Florida International University

Florida International University

Department of Modern Languages

PRT 3812

PORTUGUESE/ENGLISH INTERPRETATION I

Dr. John B. Jensen

DM 470, (305) 348-2854, jensenj@fiu.edu

Office Hours:

Course Objectives:

The objective of this course is to introduce students to the field of Portuguese/English interpretation through instructional activities and intensive practice. It is not expected that students will emerge from the course ready to begin work as conference interpreters, but the best-prepared students with superior language skills can expect to begin doing work as consecutive interpreters with some degree of confidence.

Pre-requisites:

It is recommended that students have taken PRT 3810, Introduction to Portuguese Translation and Interpretation, for the basis it provides in general translation theory and practice, as well as the overall view of the field, its ethics, its resources, and organizations. PRT 3810 also provides an opportunity for students to find out if they have the ability required to become a translator or interpreter.

However, even without PRT 3810, students may pursue this course if they come into it with sufficient Portuguese and English language ability and a modicum of formal or informal translation or even interpretation experience, so that they have an idea of what is involved and believe that they have the basic ability required. They should plan to acquire knowledge of resources and organizations on their own.

Description:

This course is a follow-up to our course in Introduction to Translation and Interpretation, PRT 3810, first offered last semester. This one concentrates on the skill of interpretation, or oral translation.

Because so much commercial work in interpretation in South Florida is legal and medical in nature, and consecutive, we start with that kind of activity. This is also the type of work that new interpreters begin doing because it is less stressful than simultaneous and does not require the specialized ability to listen, produce a translation, and speak at the same time. At approximately mid-semester, we will begin to do simultaneous, and will concentrate on that aspect for the rest of the course.

In the laboratory, which will be available every week as we meet at the North Campus, we will work on pronunciation and speaking exercises at first, followed by repetition/shadowing exercises and finally simultaneous interpretation, starting with easy material and moving up to faster, more difficult texts, originating from audio and video tapes.

We will follow a fairly even-handed approach in terms of the target language, so that we will deal equally with Portuguese into English and English into Portuguese directions. All depositions/court/medical work is in both directions, and even in simultaneous conference situations, all interpreters must be prepared to go both ways, although the bulk of the work is into Portuguese. Both Portuguese and English will be used as classroom languages.

Activities and Requirements:

1) Regular Attendance: Please do not miss more than ONE class during the semester. Because each class session represents an entire week of classwork, and most of the class material must be done in the classroom rather than at home or in the library, your participation in class is essential.

2) Examinations: Two exams are scheduled: midterm and final. The may consists of a combination of written and oral/performance examinations.

3) Laboratory work: Most class sessions will involve a period of time working in the language laboratory. Your work will be monitored and may be commented on in writing.

4) Classroom practice: Many classes will have simulated practice sessions during the hour. You are expected to take active part, both as interpreter and in other roles.

5) Glossaries: Glossary assignments will be given from time to time, either to develop a new glossary or to learn one. In addition, each student will prepare two glossaries due at the end of the semester:

a) his or her own glossary in an area involving conference interpreting on a topic to be suggested and approved by the professor

b) a glossary of false cognates likely to occur in an interpretation setting

Calendar:

The schedule given above is relatively fixed. However, it is possible that one or more Saturdays will be cancelled due to unavoidable circumstances. In such a case, a preceding or following class may be doubled, going until 2:00 PM. Because we are required to meed only 2:30 hours per week, however, and have scheduled 3:00 hours, we will be ahead and will make up for the missing class on Feb. 5, and possibly one other as well. But please try to be available on Saturday afternoons in case we need to go late. You will receive advance notice if necessary.

Grading:

Grades will be calculated mathematically on the following basis:

Midterm examination: 20%

Final examination: 30%

Homework: 10%

Classwork (including lab): 20%

Attendance and participation: 20%

Materials:

As last semester, we are not adopting any standard textbook. Rather, the professor will provide a wide variety of copied materials of his own preparation and from other sources. Because the copying will be fairly heavy, the University cannot pay for the copies. It is therefore asked that each student pay $20 at the beginning of the semester as a materials fee to cover expected copying costs. [This is less than for the first course because will be no written materials to translate and probably fewer readings.]

Syllabus

Jan 15

Introduction to course

Introduction to Interpreting–definitions, ethics, the profession

Speech: Portuguese phonology I

Jan 22

Legal Interpretation–depositions I

Speech: Portuguese phonology II

Laboratory practice: pronunciation

Terminology: legal terms, general

Jan 29

Legal Interpretation–depositions II

Speech: English phonology I

Laboratory practice: pronunciation

Feb 5

No Class–Travel Day

Feb 12

Legal Interpretation–court procedures I

Speech: English phonology II

Laboratory practice: repetition/shadowing

Terminology: the courtroom

Feb 19

Legal Interpretation–court procedures II

Speech: Voice projection

Laboratory practice: repetition/shadowing

Feb 26

Medical Interpretation–Independent Medical Examinations

Speech: Microphone techniques

Laboratory practice: repetition/shadowing/simultaneous

Terminology: medical examination

Mar 4

MIDTERM EXAMINATION