University of Alabama at Birmingham
College of Arts and Sciences
Department of World Languages and Literatures
Brock Cochran, Instructor • SPA 214 1D • Introduction to Translation • Fall 2022

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Textbook
Lunn, Patricia V. and Ernest J. Lunsford. En otras palabras: Perfeccionamiento del español por medio de la traducción. tercera edición, Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press. 2021.

Course Description
This course focuses on the improvement of the Spanish language through translation. Students review the most important and complex structures of the Spanish language as they relate to English. This is accomplished by studying basic aspects of translation and translating short texts from a variety of sources in the context of contemporary situations. Students will work in a collaborative workshop format in order to better understand the process of translating and editing one's work. Pre-requisite: it is advisable to have completed at least the equivalent of SPA 206 level.

Course Objectives

• Review the major grammar points while also engaging in discussions related to the proper translation of texts from English into Spanish and Spanish into English.
• Learn how to find relevant information that helps in the process of translation.
• Please read the textbook's preface for a better understanding of the course objectives.

Course Topics

• Basic aspects of translation theory related to the translation from English to Spanish and vice-versa
• Basic theoretical aspects of translation related to the translation from English to Spanish and vice-versa
• Grammar review related to translation from English to Spanish and vice-versa, to include:
  • Review of the present tense
  • Review of the use of pronouns
  • Review of the gustar structure
  • contrast between preterite and imperfect
  • Adjectives, and the past participle used as an adjective
  • Idiomatic expressions
  • Contrast between ser and estar
  • The passive voice and the impersonal pronoun se
  • Present progressive
  • Indicative and subjunctive
  • Conditional phrases

Attendance and Participation
Your attendance, active class participation, contribution, and speaking in Spanish are fundamentally important for growing in your language capacity and succeeding in this class. You are expected to arrive on time. Be considerate of your classmates, and help your grade by not missing valuable class time. Any absence will greatly impact the student’s grade. Attendance will be taken and students will be called on in class every day. Each student is called on an equal amount and at random. Your instructor developed a system to ensure this. Click here if you are interested in learning the details. Students are responsible for keeping track of their own grades, assignments turned in, and absences. Please see our departmental attendance policy.
Over many years, your instructor has observed that students who do not attend regularly struggle with the class. If you are not attending regularly, then when you do attend, it is harder to understand current material because previous material was missed. The new material builds upon the old. Additionally, class is carried out most efficiently if everyone is on the same page with understanding content.

Course Policies
If a student misses an exam or assignment, they must present appropriate documentation no later than two business days following the due date. If a valid excuse is presented, the instructor will arrange a time to make up the missed exam. Late work is not accepted for any assignment unless the student presents appropriate documentation. Extra credit is not given in this course.
Please see the UAB Academic Calendar for important dates. (It is the student's responsibility to withdraw from the class if needed.)

Grading

(6) Chapter Tests	60%
(3) Quizzes on Translation Theory Readings	15%
(3) Cultural events	5%
Homework	20%

Letter Grade Distribution: A = 90-100; B = 80-89; C =70-79; D = 60-69; F = 0-59
Grades will be posted to Canvas.

Chapter Tests
Each test is taken on Canvas. The Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitor is required.
Each test will cover grammar, vocabulary, and short translations. These will be graded following the ATA grading system. The abbreviations for errors will be in square brackets, for example [MT] means mistranslation. Single square brackets mean one point is deducted for the error. Double square brackets mean that two points were deducted. An abbreviation in parentheses means no points were deducted for the error. Parentheses may also be used if the type of error is more advanced than what is expected of the student at this point in their studies.
Each test (except for the chapter 6 test) is divided into two Canvas assignments. The primera parte (1a) is closed-book, closed-resources. For the segunda parte (2a), the translation section, students can access the following websites. (In the Respondus Lockdown Browser instructor settings, the instructor can specify the permitted use of certain websites.) No online translators such as Google Translate are permitted.

• Oxford Spanish Dictionary
• Wordreference.com
• Proz.com:
• DRAE, Diccionario de la Real Academia Española
• Diccionario de sinónimos
• Corpus del español
• The Free Dictionary
• 214.cochranb.com
• cochranb.com

Quizzes on Translation Theory Readings
You will be assigned three texts on translation theory. Read these thoroughly and read your instructor's notes posted to the course website (under chapters 2, 4, and 6). Post any questions or comments you have to the Discussions section in Canvas. You will take a closed-book/closed-resources quiz on each reading. The Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitor is required.

