Coursework
Master of Translation (Enhanced)
- CRICOS Code: 085107G
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What will I study?
Overview
200 point program
Specialisations
Mandarin – English
Mandarin - English 2 years full-time or part-time equivalent
This is our most popular program for those who have completed undergraduate study. No experience is necessary.
- Compulsory subjects (137.5 points)
- Core subjects (25 points)
- Elective subjects (37.5 points)
Capstone requirement: All students are required to complete one of the Capstone requirements for the program (25 points).
For more information on subjects, Capstone streams, and detailed information, please view the Handbook entry for this course.
Explore this course
Explore the subjects you could choose as part of this degree.
- 12.5 pts
Students are introduced to the major theoretical and methodological approaches for evaluating the results of translation and interpreting as textual products, including the social and cultural embedding of those products, how they are received, how they can be evaluated, and how they concern the ethics of the translation and interpreting professions. Through seminars, class activities and readings, students gain insight into the central issues in product-based translation studies. The focus is on building the knowledge and analytical skills required for the production of successful translations and interpreting renditions.
- 12.5 pts
Students will be trained in specialised fields of English-Chinese translation in this subject. They will choose to work in two of the following specialisations: business & commerce, journalistic writing; public & government; political speeches; and literary writing. Through lectures and discussions, students will develop understanding of skills and techniques required for specialised translation. Students will complete translation assignments regularly throughout the semester and be given regular individual feedback from the coordinator using online tools. Through practical translation tasks and practice activities, students will familialise themselves with genre-specific linguistic features of the source and target languages, and develop professional translation skills in the chosen specialisation areas.
- 12.5 pts
The subject introduces students to the basic theory and practice of translation and interpreting. Students will learn to apply text analysis, text typology, and contrastive analysis of their working languages to identify, analyse, and resolve translation and interpreting problems while independently developing an efficient and rational approach to the process of written and oral translation.
- 12.5 pts
This subject enhances students’ understanding of the theory and practice of written translation. Students will learn to apply text analysis, text typology, and contrastive analysis of their working languages to identify, analyse, and resolve translation problems professionally while independently developing an efficient and rational approach to the process of written translation.
- 12.5 pts
The subject introduces students to the basic theory and practice of translation and interpreting. Students will learn to apply text analysis, text typology, and contrastive analysis of their working languages to identify, analyse, and resolve translation and interpreting problems while independently developing an efficient and rational approach to the process of written and oral translation.
- 12.5 pts
This subject enhances students’ understanding of the theory and practice of written translation. Students will learn to apply text analysis, text typology, and contrastive analysis of their working languages to identify, analyse, and resolve translation problems professionally while independently developing an efficient and rational approach to the process of written translation.
- 12.5 pts
Students experiment with the main variables of translation and interpreting processes, including directionality, speed, documentation and revision, in order to develop their own efficiency and quality control. Translation and interpreting technologies, pre-editing, post-editing and terminology management are incorporated into the process, as are the basics of project management. Through seminars, class activities and readings, students gain insight into the central issues in process-based translation and interpreting studies. The focus is on building the performance skills required for the successful production of translations and interpreting renditions.
- 18.75 pts
Students will be matched with a supervisor appropriate to their needs and research interests. Under the guidance of this supervisor, students will produce a text of 12,000 words comprising a research project or commented translation/interpreting project approved by the coordinator or supervisor.
Students should contact their course coordinator prior to the commencement of the semester to apply for the minor thesis pathway.
- 18.75 pts
Students will be matched with a supervisor appropriate to their needs and research interests. Under the guidance of this supervisor, students will produce a text of 12,000 words comprising a research project or commented translation/interpreting project approved by the coordinator or supervisor.
Students should contact their course coordinator prior to the commencement of the semester to apply for the minor thesis pathway.
