Phonetics and Phonology

Course title: Phonetics and Phonology
Course ID: 235564 
Hours: 3L + 1S
Instructors:   
Professor Višnja Josipović Smojver; e-mail: visnja.josipovic@ffzg.unizg.hr; office hours: Tuesday 15:00-16:30, B-008
Mirta Stamenić, assistant; e-mail: mstameni@m.ffzg.unizg.hr; office hours: Wednesday 15:00-16:00 and by appointment, B-008
ECTS credits: 6
Language: English
Status: compulsory
Semester: 6th (summer)
Enrolment requirements:Regular enrolment in the 6th semester.
Exam: continuous assessment (details on the Omega course website)

Course description:
Students are taught the fundamentals of contemporary phonetics and phonology. The course starts with a survey of the basic notions of articulatory phonetics, focusing on the standard pronunciation varieties of British and American English (RP, SSBP, and GenAm). The students are familiarized with the basic approaches of contemporary phonological theory, which are applied to the analysis of the most important English pronunciation phenomena and the formulation of the basic English phonological rules. This also includes suprasegmental phenomena, which are analysed in terms of phonetic transcription, using IPA notational conventions.

Objectives:
Students should learn to approach English pronunciation descriptively, as opposed to the earlier prescriptive approach, which they were used to in the course of pre-university English learning. In order to develop this kind of approach, i.e., to learn how to describe English pronunciation phenomena in a scientific way, through this course the student should develop the ability of selective listening and master the basic notions and terms of phonological and phonetic description.


Obligatory literature:
Cruttenden, A. (2014). Gimson’s Pronunciation of English, 8th ed. London – New York: Routledge.
Josipović, V. (1999). Phonetics and Phonology for Students of English. Zagreb: Targa.
Lindsey, G. (2019). English after RP: Standard British Pronunciation Today. www.cubedictionary.org.


Reference literature:
Crystal, D. (2008). A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics.6th edn. Oxford: Blackwell.
Pullum, G.K. & W.A. Ladusaw (1996). Phonetic Symbol Guide. The University of Chicago Press.
Wells, J.C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. 3rd edn. with CD: Person Education Ltd.


Further reading:
Beňuš Štefan. (2021). Investigating spoken English: A practical guide to phonetics and phonology using Praat. Palgrave Macmillan. 
Carley, P., & Mees, I. M. (2020). American English phonetics and pronunciation practice. New York, NY: Routledge.
Collins, B., Mees, I. M., & Carley, P. (2019). Practical English phonetics and phonology a resource book for students. Routledge
Josipović Smojver, V. (2017). Suvremene fonološke teorije. Zagreb: Ibis grafika.
Mees, I. M., Carley, P., & Collins, B. (2018). English phonetics and pronunciation practice. Routledge.
Pullum, G. K., & Ladusaw, W. A. (1996). Phonetic symbol guide. The University of Chicago Press.
Small, L. H. (2020). Fundamentals of phonetics: A practical guide for students. Pearson Education, Inc.
Zsiga, E. (2013). The Sounds of Language. An Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
Zsiga, E. (2020). The Phonology/Phonetics Interface. Edinburgh University Press.

 

Week by week schedule:

1. Introduction: Phonetics and Phonology; types of English pronunciation
2. Speech Production: continuity of speech; three branches of phonetics
3. Articulatory Phonetics: organs of speech and speech production
4. Articulatory gestures, segments of speech and distinctive features; IPA notation and transcription (1)
5. Acoustic phonetics (1): segmental level: spectrograms, Praat
6. English Consonants
7. Vowels: CV Scale
8. English vowels: vocalic systems and subsystems of the mainstream pronunciation standards
9. Phonological Theory: Segmentation of speech and basic notions of phonological analysis
10. Binarity and Distinctive Feature Theory
11. Phonological rules, domains and constraints, contemporary phonological theory
12. The syllable
13. Prosody: rhythm, intonation, typology
14. Connected Speech: coarticulation; universal phonetic processes; English connected-speech phenomena; transcription of English connected speech
15. Allophones and narrow transcription; variability and transcription of standard and non-standard connected speech

 

  

