This course is a gateway to translation. After dealing with essential skills necessary in translation such as logical thinking, reading proficiency, and precision and clarity in writing, it focuses on fundamental aspects of translation at the conceptual, lexical, syntactic, grammatical, and stylistic levels. It also discusses the practical issues encountered by translators. A variety of real-world documents will be used for practice.
From wheat to seafood, Canada’s agri-food exports to China are increasing and Chinese food is popular in Canada. This course explores agri-food, cultures, and translation using materials in Chinese and English. It gives text analysis in translation and hands-on translation experience from English to Chinese and/or from Chinese into English. Students must be able to read and write Chinese and English well.
An introduction to the major concepts and theories of translation and a survey of English/Chinese translation in modern history. It discusses linguistic, cognitive, socio-political, and cultural aspects of translation. Through analysis and application of translation theory, students practice the art of translation and develop awareness of issues that translators face.
This course discusses the responsibilities, ethical principles, and codes of professional conduct for interpreters. The course introduces three types of interpreting: sight translation, consecutive interpreting, and simultaneous interpreting. Students will practice various skills and techniques required of a qualified interpreter, including note-taking, active listening, shadowing, retelling, paraphrasing, and memory retention. Students will also develop abilities in comprehension, analysis of language, and terminology. The course focuses on effective interpreting in the settings of the Ministry of Immigration and Citizenship, the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, and Community Service agencies.
Medical Language is a unique linguistic phenomenon. Medical translation and interpretation play a vital role in healthcare delivery to patients with limited English proficiency. In this comprehensive foundation course, students will study medical terminology in the context needed to translate and/or interpret in various healthcare settings, including Greek and Latin root words, prefixes, suffixes, combining forms and abbreviations, etc., and their Chinese language versions. This course also covers W.H.O. international standard terminologies on traditional Chinese medicine from Chinese to English.
This course examines the role of translation in understanding the social production of gender and sexuality as crucial systems of power. Students will use gender and translation to interrogate cultural production and social systems, paying close attention to how gender and sexuality intersect with other categories of social difference, such as sexuality, race, ethnicity, class, and (dis)ability. Students will connect the assigned academic readings to “real-life” examples in the news, media, and their own lives, thereby producing critical reflection on their role as translators in facilitating dialogues for change.
This course focuses on the principles and techniques of literary translation from English to Chinese and vice versa. Students will study various translations and practice translating the works of Canadian writers such as those by Alice Munro and Margaret Atwood. Style and technique will be stressed throughout the course.
The course examines linguistic aspects of translation in different writing media from new media, such as social media and websites, to traditional media, such as film, television, and printed press. It also explores approaches from cultural and social perspectives of media translation. The course delves deeply into translation strategies to deal with the conflict between Chinese and Western cultures in mass media.
This course aims to foster in students a greater awareness and appreciation of how translation plays a vital role in our relationship to and with the environment. Through translation practice and by examining how the environment is translated in a selection of Chinese and English language texts and concepts in multiple mediums including cinema, television and the visual arts, the course will demonstrate that our perception of environmental issues is intimately connected to the translation of concepts, ideas and movements and how they have been transplanted into and out of English and Chinese.
This course focuses on understanding and applying concepts of cultural translation and “otherness” from the perspectives of anthropology and translation studies. By taking this course, students will learn that translators are mediators between cultures beyond language translations. The wider concept of translation requires understanding culture and otherness, and almost any intercultural communication involves translation. Students will be able to locate themselves in the wider context as translators/interpreters, understand cultural production and social systems, and pay close attention to how cultural translation intersects with other categories of social difference. Students will connect the assigned academic readings to “real-life” examples in the news, media, and their own lives, thereby forming new understandings of cultural translation.
Religious translations facilitated some of the most vibrant cultural exchanges throughout history. Catholic missionaries and Chinese scholars translated not only the Bible but also Euclid's Elements. Many Protestant missionaries later became the earliest Sinologists and translated foundational Confucian texts including The Analects. The translation of Buddhist scriptures influenced Daoist discourses, Chinese philosophy, neo-Confucianism, everyday practices and way of life. The course will open with an introduction to these fascinating histories and explore the complex relationship between religion and translation in various contexts, with an emphasis on both institutional religions, such as Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Confucianism, and Daoism, and also on what are known as Chinese popular or folk religions.
This course aims to introduce students to the history of translation from both Western and Chinese perspectives. Students will learn the evolution of thoughts about translation through studying extracts of articles by Chinese and Western thinkers as well as examples of translation to understand the various approaches and methodologies in their cultural, social, and historical contexts. The course provides opportunities for students to deepen their knowledge of translation studies and prepare them for higher level content of the discipline.
