been submitted on time. In a professional situation, the translations would require considerable checking and rewriting. Adequate professional manner is maintained. The source language message is succinctly accurately conveyed. There are a number of meaning errors, ranging from major to minor. There may be unjustified omissions and/or additions of information. Many details and nuances are omitted or inaccurate. Appropriate target language expression and register are sometimes used, but there are also many instances of non-idiomatic usage. Grammatical/syntactical errors may detract from the quality and clarity of the message. Delivery may be fluent in some parts but hesitant in others. Overall the main points of the message are comprehensible although some parts may not always be entirely clear or accurate. |
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 most of these nuances accurately, but with some minor errors or unjustifiable omissions. Generally faithful to the dominant source text function, be that in terms of the message, the style, the tone or other parameters. (This may or may not involve delity to the form of the source text.) Few grammatical errors. Occasional awkwardness in the translation, and occasional spelling or punctuation mistakes. 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. Usually pays attention to the connection between sentences. Use of terminology is generally appropriate, and any necessary background research is usually done. Translation speed might be somewhat slow, but all homework is submitted on time. In a professional situation, the translations would require checking and some rewriting. Good professional manner is maintained. Most of the important points of the source language message are accurately conveyed in the target language, with only a few errors. There are unjustified omissions and/or additions of information, but these are not significant. Some of the details and nuances of the original are inaccurate or omitted. Variety and appropriateness of target language expression and register may fluctuate. Delivery is fluent in some parts but rather hesitant in others. Non-idiomatic usage and grammatical/syntactical errors are present and may at times distort the meaning, but generally the main points of the target language message are readily comprehensible. |
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 the nuances and an ability to convey these nuances accurately. Source text is fully translated. Faithful to the dominant function of the source text, be that in terms of the message, the style, the tone or other parameters. (This may or may not involve delity to the form of the source text.) No grammatical errors. Style is natural and acceptable, and there are no spelling or punctuation mistakes. Idioms and figurative language are handled skilfully. Extensive range of expressions and synonyms, used appropriately in the context. Always considers the discourse structure and the desirability of restructuring, and always pays attention to the connection between sentences. Use of terminology is always appropriate, and any necessary background research has been done. Able to translate within a reasonable time frame, and all homework is submitted on time. Translations could be used in a professional situation with little checking or rewriting. Very good professional manner is maintained. Most of the important points of the source language message are grasped and accurately conveyed in the target language with no serious errors of meaning. Most of the details and nuances are also accurately grasped and conveyed. Target language expression is reasonably varied and appropriate to the source language text, while register for the most part accurately reacts that of the source language. Fluency is generally good, though subject to some punctuation. Output features only a few instances of non-idiomatic usage or grammatical/syntactical errors, but these rarely distort the meaning. The message is generally clearly comprehensible. |
7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: As for 6, plus some of the following: Creative solutions and evidence of special air for target-language expression. Ability to work at professional speed. Translations could be submitted as professional work with virtually no need for checking or rewriting. Excellent professional manner is maintained. The source language message is conveyed in the target language accurately and fluently, with few errors of meaning. All important points, details and nuances of the original speech are accurately conveyed. There are few omissions or additions of information, and any that occur are negligible and do not distort the original message. Target language expression is varied, appropriate to the source language message and in the correct register. Delivery is fluent and confident, with few hesitations. There may be a few cases of non-idiomatic usage or grammatical/syntactical errors, but these are negligible and do not distort the meaning or clarity of the message. Overall performance is close to that of a T&I professional working in legal settings. |
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.
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 |
---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 3 |
Lecture |
Lecture series Introduction to legal translation & interpreting Learning outcomes: L01, L02 |
Multiple weeks From Week 4 To Week 7 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial (translation) You are required to translate an English passages in the legal context into Chinese or Japanese individually or in a group and facilitate a discussion in class on your decision-making processes in handling various translation-related issues, such as the context of the source text and its translation, specific terminology, and stylistic issues. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Multiple weeks From Week 8 To Week 13 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial (interpreting) Interpreting practice in the legal context Learning outcomes: L03 |
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 - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.