TRAM504 Writing and Rewriting for Translators

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to: 

• write in a variety of forms/genres for different audiences, mediums, and languages using appropriate digital resources and covering a variety of topics, including, inter alia, the environment and how non-sustainable human activity affects it 
• Develop self-efficacy and resilience by reflecting in a productive and critically-informed fashion on their own writing, thus questioning own assumptions 
• Provide feedback to peers in a confident, productive and critically-informed fashion, thus questioning own assumptions and comparing different types of writing output 
• Contribute to workshop sessions in a sensitive, lucid, thoughtful and supportive manner 
• Gain awareness of the relationship between writing and translation by conducting independent research and by assessing (digitally enhanced and) theory-informed approaches to writing tasks 

• Composition: words, sentences, paragraphs (cohesion, coherence, narrativity) 
• Textual structures or modes of discourse: Narration; Exposition, Argumentation and Persuasion 
• Using tools, including Large Language Models such as ChatGPT to address issues of creativity 
• Planning and organizing content 
• Rewriting for different audiences 
• Dialogic texts: elements of orality and performativity 
• Style, lexical richness, figurative language, register and linguistic varieties 
• Self-revising and revising the work of others 

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to: 
 

• develop students’ writing skills in creative and technical writing (prose fiction, poetry, opinion pieces, instruction material and scientific/environmental discourse) by understanding the fundamental elements effective text composition for different audiences 
• engage students who have different backgrounds and maximize their learning by drawing on their own writing experience and by confidently contributing to discussions in a class group 
  equip students with the ability to understand elements of effective texts, to reflect on them and to gain confidence in in creating clear, well-formed texts with a view to enhancing their translation work  
• equip students with the ability to conduct independent research and assess (digitally enhanced) writing approaches in their planning and execution of a writing task, which will extend beyond the strict remit of module tasks and will be useful in their future writing or translation work 

Learning and teaching includes: 
 

• Seminars with opportunities for group and whole class discussions 
• Workshops, where students will read, analyse, write and revise proposed material 
• Captured content addressing module content 
• Guided learning – such as signposted hands-on exercises and guidelines relevant to advanced practice in the field 
• Problem-based practical exercises  
• Discussion and group work (in-class) 
• Practice-based learning – application of knowledge acquired throughout the module in realistic or academically simulated contexts 

Portfolio of Item(s) Consisting of 1-2 Creative Piece(s) (1000 words) (40%) 

These are pieces that students started authoring during one of their weekly sessions and which they later revised, taking in-class feedback on board, enabling students to experiment with different topics, test and take ownership of their writing approaches and develop professional presentation skills of their final written contributions 

Additional Creative Piece, which Is Complemented by a Reflective Commentary (1500 words)  (60%) 
 

This enables students to develop subject-specific knowledge, apply research skills and further develop their decision-making in developing an additional topic with a view to unlocking their creativity 

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