SPAN 3850
Introduction to Spanish-English Translation
Introduction to Spanish-English Translation
La Plaza Mayor in Madrid, Spain.
Class overview
SPAN 3850 is designed to provide an introduction to translation both as a practice and as an exercise in honing your critical awareness about how cultures differ from one another. In this class you'll learn that, more often than not, there are no clear right answers when it comes to communication across linguistic lines, but there certainly are wrong answers. In this class we'll look at how different written media (business letter, TV, medical texts and short stories) all require different approaches to translation. This skill will build your independence when it comes to using language across a range of written and spoken registers, whether or not you choose to pursue translation to a higher level.
This course expects a high intermediate level from incoming students and strives to move you towards the advanced level. This link contains specific tasks that you should be able to complete successfully at the high intermediate level.
What class will look like
SPAN 3850 is designed as an interactive translation laboratory where you'll bring your translation drafts to class and explore how and why other students have made different linguistic choices than you have and learn from each other's thought process. In addition, this section is being combined with a section of SPAN 2120 for certain activities. Those students may not speak Spanish. This provides a great opportunity to see how your translations land with monolingual audiences.
This course will help prepare you for work in upper-level Spanish courses by fostering:
Analyzing texts for meaning and purpose: A text is not only a series of words strung together. It exists to convey a message in a way that is appropriate for a specific context. You'll learn to identify the meaning in a text, the target audience, and the purpose it serves.
Creating draft translations: Over the course of the semester you'll create a number of first draft translations (into either English or Spanish depending on the assignment) on your own to hone your skills in translating, apply what we're learning in class, and foster your ability to mimic the tone and style of the original in a culturally-appropriate translation.
Evaluating translation quality: With the help of your peers you'll assess translations for lexical (vocabulary), grammatical, and stylistic quality.
Editing for precision: Creating a finished translation means integrating feedback into your work. You'll learn this skill and be able to translate with confidence in your own ability and with an understanding of your own limitations.
Lexical independence: Growing your vocabulary at advanced levels means exposing yourself to new concepts and ideas in Spanish and acquiring the vocabulary necessary for the situations in which you find yourself. This means making your own lists and taking ownership of your own learning. This course will throw a lot of new words at you, you will be responsible for learning the ones you need.
The book we're using is in beta format. I welcome your comments so that we can incorporate them before publishing the book.
About me
Remy Attig - he/him, él/lo
@RemyAttig
Call me Remy, Profe, Dr. Attig, anything but "sir."
I'm a sociolinguist, which means I study how the groups that we belong to shape our language use. In particular, I'm interested in translinguistics (also known as code-switching or language mixing), the translation of TV/Film for international audiences, and queer and inclusive ways of speaking.
In my free time I travel, craft, game, go to the gym, and get really obsessed about random hobbies for about 3 months before moving on to something else with equal excitement.
I speak Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, and American Sign Language.
Office Hours
My office is located in Shatzel 212. My office hours are Tuesdays from 10:30-11:15 and Thursdays from 1:00-2:00. If these times don't work with your schedule, reach out and we'll figure something out.
During office hours, I'm sitting there waiting to help students. Take advantage of the time to get help with something you're struggling with, gain clarity on assignments, ask more about something you found interesting, or just say hi and see if I have candy. You're not interrupting me or bothering me. I've set aside the time for you.
I do recommend students email in advance if they think they need more than a few minutes, especially near major deadlines. You can reach me for office hours or with questions at rattig@bgsu.edu.
Course Materials
Textbook: Attig, Remy. Creative Translation for Real-World Contexts. OER BGSU Libraries, 2023. (It's free and open access)
SPAN 3850 Canvas page – Make sure to set up Canvas notifications. We’ll be using this page a lot.
Online Resources
Wordreference.com – recommended bilingual dictionary with great forums that can help you find words in context if you're not sure which to use. (Resist the temptation to use Google Translate as a dictionary, it’s a lousy one)
Linguee.es – recommended parallel text dictionary. This tool requires a bit more thought to use, but you'll find the right term in the right context to help you match not just the meaning, but also the feel you're looking for.
Verbix - a comprehensive conjugation tool. If you're not sure how to conjugate a verb in a particular form, look it up. It's a lot harder to unlearn mistakes than to check them and learn them properly from the outset.
https://www.rae.es/ and https://www.dictionary.com/ - Words don't always mean what we think they mean. Look them up in monolingual dictionaries to see!
https://www.thesaurus.com/ and https://www.sinonimosonline.com/ - Sometimes you need a different word for an idea, either to avoid repetition or because the word you're thinking of doesn't quite capture the nuance.
You won't always find the right translation in formal dictionaries. Specialized vocabulary websites like https://www.jergasdehablahispana.org/, https://www.asihablamos.com/, https://www.urbandictionary.com/, or mining wikipedia for relevant terms is important.
How to type accents on PC and Mac - You need to be able to type accent marks at this point. The letters á, é, í, ó, ú, ü, ñ and the punctuation ¡ and ¿ are essential characters for a writing course in Spanish. There are lots of ways to be able to type in Spanish, this video shows you one way.
You may prefer to add a whole different keyboard configuration to your computer so you can toggle between the keyboard you're familiar with, and one used in Spain and Latin America. These make typing in Spanish much faster, but the learning curve is a little more challenging.
Spellcheck & Grammar check - This is an easy way to catch mistakes but many students forget to take advantage of it. Depending on whether you're using Word, Google Docs, Pages, or something else, how you use these editing tools will vary. Learn how to do it and run it every single time before you submit work. Both tools will help you identify errors that you might not catch on your own. They'll also do a great job of identifying made-up words. Remember, though, these tools are not always correct, so review their suggestions with a critical eye. You'll learn a ton this way.
Additional Resources
Students should have a useful reference grammar to help them study grammar points they struggle with. As you move to an advanced level, you're going to have advanced questions. You need a clear reference tool that's up to the task, most websites aren't as detailed as these books.
These will not be used in class, but students should have them to consult to aid them in writing. Here are some that I recommend.
Butt, John et al. A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish, Routledge. (There are many editions available and all of them are good. You can probably find an older edition on Amazon for under $10).
A copy of this book should be on reserve at the library for you to consult throughout the semester.
Gómez Torrego, Leonardo. Gramática didáctica del español, Editorial SM. (There are also many editions of this book available)