- 12.5 pts
The subject aims at preparing skills for translating technical language of special genres in Chinese economic and legal contents, and nurturing critical understanding of the cultural and intellectual foundations of the English- and Chinese-speaking worlds. Students will be given hands-on practice on reading and translating a variety of business and legal documents, including official policy statements, statistical material, business contracts, court documents and dispute resolutions. Special attention will be paid to foreign trade issues and the economic links between China and the world, and the current development in China’s economic and legal reform.
The terminology and style of these documents will be discussed and analysed, as will the linguistic features of this particular genre of written material, and the source and purpose of their publication.
Option A
- Translation, Interpreting, Communication 12.5 pts
This subject focuses on issues of translation and on interpreting as an act of communication in a multicultural world. It examines the communicative nature of the translating task and the possibilities, challenges and constraints of a translator/interpreter as an intercultural mediator and facilitator in the real world. Drawing on examples from real-life interpreting and translating episodes it enhances students’ career-readiness by offering students an opportunity to develop a framework of analysing and discussing various strategies that inform decision-making by translators and interpreters to achieve communicative purposes in particular contexts.
- Translation Industry Project 12.5 pts
This subject places students in a professional translation environment, whereby students work on team-based translation projects that require them to integrate their linguistic, technical and collaborative skills, and to experience the variety of roles in professional translation such as client, editor and proofreader. It will provide students with the opportunity to gain extended industry experience through project work. Students will engage with industry collaborators and asked to manage real translation projects. They will work in teams to recommend potential avenues for improvement, refinement or evaluation of an existing project that is identified or deemed of interest by the industry collaborators. In small teams students will present the results to an audience of industry specialists, clients and peers. Students will be exposed to the rigour of processes undertaken in the industry.
Option B
- Translation Internship 25 pts
This subject will enable students to undertake approximately 340 hours of professional work experience at an industry partner’s premise. Students should only be enrolled in the subject if they have secured professional work placement which has been approved by the subject coordinator. Upon completion of the subject, students are expected develop an in-depth understanding of, and a clear conviction for the career of a professional translator.
- 12.5 pts
This is an advanced introduction to international politics in Asia. The subject explores the shift of global power to Asia and and provides a broad coverage of the regions relations with the great powers and international/regional institutions, including important issues like democratisation, economic globalisation and security. The course consists of three sections. The first section provides historical reviews of developments in Asia through understanding the roles played by external powers, and how the Asian powers are aligned both vertically (historically) and horizontally (across a specific historical juncture). Section two examines the issue of economic globalisation after the 1990s, particularly the rise of China and India. These seminars also cover Asia’s responses to economic globalisation by looking at particular reforms at the state level and initiatives at the regional level. The last section investigates topical interests related to Asia: democratisation, the environment, energy security and other security issues.
- 12.5 pts
This subject looks at the impact of a rising China in the globalised world. It examines contemporary China's relations with various powers, regions and global institutions, particularly in the context of its phenomenal rise in the last four decades. The subject also explores key issues related to China's rise: state-society relations, economic development, participation in regional and global institutions, disputes and conflict resolution etc.
- 12.5 pts
This subject explores the main areas of grammar, at the level of the word, the sentence and the text. Throughout the subject, material is drawn from across a range of contexts of use and varieties of English, including Standard English. Through seminars and practical application students gain a systematic understanding of the major features of English grammar, including morphology, syntax, and stylistics, with additional focus on the role of grammar in language use, and descriptive and methodological approaches to the analysis of grammar.
- 12.5 pts
The spread of English through colonialism, its transformation in decolonisation, and its further expansion are examined in this course. We will analyse the changes in patterns and use of English in different sociopolitical settings, the historical factors that have led to these changes, and the effects of language contact in multilingual settings. The emergence of indigenised forms of English has important consequences for the teaching and testing of English language in international and local settings, and for English lexicography. Issues such as variation, codification, norm creation and the politics of international English will be addressed.