Cultural Activities

Students will participate in three cultural activities related to Spanish/Latino culture (recommended) or other cultures. Please check with your instructor to ensure that the event would be counted as valid. Your instructor may send periodic emails announcing events. Some activity options include:

• DWLL events posted to uab.edu/cas/languages
• Attending the UAB DWLL Spanish conversation table, La Mesa Española. All levels of Spanish are welcome. There are also regular conversation events at Hoover Library and Margarita Grill in Pelham.
• Watching a Spanish culture film (movie or documentary) from World Language Media Services. Before deciding on a film from the WLMS, be sure to research its content because many are not family-friendly. Feel free to email your instructor for particular recommendations.
• Attending an Hispanic church service. One option is to attend a Dawson service (located in Homewood). Your instructor would be glad to provide additional recommendations of Latino churches in the Birmingham area.
• If you have a friend from a Spanish-speaking country, you could write down about 10-15 questions to ask them about their home country. You could ask about things such as food, holidays, work, family, social life, etc. You could also ask about comparisons between here and there, for example what they like more in their home country compared to here and vice versa.
• It is acceptable to do the same type of activity for more than one submission. For example, three different interviews with three different people would be fine for all three cultural activities.

After you participate in a cultural activity, you must submit a short essay, 100 words minimum, that describes or summarizes the event. Your summary may be in English if you choose. However, should you choose to write it in Spanish, your instructor will correct the grammar for your benefit. These must be submitted on Canvas, one activity per submission.

Homework
Your instructor uses the Quiz function in Canvas to administer the homework. If you do not want to complete all of the homework in one sitting, your instructor recommends double checking the auto-save at the bottom. It should say something like: "Quiz saved at 10:27am." Then close out the quiz and come back to it later. Corrections will be below each homework answer.

Corrections may use square brackets. For example:

• Original: El casa a donde viben sea bonito.
• Correction: [La] casa [] donde vi[v]en [es] bonit[a].

Corrections may also use these markers. Please message the instructor or post to the Canvas discussion board with any questions on corrections.

The best way to find all corrections is by using ctrl f on a PC or cmd f on a Mac and typing a [.
The parts of the homework with set or predictable answers will have answers posted to the course website after the due date.

Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitor

• The Respondus Monitor requires that your computer have a webcam. Please ensure that your webcam is functional as soon as possible.
• The Respondus Lockdown Browser only works on Windows and MacOS. If you only have access to a Chromebook or Linux computer, please take these assignments in the WLMS, UH 3007. If you live outside the Birmingham area or are unable to make it to the WLMS during open hours, please contact your instructor to proctor your assignments via Zoom.
• Make sure you will have a solid WiFi connection (or ethernet, even better) during the test and that your testing environment has no interruptions.
• Before beginning your assignment, it is recommended to reboot your computer (only if possible) to clear out the RAM usage. For the assignment, it is recommended to have every application closed except for the Respondus browser to minimize RAM usage.
• Make sure you have set up your keyboard to type accents prior to starting the Respondus Lockdown Browser to complete your assignment.
• If you are unable to type accents in the Respondus Lockdown Browser, you can click on the accent button in the top left.
• When you click on an assessment in Canvas which requires the Respondus Lockdown Browser, it will automatically prompt you to download and install it if not already installed. Installation requires that you have administrative privileges on the computer you are using.

Course Calendar

Aug. 22	Course Introduction; Personal Introductions
Aug. 24	Intro. Ch.
Aug. 26	Intro. Ch.
Aug. 29	Intro. Ch.
Aug. 31	Intro. Ch.; Syllabus and Course Information Completion Agreement
Sep. 2	Intro. Ch.
Sep. 5	Labor Day
Sep. 7	Ch. 1
Sep. 9	Ch. 1
Sep. 12	Ch. 1
Sep. 14	Ch. 1
Sep. 16	Ch. 1; Ch. 1 Test
Sep. 19	Ch. 2
Sep. 21	Ch. 2
Sep. 23	Ch. 2; Quiz on Reading, Gregory Rabassa – "The Many Faces of Treason"
Sep. 26	Ch. 2
Sep. 28	Ch. 2
Sep. 30	Ch. 2; Ch. 2 Test
Oct. 3	Ch. 3
Oct. 5	Ch. 3
Oct. 7	Ch. 3
Oct. 10	Ch. 3
Oct. 12	Ch. 3
Oct. 14	Ch. 3; Ch. 3 Test
Oct. 17	Ch. 4
Oct. 19	Ch. 4
Oct. 21	Ch. 4
Oct. 24	Ch. 4; Quiz on Reading, John Dryden – "The Three Types of Translation"
Oct. 26	Ch. 4
Oct. 28	Ch. 4; Ch. 4 Test
Oct. 31	Ch. 5
Nov. 2	Ch. 5
Nov. 4	Ch. 5
Nov. 7	Ch. 5
Nov. 9	Ch. 5
Nov. 11	Ch. 5; Ch. 5 Test
Nov. 14	Ch. 6
Nov. 16	Ch. 6
Nov. 18	Ch. 6; Quiz on Reading, Leonardo Bruni – "On the Correct Way to Translate"
Nov. 21	Thanksgiving
Nov. 23	Thanksgiving
Nov. 25	Thanksgiving
Nov. 28	Ch. 6; Cultural Activities Due
Nov. 30	Ch. 6
Dec. 2	Ch. 6; Ch. 6 Test

*The instructor may make changes to this calendar during the semester.

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