Al Buraimi University College

Academic Year : 2009-2010

Semester: 1
Department of English

INTRODUCTION TO TRANSLATION
ENGL 205

Lecturer’s Contact Information

Lecturer’s Name : Mr Salah Mohammed Osman Elhassan

Lecturer’s Address : Department of English
(Ext. 254)
Al Buraimi University College
Al Buraimi
Email Address : salah osman@buc.net
Office Hours : 10-11am, 12-13pm,4-5 (Sat., Mon., Wed.)
9.30-10.30 (Sun. & Tues.)
Year : 2009-2010
Semester :1

Course Information

Course Title : Introduction to Translation

Course Code : ENGL 205
Prerequisite : None
Credits :3
Methodology :
Explanations by the Instructor Group / Pair Work, Class Discussion,
Individualized Conferencing, Assignments, Presentations, Attending
classes and participating actively in class work and group discussions
will be the most important learning activity of the course. Absence
affects the participation grade accordingly.

Students would be expected to:

- Promote their ability to use the dictionaries
- Learn how to analyze a text before translating it

1
 - Develop their understanding of English and Arabic grammar
- Learn how to do some contrastive analysis before embarking on
the actual job of translating a specific text).

Course Description:
This course incorporates the following skills: contrastive analysis,
stylistics, lexicography, and grammar. Linguistic problems are
discussed through the translation of chosen texts, from English into
Arabic and vice versa. Types of translation are discussed, as well as
the different levels of linguistic expression. Such notions as Style,
Context, and Register are also discussed. The students are taught
the basic techniques of scientific translation.

Course Objectives:
This course aims at enabling the students to utilize their knowledge of
both languages: Arabic and English; to improve such knowledge; and
to enhance their command of both languages systematically.
In addition, it is expected that the students will be able to put to
practical use their knowledge of English by being trained in the
techniques of translating a variety of topics, often encountered
outside the classroom.
Course Outcomes:
By the end of the course students would be able to
1. Recognize a variety of translation theories and understand how
to apply that knowledge while practicing translation.
2. Understand the process of producing a translated text starting
from creating a strategy to the point of editing.
3. Understand the cultural problems facing translation and
translating when it comes to the realities of producing a final
revised and acceptable target language text.
4. To translate and produce reasonable text length of different
varieties & text types from many disciplines and across cultures.
Syllabus:
1. What is Translation?
2. Translation as process and Product
3. Culture and Translation
4. Language Variety & Translation
5. Textual Genre in Translation
6. Revising & Editing

2
 7. Conclusions & revision
How is this course organized?
Course Study Plan

Timing
No Description
(in Weeks)
1 What is Translation? 1 Week
Translation as process 1

2 Translation as process 2 1 Week

3 Translation as Product 1 1 Week

4 Translation as Product 2 1 Week

5 TEST1 & 1 Week

Culture and Translation 1
6 Culture and Translation 2 1 Week

7 Language Variety & Translation: register, 1 Week

sociolect & dialect 1
8 Language Variety & Translation: register, 1 Week
sociolect & dialect 2
9 Textual Genre in Translation 1 1 Week
10 TEST2 & 1 Week
Textual Genre in Translation 2
11 Translating Genres: consumer-oriented texts. 1 Week

12 Translating Genres: technical texts 1 Week

13 Translating Genres: constitutional texts 1 Week

14 Revising & Editing in Translation 1 Week

15 Conclusions & revision 1 Week

16 Final Examination 1 Week

Total No of Weeks 16 Week

3
Assessment and grading
Assessment Methods :
Test1 (20%), Test (20%), Final Exam (50%), Others (10%)
Assessment Criteria:
The final grade in the course will be determined by the following scale
of percentages

Mark 95- 90- 85- 80- 75- 70- 65- 60- 55- 50- 0-
Range 100 94 89 84 79 74 69 64 59 54 49
Grade
Points 4 3.7 3.3 3 2.7 2.3 2 1.7 1.3 1 0
Grade A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D F

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials

Course Textbook
• Thinking Arabic Translation
First Edition, 2002
James Dickins, Sandor Hervey, Ian Higgins
Routledge
ISBN: 0-415-25065-X
References
• Translation:An advanced resource book
First Edition: 2004
Basil Hatim & Jeremy Munday
Routledge
ISBN: 978-0-415-28306-9

• English-Arabic/ Arabic-English
Translation: A practical Guide
First Edition: 1997
Basil Hatim
Saqi Bokks
ISBN: 0-86356-155-1

• Al-Mawrid Dictionary (English-Arabic/

Arabic-English)
2007
Munir Baalbaki & Dr. Rohi Baalbki
Dar El-Ilm Lilmalayin

• Al-Mawrid Dictionary (English-Arabic)

2007

4
 Munir Baalbaki
Dar El-Ilm Lilmalayin
• Al-Mawrid Dictionary (Arabic-English)
21st Edition, 2007
Dr. Rohi Baalbki
Dar El-Ilm Lilmalayin
• A Dictionary of Common Mistakes
(Arabic)
First Edition, 1984
Muhammad Al-Adnani
Librairie du Liban

• Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

Seventh Edition, 2006
Oxford University Press
ISBN: 978-0-19-431659-0

• Al-Mounged (English-Arabic)
Second Edition, 1997
C. Theodory
Librairie Orientale

• Oxford Word Power Dictionary

(Englsih-English-Arabic)
Second Edition, 2006
Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0194317129