This course is a special seminar on a subject determined by the instructor’s research interest or expertise in translation that fall outside of the English and Chinese Translation Major/Minor program’s current course offerings. Special topics can include selected issues and problems in the theory and practice of translation. This course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
What are the greatest critical theories that helped shape our modern world? How are these ideas translated across geopolitical and cultural contexts? How did they help people envision a different way to live, think, and love? This course examines how some of the greatest thoughts and ideas that shaped our modern world get translated. We will look at key thinkers, their texts, the social, cultural, and political contexts of their times and that of their translators. We will discuss the role of translation in facilitating cross-cultural exchanges and societal changes.
This course will introduce students to the processes of negotiation and adaptation associated with the translation and interpretation of languages behind the cultural phenomena of everyday life. Students will explore examples from across cultural domains (film, TV, and literature) and develop understanding the concept of “cultural translation” as a gesture of interpretation of the objects of human expression that suffuse the practice of everyday life in the social sphere. Students will also have ample experience in audience-focused English and Chinese translation.
This course examines theoretical developments in the field of Translation Studies from the late 1980s to the present day. First, it considers the linguistic approach to translation that held sway for much of the first half and more of the 20th century. Attention then shifts to how culture impacts not just the translated product, but also the process by which translators operate (the so-called ‘cultural turn’). Focus is on close readings of formative theoretical texts (for example, those by Bassnett, Lefevere, Pym, Venuti and others). Students will critically engage with significant translation theories since the late 1980s, analyse translations to identify how these theories function, and consider how they influence their own translation practice.
This course aims to introduce students to critical engagements with intersemiotic translation (i.e., the practices of interpretation between different sign systems) through adaptation in the English-Chinese transcultural context. Students will interpret a broad range of transcultural intermedia productions across literary works, films, comics, pop songs, manga, etc., through the lenses of ideas such as rewriting, intertextuality, multimodality, cultural appropriation, etc. The course emphasizes the ideological implications and power dynamics in intersemiotic translation between works of Anglophone and Sinophone cultures.
This course aims to introduce students to the essential knowledge and skills needed in translating texts related to the arts. Students will learn to identify the linguistic, cultural, and ideological features of texts for exhibitions, festivals, and other curated arts activities, and use appropriate strategies in translating the texts of this genre. The course provides ample opportunities for students to practice translating real-world texts from a wide range of museum exhibitions, literary festivals, film festivals, and other arts events between English and Chinese.
Guided by translation theories and techniques, students learn the lexicon, structure, and style used in business discourse and gain hands-on experience in translating real-life documents regarding business for large Chinese communities within Canada.
This course covers the English/Chinese translation of documents used in government, public administration, and publicly-funded organizations. It introduces the terminologies and special strategies used to translate official documents. Examples of relevant documents will be translated as part of the course work.
This course connects to the subfields of ecocriticism and eco translatology to explore transcultural translations of the ‘wild’. Focusing especially on modern/contemporary fiction from the Sinosphere and linking such texts to other World Literatures, the aim is to analyze how the ‘wild’ is represented and translated interlingually and intersemiotically. The analysis of these literary translations of the ‘wild’ is important to understanding the impact and influence literature has on human appreciation and respect for the natural world.
Beginner Korean I is an introductory course to the Korean language. Designed for students with no or minimal knowledge of the language, the course will first introduce the Hangeul alphabet (consonants and vowels) and how words are constructed (initial, medial, final sounds). Basic grammar patterns, frequently used vocabulary, and common everyday topics will be covered. Weekly cultural titbits will also be introduced to assist and enrichen the language learning experience. The overall aim of the course is to give students a strong grasp of the basics of the Korean language as well as elements of contemporary Korean culture.
Beginner Korean II is the continuation of Beginner Korean I. Designed for students who have completed Beginner Korean I, the course will build upon and help to solidify knowledge of the Korean language already learnt. Additional grammar patterns, as well as commonly used vocabulary and expressions will be covered. Further weekly cultural titbits will also be introduced to assist and enrichen the language learning experience. The overall aim of the course is to give students a stronger grasp of beginner level Korean, prepare them for higher levels of Korean language study, increase their knowledge of contemporary Korean culture and enable them to communicate with Korean native speakers about daily life.
A comprehensive introduction to Modern Standard Chinese (also known as Mandarin) as a foreign or second language for students with minimal or no previous knowledge of any Chinese dialect. This course emphasizes integrated practical Chinese in listening, speaking, reading, writing (from characters to compositions) and translation.
An introduction to Modern Standard Chinese for students who speak some Chinese (any dialect) because of their family backgrounds but have minimal or no literacy skills in the language. Emphasis is placed on Mandarin phonetics and written Chinese through reading, writing and translation.
A continuation of LGGA64H3.
An elementary course for students with no knowledge of Hindi. Students learn the Devanagari script and the Hindi sound system in order to start reading and writing in Hindi. The course also develops listening and speaking skills through culturally-based materials. Course materials are enhanced by audio-visual and computer-based activities.
A continuation of LGGA70H3.
This is an intensive elementary course for students with no knowledge of Hindi. It combines the materials taught in both LGGA70H3 and LGGA71H3. Students will learn the Devanagari script and the Hindi sound system in order to start reading and writing in Hindi. The course also develops listening and speaking skills through culturally-based materials. Course materials are enhanced by audio-visual and computer-based activities.
