Translation courses: general information
Our sessions are live teleconferences. Attendance is required. Each session consists of twenty or thirty minutes of theory followed by review of the homework assignment due for discussion that day.
Participants who consistently do their work on time, review each other’s work on time, and participate in teleconferences, have a better rate of success.
What is the class environment?
There are a few things that set our classes apart.
- We teach in an in-person classroom style, delivered over Zoom.
- We have a lively conversation during the class.
- We give individual feedback on each homework assignment, balancing a professional edit with instructional goals.
- A large amount of class time is spent discussing specific issues that came up in the homework.
- Students will learn how to edit each other’s translation drafts.
- We limit class sizes to ten students per instructor.
What are the technology requirements?
You will need a computer with reliable internet connection (classes will not be recorded) and a headset or earbuds with a microphone (everyone will be interacting live).
You also need to have Microsoft Word, which we will use extensively for the homework.
What books do I need?
You need access to a good dictionary in English, one in Spanish, and a bilingual one. You also need access to style guides in both English and Spanish. There are both print and online resources available, which will be discussed in class.
Here are some of our favorite print resources:
- Manual de traducción, by Juan Gabriel López Guix and Jacqueline Minett Wilkinson
- Fundamentals for Translation, by M. Eta Trabing, available at Berkana Language LLC. Ms. Trabing has written well-researched books for interpreters in educational, medical and legal settings.
- Libro de estilo de la lengua española según la norma panhispánica, published by RAE/Espasa
- El buen uso del español, published by RAE/ASALE
- Manual de estilo Chicago Deusto
- Ortografía escolar de la lengua española. In 63 pages, it covers most of what is needed for spelling and punctuation. It does not cover stylistic issues such as use of italics.
- Gramática didáctica del español, by Leonardo Gómez Torrego. It may be out of print, but it is one of the clearest presentations of Spanish grammar.
- The Chicago Manual of Style
These free online resources are also very good: