Course Title: Discourse Studies for Interpreters

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2007

Course Code: LANG5396

Course Title: Discourse Studies for Interpreters

School: 365T Global Studies, Soc Sci & Plng

Campus: City Campus

Program: C6067 - Advanced Diploma of Translating and Interpreting

Course Contact : Brad Paez

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 99250362

Course Contact Email:brad.paez@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Nominal Hours: 80

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

Delivered together with Context and Practice of Interpreting 2.

Course Description

This course is designed to develop students’ practical listening, speaking and oral reproduction skills, and to introduce the lexicon and phraseology of various professional discourses.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

VBN932 Discourse Studies for Interpreters


Learning Outcomes


On completion of this module, you will be expected to be able to demonstrate an ability to identify features of spoken language, and proficiency in a number of listening, speaking and oral reproduction exercises relevant to the interpreting process.  These will include exhibiting effective speaking skills in relation to the production of short texts; paying particular attention to intonation and cohesive devices appropriate to oral texts; exhibiting effective listening, speaking and oral skills in relation to the comprehension and accurate summarising of short oral texts; and exhibiting effective listening, speaking and oral skills in relation to the comprehension and accurate reporduction in full of short oral texts.


Details of Learning Activities

What opportunities does the course provide for me to learn? What will I be expected to do?
In classroom situations, you will develop the skills and knowledge to deal with professional discourses relevant to professional interpreting, including the following:
• Structuring a short address / presentation to accepted conventions of such discourse.
• Demonstrating acceptable standards of public speaking, including pronunciation, intonation and stress patterns.
• Showing how persuasive language can be used to influence an audience by analysing a short oral presentation,.
• Using appropriate cohesive and stylistic devices (lexis, syntax, collocation, idiom, etc.), as tools to ‘chunk’ meaning into oral texts.
• Using register, collocation and idiom appropriate to the topic / setting of the discourse
• Orally analysing example texts with the purpose of identifying these features in them
• Comprehending the meaning of short oral texts of approximately 300 words in professional discourses relevant to professional interpreting.
• Taking notes while listening.
• Identifying and reproducing orally the main points of the text in summary form, using appropriate register, vocabulary, collocation, intonation and stress.
• Comprehending the meaning of short oral texts in professional discourses relevant to professional interpreting.
• Orally reproducing the content, following the same cohesion/logical order as the source text.
• Demonstrating appropriate register, vocabulary, intonation and stress.


Teaching Schedule

Students will be provided with a program calendar outlining a series of weekly themes/topics that form a guide for study and practice.

Learning Outcomes are scheduled as follows: Week 7 and Week 11 or as directed by the teacher.

Part - Time Groups will complete one learning outcome per semester.


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources

Learning materials will be largely generated and distributed by the teacher. Selected additional material may also be indicated at the discretion of the teacher and depending on individual needs of students.


Overview of Assessment

Three Learning Outcome tasks.


Assessment Tasks

How will I demonstrate my learning in this course and how will I be graded?
The module will be assessed through two learning outcomes. They will take the form of oral class exercises in oral textual analysis and reproduction of short oral texts.

Learning Outcome 1
An oral class task, listening to a short oral text, taking notes and examining oral textual features. This may be done live or through taped responses in a language lab situation.  (50%)

Learning Outcome 2
An oral class task, listening to a short oral text, taking notes and reproducing the text as completely and accurately as possible. (50%)


Assessment Matrix

All Learning Outcome activities have been designed in accordance with all competencies.

Course Overview: Access Course Overview