Semantics of the English language (archive)

Course title:  Semantics of the English language
(until 2022/23)
Name of course coordinator
: prof. dr. Milena Žic Fuchs
Name of lecturer: 
prof. dr. Milena Žic Fuchs
Number of credits: 
6
Language of instruction:
English
Semester:
  5 (autumn)
Status:
  obligatory
Type of course:
4 periods, lecture
Prerequisites:
  Syntax (both) and Introduction to the Linguistics of the English language
Assessment method:
Written
Course contents:
The course introduces students to the complex issues of meaning 1) on the level of lexemes or words, 2) on the paradigmatic level, or the vocabulary structure and 3) to the relationship between semantics and syntax, or the relationships on the syntagmatic level. Basic traditional semantic concepts are discussed, such as homonymy, synonymy, polisemy, antonymy, as well as traditional theoretical approaches such as componential analysis and field theory. Particular attention is paid to the traditional approach to metaphor and metonymy, with an introduction to the new views of these language phenomena arising in cognitive semantics. The complexity of the relationship between semantics and syntax, or meaning on the syntagmatic level, is analyzed on the level of the sentence as well as smaller syntagmatic units such as collocations.
Objectives of the course:
  The objective of the course is to introduce students to the complexities of meaning phenomena, as well as to different theoretical frameworks, both traditional and contemporary.

Course schedule:

Week Topic
1. Orientation, syllabus. What is semantics? Short historical overview. Semantics and other related disciplines.
What is meaning? The nature of linguistic meaning. Types of meaning.
2. Functions of language and their relation to meaning.
Traditional terms in Semantics: Homonymy. Polysemy. Synonymy.
3. Is Semantics a science?
Contemporary approaches: the scientific approach to meaning. Methods and possible approaches.
4. Methods of semantic analysis: Componential Analysis. Types of meaning relations.
Triangles of meaning.
Traditional and contemporary approaches to Componential Analysis.
5. Semantically related lexemes: organization on the paradigmatic level
Semantic or lexical fields
Antonymy
6. REVISION
TEST 1
7. Hyperonyms and hyponyms
Taxonomies
8. Introduction to Cognitive Semantics
The notion of prototype and its relevance for meaning
Categorization
9. Scenes and frames
Knowledge of language and knowledge of the world
Categories: prototypes and schemas
10. Traditional and contemporary approaches to metaphor and metonymy.
11. Semantics and grammar.
12. Semantics and pragmatics.
Use of corpora in semantic research.
13. Termin rezerviran za neku od tema.
14. Termin rezerviran za neku od tema
15. FINAL REVISION
TEST

Recommended reading (obligatory):
Leech, G. N. (1978), Semantics. Penguin
– Lyons
, J. (1981), Language and Linguistics. Cambridge University Press
– Palmer
, F. R. (1976), Semantics – A New Outline. Cambridge University Press
– Žic Fuchs, Milena (1991), Znanje o jeziku i znanje o svijetu. Filozofski fakultet, Odsjek za opću lingvistiku i orijentalne studije

Recommended reading (optional):
– Lyons
, J. (1981), Language, Meaning, Context. Fontana
– Lyons
, J. (1977), Semantics, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. Cambridge University Press

 


Continue reading Semantics of the English language (archive)

Phonetics and Phonology (archive)

SYLLABUS 2023

Course title: Phonetics and Phonology
Course ID: 235564 
Hours: 3L + 1S

Instructors:   
Professor Višnja Josipović Smojver
                          e-mail: visnja.josipovic@ffzg.unizg.hr
                          office hours: Tuesday15:00-16:30 – B-008


  Mirta Stamenić, assistant
  e-mail: mstameni@ffzg.unizg.hr

  office hours: Tuesday 12:30-14:00 – B-008

ECTS credits: 6

Language:  English
Status: compulsory

Semester: 6th (summer)

Enrolment requirements: Successful completion of the course of Semantics, as well as regular enrolment in the 6th semester.