An elementary course for students with minimal or no knowledge of Tamil. Students learn the Tamil script and sound system. The course also develops listening and speaking skills through culturally-based materials. Course materials are enhanced by audio-visual and computer-based activities.
A continuation of LGGA74H3.
An intensive elementary course for students with minimal or no knowledge of Tamil. Students learn the Tamil script and sound system. The course also develops listening and speaking skills through culturally-based materials. Course materials are enhanced by audio-visual and computer based activities.
This is an elementary course for students with no knowledge of Bengali. Students will learn the Bengali script and sound system in order to start reading and writing in Bengali. The course also develops listening and speaking skills through culturally-based materials. Course materials are enhanced by audio-visual and computer based activities.
A beginning course for those with minimal or no knowledge of Japanese. The course builds proficiency in both language and culture. Language practice includes oral skills for simple daily conversation; students will be introduced to the Japanese writing systems and learn to read and write simple passages.
Continuation of Introductory Japanese I.
This course is an intensive elementary course for those with minimal or no knowledge of Japanese. It combines the materials taught in both LGGA80H3 and LGGA81H3, and builds on proficiency in both language and culture. Language practice includes oral skills for simple daily conversation. Students will also be introduced to the Japanese writing systems and learn to read and write simple passages.
This course is an intensive elementary course in written and spoken Spanish, including comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. It is designed for students who have no previous knowledge of Spanish. The course will develop listening and speaking skills through culturally-based materials, which will be enhanced by audio-visual and computer-based activities.
An introduction to the basic grammar and vocabulary of standard Arabic - the language common to the Arab world. Classroom activities will promote speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Special attention will be paid to reading and writing in the Arabic script.
This is an intensive elementary course for students with minimal to no knowledge of the featured language. Students will learn the script and sound system so they may begin to read and write in this language. The course will develop listening and speaking skills through culturally-based materials, which will be enhanced by audio-visual and computer-based activities. Students may not repeat this course for credit, including when the current featured language is different from previous featured languages.
This course will develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in Standard Chinese. Writing tasks will help students to progress from characters to compositions and will include translation from Chinese to English and vice versa. The course is not open to students who have more than the rudiments of Chinese.
A continuation of LGGB60H3.
This course will further improve the literacy skills of heritage students by studying more linguistically sophisticated and topically extensive texts. Those who have not studied pinyin, the Mandarin pronunciation tool, but know about 600-800 complex or simplified Chinese characters should take this course instead of courses LGGA64H3 and LGGA65H3.
A continuation of LGGB62H3.
Develops language and literacy through the study of Hindi cinema, music and dance along with an introduction to theatrical and storytelling traditions. The course enhances acquisition of cultural competence in Hindi with composition and conversation, complemented by culture-based material, film and other media.
Continuation of LGGB70H3.
Tamil language taught through culture for students with heritage language skills or prior formal study. The cultures of South India, Sri Lanka and diaspora populations will be studied to build literacy skills in the Tamil script as well as further development of speaking and listening skills.
This course develops all language skills in speaking, listening, reading, writing, and translation, with special attention to idiomatic expressions. Through a variety of texts and interactive materials, students will be introduced to aspects of Chinese life and culture.
A continuation of LGGC60H3.
This course focuses on similarities and differences between Chinese and Western cultures through a variety of cultural and literary materials. Students will further develop their language skills and cultural awareness through reading, writing, and translation.
This course focuses on aspects of Canadian and Chinese societies, and related regions overseas. Through a variety of text and non-text materials, in Chinese with English translation and in English with Chinese translation, students will further improve their language skills and have a better understanding of Canada, China, and beyond.
Intended for students who read Chinese and English well. Complex-simplified character conversion and vice versa, as well as English-Chinese and Chinese-English bilingual texts, are emphasized through reading, discussion, and translation in a variety of topics from, and outside of, Greater China, presentations, translation comparison, translation, and translation criticism.
Designed for students who read Chinese and English well. Complex-simplified Chinese character conversion and vice versa, as well as English-Chinese and Chinese-English bilingual texts are emphasized through reading, discussion, and translation in a variety of topics from global perspectives, presentations, translation and translation comparison, and translation criticism.
Advanced language learning through an introduction to the historical development of the Hindi language. Students develop language skills through the study of educational structure, and literary and cultural institutions in colonial and postcolonial India. The course studies a variety of texts and media and integrates composition and conversation.
This course examines Chinese literary masterpieces of the pre-modern era and their English translations. They include the prose and poetry of many dynasties as well as examples in Literary Chinese of other genres that are still very much alive in Chinese language and society today. An in-depth review of the English translations will be strongly emphasized.
This course examines Chinese classics and their English translations, such as The Book of Documents, The Analects of Confucius, The Mencius, The Dao De Jing, and other philosophical maxims, proverbial sayings, rhyming couplets, idioms and poems that still have an impact on Chinese language and culture today.