FRENCH 308 Advanced Studies in Language

Study of the the art and techniques of translation and analysis of the major linguistic and cultural differences between French and English.  Translations from both languages will serve to explore past and present-day practices.  Prerequisite:  Two 200-level units, one of which must be 210 (if taken Fall 2004 or later), or 211 or above. Open to juniors and seniors only, or by permission of the instructor.

Comparative study of the major linguistic features of French and English as they apply to the art of translating.

The main goals of the course are:

1.         to learn `les ficelles du métier de traducteur'-- the main strategies needed to translate;

2.         to get used to using the translator’s toolkit of reference books and to know where to look or whom to ask when the standard references are of no help;

3.         to learn to think like a translator.

The course stresses the differences between French and English styles of writing, between the two cultures, and how translators engage these differences.  Differences of register, dialect, as well as of country will be discussed.

The main activity of the course is the translation of texts from French into English or from English into French. Texts are taken from a wide variety of registers and genres -- from advertising, cartoons, and magazine articles to literary criticism, novels, and poetry. Issues related to translation such as subtitling and dubbing movies will also be discussed.

Texts:

Robert Collins: Dictionnaire français-anglais / anglais-français

Electronic booklet available on the CWIS