Course description:

Students are taught the fundamentals of contemporary phonetics and phonology. The course starts with a survey of the basic notions of articulatory phonetics, focusing on the standard pronunciation varieties of British and American English (RP, SSBP, and GenAm). The students are familiarized with the basic approaches of  contemporary phonological theory, which are applied to the analysis of the most important  English pronunciation phenomena and the formulation of the basic English phonological rules. This also includes suprasegmental phenomena, which are analysed in terms of phonetic transcription, using IPA notational conventions.

Objectives:

Students should learn to approach English pronunciation descriptively, as opposed to the earlier prescriptive approach, which they were used to in the course of pre-university English learning. In order to develop this kind of approach, i.e., to learn how to describe English pronunciation phenomena in a scientific way, through this course the student should develop the ability of selective listening and master the basic notions and terms of phonological and phonetic description.


Obligatory literature:

Cruttenden, A. (2014). Gimson’s Pronunciation of English, 8th ed. London – New York: Routledge.

Josipović, V. (1999). Phonetics and Phonology for Students of English. Zagreb: Targa.

Lindsey, G. (2019). English after RP: Standard British Pronunciation Today. www.cubedictionary.org.


Reference literature:

Crystal, D. (2008). A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics.6th edn. Oxford: Blackwell.

Pullum, G.K. & W.A. Ladusaw (1996). Phonetic Symbol Guide. The University of Chicago Press.

Trask, R.L. (1996) A Dictionary of Phonetics and Phonology. London:Routledge.

Wells, J.C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. 3rd edn. with CD: Person Education Ltd.


Further reading:

Ashby, M. & J. Maidment (2005). Introducing Phonetic Science. Cambridge University Press.

Gussenhoven, C. & H. Jacobs (2005). Understanding Phonology, 2nd edn. London: Arnold.

Hayes, B. (2009). Introductory Phonology. Wiley-Blackwell.

Josipović Smojver, V. (2017). Suvremene fonološke teorije. Zagreb: Ibis grafika.

Ladefoged, P. (2002). A Course in Phonetics, 4th edn. Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle.

Zsiga, E. (2013). The Sounds of Language. An Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
Zsiga, E. (2020). The Phonology/Phonetics Interface. Edinburgh University Press.

 

 

Course requirements:  

Phonetics and Phonology is a continuous assessment course. The final grade will be based on 3 online continuous assessment tests (CAT), as shown in the table:

 

 

CAT 1

 

CAT 2

 CAT 3

topics (W)

1-8

9-15

Transcription of connected speech

maximum score

45 points

20 points

35 points

Obtaining the final grade:

A maximum of 100 points (45+35+ 20)

92 -100 = 5
84 – 91 = 4
73 – 83 = 3
65 – 72 = 2

For those who have not successfully completed the course  through the regular (obligatory) CAT system, or want a higher grade, two remedial terms will be offered for re-taking CAT1, CAT2, or both. CAT 3 will be uploadable on the Omega in the period between June 15 and September 15, 2023 and cannot be repeated.

Those who have satisfied the criteria for passing the course and are not satisfied with their grade, an extra-point assignment for additional 5 points will also be offered at the end of the summer exam term.

 

Week by week schedule:

1. Introduction: Phonetics and Phonology; types of English pronunciation

2. Speech Production: continuity of speech; three branches of phonetics

3. Articulatory Phonetics: organs of speech and speech production

4. Articulatory gestures, segments of speech and distinctive features; IPA notation and transcription (1)

5. Acoustic phonetics (1): segmental level: spectrograms, Praat
6. English Consonants
7. Vowels: CV Scale
8. English vowels: vocalic systems and subsystems of the mainstream pronunciation standards

9. Phonological Theory: Segmentation of speech and basic notions of phonological analysis

10. Binarity and Distinctive Feature Theory

11. Phonological rules, domains and constraints, contemporary phonological theory
12. The syllable
13. Prosody: rhythm, intonation, typology
14. Connected Speech: coarticulation; universal phonetic processes; English connected-speech phenomena; transcription of English connected speech

15. Allophones and narrow transcription; variability and transcription of standard and non-standard connected speech

 

  

Phonetics and Phonology (2021-22)(archive)

SYLLABUS 2022

Course title: Phonetics and Phonology

Instructors:
Professor Višnja Josipović Smojver
e-mail: visnja.josipovic@ffzg.hr
office hours: Monday 15:30-16:30 – B-OO8

Mirta Stamenić, assistant
e-mail: mstameni@ffzg.hr
office hours: Monday 15:30-16:30 – B-OO8

ECTS credits: 6
Language
: English
Status: compulsory
Semester: 6th (summer)

Enrolment requirements: Regular enrolment in the 6th semester.