- 12.5 pts
This subject examine the phenomenon of bi/multilingualism, from individual and societal perspectives. It enables students to understand the language choices made by speakers in bilingual or multilingual settings, the role of language contact in language change, the relationship between language and cognition and the psychological and societal factors influencing language acquisition, language maintenance and language loss. It also considers educational and political issues associated with bi/multilingualism, and familiarizes students with a range of institutional models whereby citizens can be encouraged to successfully learn and use two or more languages in their daily lives.
- 12.5 pts
One outcome of the globalisation of the Australian job market is the increasing need for transcultural communication skills in both the private and public sectors. Transcultural communication typically entails interaction in which one or more of the communicators use a second or third language. Successful transcultural communication requires not only a shared language but also strong intercultural awareness and skills. These include verbal skills such as how and when to use speech and silence as well as non-verbal skills knowing how and when gaze, gesture and body posture may differ across cultures. This subject will provide students with the tools to achieve successful transcultural encounters in professional settings. The delivery of the subject will include lectures with audio-visual materials, discussion sessions to deepen the students' understanding of theories of transcultural communication and their practical implications, and assignments that require an application of presented theories to the analysis of transcultural communication. Sponsored by the School of Languages and Linguistics and the Faculty of Arts' Asia Institute, this subject will focus on transcultural communication at the intersection of cultural, linguistic, ethnic, and religious boundaries. The subject will be taught by sociolinguistic and transcultural communication experts whose expertise ranges from multicultural and Aboriginal Australia, to Asia, the Middle East, Northern and Southern Europe, and the South Pacific.
- 12.5 pts
This introductory subject is designed to induct graduate students into the major issues and current thinking in web-based communication; to familiarize students with the major channels and platforms in use in this field; to develop an understanding of online genres, and teach essential writing and editing skills for online contexts. Students will gain practical experience in writing in a number of different styles and formats and will learn to publish their work on a digital platform.
- 12.5 pts
This subject introduces students to the use of the main translation-memory technologies, terminology tools, translation project-management programs and machine-translation postediting practices. Students will gain skills in the use of these technologies and will be able to assess critically their impact on cross-cultural communication, professional translation practice and additional-language teaching, where the technologies provide new learning environments. The practical activities can be carried out with any language paired with English, although demonstrations and examples will include the main European languages and Chinese.
- 12.5 pts
This subject presents and explains the tools needed to teach people how to translate and interpret. It applies both to the training of professionals and to the use of translation and interpreting in the teaching of additional languages at all levels. The subject runs through the basics of classroom interactions, lesson planning, the mapping of learning objectives, and the design of curricula. Each step surveys the general teaching skills that can be applied to the teaching of translation and interpreting, providing hands-on activities and applications. Particular attention is paid to the use of online machine translation as a learning tool and to the historical and ideological reasons for traditional resistance to the use of translation in additional-language learning.
- 25 pts
This subject will enable students to undertake approximately 340 hours of professional work experience at an industry partner’s premise. Students should only be enrolled in the subject if they have secured professional work placement which has been approved by the subject coordinator. Upon completion of the subject, students are expected develop an in-depth understanding of, and a clear conviction for the career of a professional translator.
- 12.5 pts
This subject places students in a professional translation environment, whereby students work on team-based translation projects that require them to integrate their linguistic, technical and collaborative skills, and to experience the variety of roles in professional translation such as client, editor and proofreader. It will provide students with the opportunity to gain extended industry experience through project work. Students will engage with industry collaborators and asked to manage real translation projects. They will work in teams to recommend potential avenues for improvement, refinement or evaluation of an existing project that is identified or deemed of interest by the industry collaborators. In small teams students will present the results to an audience of industry specialists, clients and peers. Students will be exposed to the rigour of processes undertaken in the industry.
- 12.5 pts
This subject focuses on issues of translation and on interpreting as an act of communication in a multicultural world. It examines the communicative nature of the translating task and the possibilities, challenges and constraints of a translator/interpreter as an intercultural mediator and facilitator in the real world. Drawing on examples from real-life interpreting and translating episodes it enhances students’ career-readiness by offering students an opportunity to develop a framework of analysing and discussing various strategies that inform decision-making by translators and interpreters to achieve communicative purposes in particular contexts.
