TR408 : Translation and Lexicography

Department

Department of Translation

Academic Program

Bachelor in Translation

Type

Compulsory

Credits

02

Prerequisite

Overview

This course intends to introduce to students of translation studies the field of LEXICOGRAPHY or the study of dictionary making. The dictionary is not only an essential reference for the translator, but also used by almost everybody at home, at schools, in law courts, at the parliament and referred to by cross word puzzle addicts and scrabble players alike. The course intends also to familiarize trainee translators with the concepts and theoretical principles as well as practical aspects of lexicographical industry and more specifically to use dictionaries successfully. Besides, it provides a brief history of lexicography, Illustrates the types and functions of dictionaries, and the ways

Intended learning outcomes

At the end of the course students are expected to have learned:

1.The correct way to search for words in different dictionaries.

2.Types and use of linguistic dictionaries and glossaries.

3.Distinguishing between each dictionary and its purpose for translating each text.

4.Possesses the concept of "types of Arabic and English dictionaries".

5.Recognizing concepts such as: medical, legal, scientific, and other dictionaries, and the method of using each one of them.

6.Able to use the Internet and modern technologies in the field of translation.

7.Identifying the most famous international dictionaries and converting them to adopting electronic copies

Teaching and learning methods

Lecture, explanation and giving examples in the classroom.

Provide more explanations and examples by urging the student to watch Youtube Videos and urging him to read the texts available online and share them in the group on Facebook.

Training method by writing in the classroom and outside the classroom.

Involving the student in projects that urge him to work individually and collectively.

Methods of assessments

Evaluation will be based on assignments and research activities (seminar presentations using power point ) for med-term assessment (40 marks). Then, students will sit for a final exam, or submit a critical review of a Monolingual or a bilingual dictionary as an academic paper 60 marks

Main Content

Reading / References / Notes

weeks

Content :Topics (subject matter)for each week

1

Definitions of dictionaries.

2

Types of dictionaries.

3

History of lexicography in the UK and the USA.

4

History of lexicography in Arab world

5

Recent developments in Lexicography.

6

Methods in lexicography: the dictionary.

7

Methods in lexicography: the thesaurus.

8

Words and meaning

9

Content words vs. Function words

10

Entries of Dictionary & Definitions, phonetic transcription, and spelling

11

Usage, word class and etymology Macro-structure &

12

How to compile a dictionary

The Textbook: LEXICOGRAPHY: A short Introduction, by M.A.K. Hallday and Collin Yallop, Continuium, London and New York.

Reference books.

Bejoint, Henri (1994, 2004) Modern Lexicography, An Introduction, Oxford University Press., New York, U.S.A.

Jackson, Howard (2002) Lexicography , An Introduction, Routledge, London, USA.