Course description:

Students are taught the fundamentals of contemporary phonetics and phonology. The course starts with a survey of the basic notions of articulatory phonetics, focusing on the standard pronunciation varieties of British and American English (RP, SSBP, and GenAm). The students are familiarized with the basic approaches of contemporary phonological theory, which are applied to the analysis of the most important English pronunciation phenomena and the formulation of the basic English phonological rules. This also includes suprasegmental phenomena, which are analysed in terms of phonetic transcription, using IPA notational conventions.

Objectives:

Students should learn to approach English pronunciation descriptively, as opposed to the earlier prescriptive approach, which they were used to in the course of pre-university English learning. In order to develop this kind of approach, i.e., to learn how to describe English pronunciation phenomena in a scientific way, through this course the student should develop the ability of selective listening and master the basic notions and terms of phonological and phonetic description.

Obligatory literature:

Cruttenden, A. (2014). Gimson’s Pronunciation of English, 8th ed. London – New York: Routledge.

Josipović, V. (1999). Phonetics and Phonology for Students of English. Zagreb: Targa.

Lindsey, G. (2019). English after RP: Standard British Pronunciation Today. www.cubedictionary.org.

Reference literature:

Crystal, D. (2008). A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics.6th edn. Oxford: Blackwell.

Pullum, G.K. & W.A. Ladusaw (1996). Phonetic Symbol Guide. The University of Chicago Press.

Trask, R.L. (1996) A Dictionary of Phonetics and Phonology. London:Routledge.

Wells, J.C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. 3rd edn. with CD: Person Education Ltd.

Further reading:

Ashby, M. & J. Maidment (2005). Introducing Phonetic Science. Cambridge University Press.

Gussenhoven, C. & H. Jacobs (2005). Understanding Phonology, 2nd edn. London: Arnold.

Hayes, B. (2009). Introductory Phonology. Wiley-Blackwell.

Josipović Smojver, V. (2017). Suvremene fonološke teorije. Zagreb: Ibis grafika.

Ladefoged, P. (2002). A Course in Phonetics, 4th edn. Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle.

Odden, D. (2005), Introducing Phonology. Cambridge University Press.

Zsiga, E. (2013). The Sounds of Language. An Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

 

Course requirements:

Phonetics and Phonology is a continuous assessment course. The final grade will be based on 3 online continuous assessment tests (CAT), as shown in the table:

  CAT 1 CAT2
transcription of connected speech (individualized)
CAT 3
topics (Ω) 1-9 11 10, 12-15
maximum score 45 points 20 points 35 points

Obtaining the final grade:

A maximum of 100 points (45+20+35)

92 -100 = 5
84 – 91 = 4
73 – 83 = 3
65 – 72 = 2

For those who have not successfully completed the course through the regular (obligatory) CAT system, or want a higher grade, two remedial terms will be offered for re-taking CAT1, CAT3, or both.

Those who have satisfied the criteria for passing the course and are not satisfied with their grade, an extra-point assignment for additional 5 points will also be offered at the end of the summer exam term.

Week by week schedule:

     1. Introduction: Phonetics and Phonology
     2. Speech Production: the speech chain, organs of speech, speech production
     3. Segments of speech: the basic analytical units of traditional phonology
     4. Binarity and Distinctive Feature Theory
     5. Types of English pronunciation
     6. Consonants
     7. Vowels: the traditional parameters in the description and classification of vowels
     8. English pure vowels and diphthongs
     9. IPA sounds and notational conventions
     10. Connected speech phenomena
     11. Transcription of connected speech
     12. Prosody: rules, domains, typology
     13. The syllable
     14. Acoustic analysis
     15. Contemporary Phonological Theory; Revision

Phonetics and Phonology (archive, Sept 2021)

Course title: Phonetics and Phonology

Instructor: Professor Višnja Josipović Smojver
office hours: Monday 15:30-16:30 – B-OO8
e-mail: visnja.josipovic@ffzg.hr

ECTS
credits: 6
Language
: English
Status: compulsory
Semester: 6th (summer)
Enrolment requirements: regular enrolment in the 6th semester.