- 12.5 pts
Students are introduced to the major theoretical and methodological approaches for evaluating the results of translation and interpreting as textual products, including the social and cultural embedding of those products, how they are received, how they can be evaluated, and how they concern the ethics of the translation and interpreting professions. Through seminars, class activities and readings, students gain insight into the central issues in product-based translation studies. The focus is on building the knowledge and analytical skills required for the production of successful translations and interpreting renditions.
- 12.5 pts
This subject introduces students to the basic principles and practice of written translation into Spanish using a professional translation-memory tool. Students will learn to apply contrastive grammar and grounded discourse analysis in order to identify and resolve translation problems by using a wide range of translation solutions. A key part of the learning process will be in-class oral practice and debates.
- 12.5 pts
This subject introduces students to the basic principles and practice of written translation into English using a professional translation-memory tool. Students will learn to apply contrastive grammar and grounded discourse analysis in order to identify and resolve translation problems by using a wide range of translation solutions. A key part of the learning process will be in-class oral practice and debate.
- 12.5 pts
Students will be given hands-on practice reading and translating a variety of specialised documents, including official policy statements, statistical material, business contracts and newspaper reports, adapting the genres to the particular interests of the student group. Special attention will be paid to foreign trade issues and the economic links between Australia and Latin America. The terminology and style of these documents will be discussed and analysed, as will the linguistic features of the particular genre of written material, and the source and purpose of their publication.
- 12.5 pts
This subject builds on basic contrastive grammar and discourse analysis to tackle a range of translation problems involving different translation purposes, media, and technologies (translation memories, post-editing, terminology, quality control). A key part of the learning process will be coordinated group work on a large project.
- 12.5 pts
This subject builds on basic contrastive grammar and discourse analysis to tackle a range of translation problems involving different translation purposes, media, and technologies (translation memories, post-editing, terminology, quality control). A key part of the learning process will be coordinated group work on a large project.
- 12.5 pts
Students will be given hands-on practice reading and translating a variety of specialised documents, including legal text types, agro-alimentary reports and promotional texts (publicity and websites) in accordance with the particular interests of the student group. Special attention will be paid to the legal aspects of relations between Australia and Latin America. The terminology and style of these documents will be discussed and analysed, as will the linguistic features of the particular genre of written material, and the source and purpose of their publication.
- 25 pts
This subject will enable students to undertake approximately 340 hours of professional work experience at an industry partner’s premise. Students should only be enrolled in the subject if they have secured professional work placement which has been approved by the subject coordinator. Upon completion of the subject, students are expected develop an in-depth understanding of, and a clear conviction for the career of a professional translator.
- 12.5 pts
Students experiment with the main variables of translation and interpreting processes, including directionality, speed, documentation and revision, in order to develop their own efficiency and quality control. Translation and interpreting technologies, pre-editing, post-editing and terminology management are incorporated into the process, as are the basics of project management. Through seminars, class activities and readings, students gain insight into the central issues in process-based translation and interpreting studies. The focus is on building the performance skills required for the successful production of translations and interpreting renditions.
- 18.75 pts
Students will be matched with a supervisor appropriate to their needs and research interests. Under the guidance of this supervisor, students will produce a text of 12,000 words comprising a research project or commented translation/interpreting project approved by the coordinator or supervisor.
Students should contact their course coordinator prior to the commencement of the semester to apply for the minor thesis pathway.
- 18.75 pts
Students will be matched with a supervisor appropriate to their needs and research interests. Under the guidance of this supervisor, students will produce a text of 12,000 words comprising a research project or commented translation/interpreting project approved by the coordinator or supervisor.
Students should contact their course coordinator prior to the commencement of the semester to apply for the minor thesis pathway.