Course description:

Students are taught the fundamentals of contemporary phonetics and phonology. The course starts with a survey of the basic notions of articulatory phonetics, focusing on the standard pronunciation varieties of British and American English (RP, SSBP, and GenAm). The students are familiarized with the basic approaches of contemporary phonological theory, which are applied to the analysis of the most important English pronunciation phenomena and the formulation of the basic English phonological rules. This also includes suprasegmental phenomena, which are analysed them in terms of phonetic transcription and IPA notational conventions.

Objectives:

Students should learn to approach English pronunciation descriptively, as opposed to the earlier prescriptive approach, which they were used to in the course of pre-university English learning. In order to develop this kind of approach, i.e., to learn how to describe English pronunciation phenomena in a scientific way, through this course the student should develop the ability of selective listening and master the basic notions and terms of phonological and phonetic description.

Obligatory literature:

Cruttenden, A. (2014) Gimson’s Pronunciation of English, 8th ed. London – New York: Routledge.

Josipović, V. (1999). Phonetics and Phonology for Students of English. Zagreb: Targa.

Lindsey, G. (2019). English after RP: Standard British Pronunciation Today. www.cubedictionary.org.

Reference literature:

Crystal, D. (2008). A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics.6th edn. Oxford: Blackwell.

Pullum, G.K. & W.A. Ladusaw (1996). Phonetic Symbol Guide. The University of Chicago Press.

Trask, R.L. (1996) A Dictionary of Phonetics and Phonology. London:Routledge.

Wells, J.C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. 3rd edn. with CD: Person Education Ltd.

Further reading:

Ashby, M. & J. Maidment (2005). Introducing Phonetic Science. Cambridge University Press.

Gussenhoven, C. & H. Jacobs (2005). Uderstanding Phonology, 2nd edn. London: Arnold.

Hayes, B. (2009). Introductory Phonology. Wiley-Blackwell.

Josipović Smojver, V. (2017). Suvremene fonološke teorije. Zagreb: Ibis grafika.

Ladefoged, P. (2002). A Course in Phonetics, 4th edn. Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle.

Odden, D. (2005), Introducing Phonology. Cambridge University Press.

Zsiga, E. (2013). The Sounds of Language. An Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

 

Course requirements:

Phonetics and Phonology is a continuous assessment course. The final grade will be based on 3 online continuous assessment tests (CAT), as shown in the table:

 

CAT 1

 

CAT2
transcription of connected speech (individualized)

CAT 3

 

topics (W)

1-8

11

9-10, 12-14

maximum score

45 points

20 points

35 points

Obtaining the final grade:

A maximum of 100 points (45+20+35)

92 -100 = 5
84 – 91 = 4
73 – 83 = 3
65 – 72 = 2

For those who have not successfully completed the course through the regular (obligatory) CAT system, or want a higher grade, two remedial terms will be offered for re-taking CAT1, CAT3, or both.

Those who have satisfied the criteria for passing the course and are not satisfied with their grade, an extra-point assignment for additional 5 points will also be offered at the end of the summer exam term.

Phonetics and Phonology (archive)

Syllabus 2021
Course title
: Phonetics and Phonology
Instructor: Professor Višnja Josipović Smojver
office hours 2020/2021: Monday 15:30-16:30 – B-OO8- by appointment!
e-mail: visnja.josipovic@ffzg.hr

ECTS credits: 6
Language
: English
Status: compulsory
Semester: 6th (summer)

Enrolment requirements:
There are no special prerequisites for taking up this course, except that the student has to be regularly enrolled in the semester in which the course is taught.