- 12.5 pts
This subject offers an introduction to development project management and design from interdisciplinary and critical perspectives. We begin by understanding the standard project cycle approach to project management. We focus on strategy, vision and mission formulation, as well as problem identification and analysis, objectives analysis, stakeholder analysis, formulation of projects and budgets, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. We will examine how different functions require different forms of program design and planning. Students will be familiarised with the 'Logframe Approach' and 'Theory of Change', which will be contrasted with ‘Learning Process’, 'Strengths Based' and 'Social enterprise' approaches to project design. Students will explore participation and empowerment as methodologies to address gender and other power inequalities specific to disadvantaged groups, and consider the ethics and motivations of field workers. Students will also be introduced to recent critiques of, and debates on, project management and development practice. Case studies of projects in developing countries, practical exercises including a group project, and critically reflective learning will be integral to the syllabus.
- 12.5 pts
Over the course of the last thirty years, an 'associational revolution' has swept the world, as more and more civil society organizations have taken over tasks formerly assigned to states, formed cross-border advocacy campaigns to hold both states and corporations accountable for labor, environmental, and human rights violations, and formulated alternative development policies that run counter to the paradigms espoused by the World Bank and other multilateral lending organizations. While some argue that this associational revolution promises more participatory, expedient, and decentralized forms of transnational governance, others contend that it reflects little more than the ongoing privatization of the public sphere at the hands of transnational capital. In this course, we evaluate these and alternative perspectives by exploring transformations in the structure of the global political-economy over the past thirty years; looking closely at the roles played by a variety of NGOs and CBOs as part of more multi-layered regimes of 'global governance'; analyzing the shifts in state structures that have made these regimes possible; and teasing apart the ongoing tensions between various factions of what some have called, an emerging 'global civil society'. Case studies will be drawn from Africa, South Asia, and Latin America.
- 12.5 pts
This subject explores emergency relief in crisis situations, including both ‘natural’ disasters and armed conflict (or combinations thereof). We will discuss the dynamics of different kinds of disasters, such as droughts, earthquakes, floods, cyclones, armed conflict and displacement, as well as ‘complex emergencies’ where ‘natural’ disasters intermesh with man-made dynamics. Central to ‘natural’ and man-made disasters is the question of vulnerability and resilience: contrary to what international media images tend to suggest, the first response to disaster is always local, and the resilience of the people affected is determining for longer-term outcomes. But international responses can of course play a major role. The subject will therefore explore: international humanitarian principles, policies, and guidelines; the everyday life of humanitarian work; and the challenges and dilemmas of humanitarian aid: how it gets entangled with local political economies; how it gets embroiled in dynamics of conflict; and how it can in fact become part of the problem. We will also examine differences and interlinkages between humanitarian and development interventions, as well as the supposed humanitarian-development ‘continuum’ – the idea that humanitarianism is something that occurs in times of crisis, and that this then gives way to development once the situation is back to ‘normal’. As we will see, disasters are not at all exceptional. They are a normal part of human life; and with the impact of development and climate change, human exposure to disasters is only increasing. Instead of thinking of disasters as unique and exceptional events, shouldn't we be thinking about ‘living with risk’? And, if so, how can that be done?
- 12.5 pts
This subject focuses on the advanced language required for successful graduate study in English. In this subject students will develop critical approaches to researching, reading and writing. They will also develop the ability to plan and present confidently on a research topic and to write a literature review fluently and accurately. Particular attention is paid to grammatical and stylistic aspects of written and spoken academic discourse. Students write and present on a research topic that is relevant to their field of study.
- 12.5 pts
Introduction to the theory and practice of language testing in a range of second language contexts. Topics covered include testing listening, reading, writing, speaking, grammar, vocabulary, pragmatics, test analysis, construction and validation of language tests, classroom language assessment and alternative assessment practices. Students will be encouraged to develop solutions to language assessment problems relevant to their own work settings.