Course description:
Students are taught the fundamental notions of contemporary phonetics and phonology. The course starts with a survey of the basic notions of articulatory phonetics, with special emphasis on the standard pronunciation varieties of British and American English (RP, SSBP, and GenAm respectively). This is followed by an overview of suprasegmental phenomena in English, which students will learn to analyse in terms of phonetic transcription, using the IPA notational conventions. Finally, the students are familiarized with the basic approaches of contemporary phonological theory, which are applied to the analysis of the most important English pronunciation phenomena and the formulation of the basic English phonological rules.

Objectives:
Students should learn to approach English pronunciation descriptively, as opposed to the earlier prescriptive approach, which they were used to in the course of pre-university English learning. In order to develop this kind of approach, i.e., to learn how to describe English pronunciation phenomena in a scientific way, through this course the student should develop the ability of selective listening and master the basic notions and terms of phonological and phonetic description.

Obligatory literature:

Cruttenden, A. (2008). Gimson’s Pronunciation of English. 7th edn. London: Hodder Arnold.
Josipović, V. (1999). Phonetics and Phonology for Students of English. Zagreb: Targa.
Lindsey, G. (2019). English after RP: Standard British Pronunciation Today. www.cubedictionary.org.

Reference literature:

Crystal, D. (2008). A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics.6th edn. Oxford: Blackwell.
Pullum, G.K. & W.A. Ladusaw (1996). Phonetic Symbol Guide. The University of Chicago Press.
Trask, R.L. (1996) A Dictionary of Phonetics and Phonology. London:Routledge.
Wells, J.C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. 3rd edn. with CD: Person Education Ltd.

Further reading:

Ashby, M. & J. Maidment (2005). Introducing Phonetic Science. Cambridge University Press.
Gussenhoven, C. & H. Jacobs (2005). Uderstanding Phonology, 2nd edn. London: Arnold.
Hayes, B. (2009). Introductory Phonology. Wiley-Blackwell.
Josipović Smojver, V. (2017). Suvremene fonološke teorije. Zagreb: Ibis grafika.
Ladefoged, P. (2002). A Course in Phonetics, 4th edn. Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle.
Odden, D. (2005), Introducing Phonology. Cambridge University Press.
Zsiga, E. (2013). The Sounds of Language. An Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

 Course requirements:

Phonetics and Phonology is a continuous assessment course. The final grade will be based on 3 online continuous assessment tests (CAT), as shown in the table:

 

CAT 1

Friday, 24/04/21- 17:00

CAT2
transcription of connected speech (individualized)

CAT 3
Monday, 14/06/21- 17:00

topics (W)

1-8

uploadable in the period from 21/05 to 21/06

9-10, 12-14

maximum score

45 points

20 points

35 points

Obtaining the final grade:

A maximum of 100 points (45+20+35)
92 -100 = 5
84 – 91 = 4
73 – 83 = 3
65 – 72 = 2

For those who have not successfully completed the course through the regular (obligatory) CAT system, or want a higher grade, two remedial online terms will be offered for re-taking CAT1, CAT3, or both: Monday, 05/07/21 and Monday 13/09/21.

Those who have satisfied the criteria for passing the course and are not satisfied with their grade, an extra-point assignment for additional 5 points will also be offered at the end of the summer exam term.

Week by week schedule:

1. Introduction: Phonetics and Phonology
2. Speech Production: the speech chain, organs of speech, speech production
3. Segments of speech: the basic analytical units of traditional phonology
4. Binarity and Distinctive Feature Theory
5. Types of English pronunciation
6. Consonants
7. Vowels: the traditional parameters in the description and classification of vowels
8. English pure vowels
9. English diphthongs
10. IPA sounds and notational conventions
11. Connected speech phenomena
12. Transcription of connected speech
13: Prosody: rules, domains, typology
14. The syllable
15. Contemporary phonological theory