- 12.5 pts
This subject explores the main areas of grammar, at the level of the word, the sentence and the text. Throughout the subject, material is drawn from across a range of contexts of use and varieties of English, including Standard English. Through seminars and practical application students gain a systematic understanding of the major features of English grammar, including morphology, syntax, and stylistics, with additional focus on the role of grammar in language use, and descriptive and methodological approaches to the analysis of grammar.
- 12.5 pts
The spread of English through colonialism, its transformation in decolonisation, and its further expansion are examined in this course. We will analyse the changes in patterns and use of English in different sociopolitical settings, the historical factors that have led to these changes, and the effects of language contact in multilingual settings. The emergence of indigenised forms of English has important consequences for the teaching and testing of English language in international and local settings, and for English lexicography. Issues such as variation, codification, norm creation and the politics of international English will be addressed.
- 12.5 pts
This subject examine the phenomenon of bi/multilingualism, from individual and societal perspectives. It enables students to understand the language choices made by speakers in bilingual or multilingual settings, the role of language contact in language change, the relationship between language and cognition and the psychological and societal factors influencing language acquisition, language maintenance and language loss. It also considers educational and political issues associated with bi/multilingualism, and familiarizes students with a range of institutional models whereby citizens can be encouraged to successfully learn and use two or more languages in their daily lives.
- 12.5 pts
One outcome of the globalisation of the Australian job market is the increasing need for transcultural communication skills in both the private and public sectors. Transcultural communication typically entails interaction in which one or more of the communicators use a second or third language. Successful transcultural communication requires not only a shared language but also strong intercultural awareness and skills. These include verbal skills such as how and when to use speech and silence as well as non-verbal skills knowing how and when gaze, gesture and body posture may differ across cultures. This subject will provide students with the tools to achieve successful transcultural encounters in professional settings. The delivery of the subject will include lectures with audio-visual materials, discussion sessions to deepen the students' understanding of theories of transcultural communication and their practical implications, and assignments that require an application of presented theories to the analysis of transcultural communication. Sponsored by the School of Languages and Linguistics and the Faculty of Arts' Asia Institute, this subject will focus on transcultural communication at the intersection of cultural, linguistic, ethnic, and religious boundaries. The subject will be taught by sociolinguistic and transcultural communication experts whose expertise ranges from multicultural and Aboriginal Australia, to Asia, the Middle East, Northern and Southern Europe, and the South Pacific.
- 12.5 pts
This subject is designed to provide students with a comprehensive, multidisciplinary and professionally oriented understanding of Latin America, as viewed from the perspective of international relations. It gives students an overview of the salient features of Latin American history and culture combined with a practical, expert-delivered summary of current problems and opportunities in the region. In addition to the core lectures, guest presentations by senior Australian and Latin American diplomats and officials examine the region’s responses to globalisation and engagement with international institutions. Emphasis is placed on evolving relationships between Latin American countries, the United States, and Australia through case studies of national development, economic growth, and cultural exchange.
- 12.5 pts
This subject studies the elements of successful communication in business and professional contexts, and how these elements also translate into one's personal communication. We study key skills, both written and oral, and take a resolutely practical approach to communication in all forms, including presentations, report writing, Plain English strategies, cross-cultural communications, writing collaboratively and crisis management.
We examine the role of communication within the organisation and develop practical tools for effective communication and negotiation. We use practical examples to develop our ability to build rapport, our presentation skills and our body language.
- 12.5 pts
This introductory subject is designed to induct graduate students into the major issues and current thinking in web-based communication; to familiarize students with the major channels and platforms in use in this field; to develop an understanding of online genres, and teach essential writing and editing skills for online contexts. Students will gain practical experience in writing in a number of different styles and formats and will learn to publish their work on a digital platform.
- 25 pts
This subject will enable students to undertake approximately 340 hours of professional work experience at an industry partner’s premise. Students should only be enrolled in the subject if they have secured professional work placement which has been approved by the subject coordinator. Upon completion of the subject, students are expected develop an in-depth understanding of, and a clear conviction for the career of a professional translator.