Translation Exercises

Course title: Translation Exercises
Instructors
: Tea Raše; Kristijan Nikolić, PhD
ECTS credits:
5
Status:
mandatory
Semester:
6
Exam:
continuous assessment
Enrolment requirements:
CEL3 and Analysis of English Texts
Course description: Translation of general-type texts from English into Croatian and from Croatian into English. Through individual translation and analysis of translated texts (their own and other) the students will be introduced to basic translation procedures, as well as to key problems in translation from English into Croatian and from Croatian into English. Most important translation tools will be explored.
Objectives:  The aim of the course is for students to acquire insight into basic translation procedures through practical experience, and to master basic translation skills. The students will learn to use the most important translation tools.
Course requirements:
The students must attend two 1.5-hour sessions a week. One is devoted to the translation from English into Croatian, the other to the translation form Croatian into English. The students must attend all sessions (they are allowed to miss not more than three). The students will take two written continuous assessment tests and those who pass these two tests will not have to take the final exam. Those who fail to pass one or both continuous assessment tests will have to take the final exam. The final grade is based on continuous assessment which includes regular attendance (maximum of three absences), preparation for and participation in class, timely submission of assignments and obligatory sitting for midterm and endterm exams. E-learning platform Omega will be used as well, and the students must enrol in the platform if the instructor asks them to do so.

Week by week schedule:

1.   INTRODUCTION TO TRANSLATION

–     introduction to the course requirements, contents and objectives
–     introduction to the Omega e-learning platform            
–      discussion
–      which are the basic obstacles a translator faces?
–      which kinds of knowledge and skills a translator needs?
–     how can these be developed?
–       which aids are necessary to the translator?
3.   FIRST TEXT: ENGLISH INTO CROATIAN
–     a newspaper article (for example from The Economist, The Times etc.) – topic: culture (cultural event, review of a play, book or film; lifestyle, entertainment, etc.)
–     discussion about translation specifics of this type of text and area: style, range, readers, cultural elements and translation strategy
–     discussion about concrete problems in the text and possible solutions
5.   SECOND TEXT: ENGLISH INTO CROATIAN
–    a newspaper article – topic: politics (analysis of a current event)
–     discussion about problems related to the comprehension of such texts and the necessity that a translator follows news; specifics of the vocabulary and style; cultural differences between political systems
–     discussion about concrete problems in the text and possible solutions
7.   THIRD TEXT: ENGLISH INTO CROATIAN
–     a newspaper article – topic: economics and business (analysis of the condition of some economies, trends and predictions)
–     discussion about the difficulties related to the translation of newspaper articles about economics and business, especially questions of style in which those news are written in English; translation of idioms and metaphors; norms of the target culture and their role in the selection of a translation strategy; question of the introduction of new terminology
–     discussion about concrete problems in the text and possible solutions 
9.   FORTH TEXT: ENGLISH INTO CROATIAN
–     popular-science  newspaper article; topics: psychology, sociology, IT or another social or humanistic science
–     discussion about problems related to the terminology of a specific area for which the translator is not an expert; usage of special dictionaries and other resources; consultation with experts; register and readers
–     discussion about concrete problems in the text and possible solutions
11.  FIFTH TEXT: ENGLISH INTO CROATIAN
–             popular-science  newspaper article, topics: medicine and biology or another related science
–   discussion about problems related to the terminology of the specific area for which the translator is not an expert; consultation with experts; range and readers
–   discussion about concrete problems in the text and possible solutions
13. FIRST CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT TEST
– translation of the text in the class, the instructor marks the translations afterwards
15. CORRECTION OF THE FIRST CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT TEST
– discussion about the most common mistakes and their causes; advice on how to improve translation skills
17. SIXTH TEXT: ENGLISH INTO CROATIAN
–     text from a tourist brochure – way of life, customs, tradition
–     discussion about specifics of the translation of such texts; text function; readers; style; the role of a translator in the mediation between cultures
–    discussion about concrete problems in the text and possible solutions
19. SEVENTH TEXT: ENGLISH INTO CROATIAN
–     text from a tourist brochure – geography
–     discussion about translation of place names; usage of resources
–     discussion about concrete problems in the text and possible solutions
21. EIGHTH TEXT: ENGLISH INTO CROATIAN
– text from a tourist brochure – history
– discussion about problems related to the translation of a tourist text dealing with history; translation of historical names and terms; translator’s knowledge of history  and resources which may help; most common mistakes
–     discussion about concrete problems in the text and possible solutions
23. NINTH TEXT: ENGLISH INTO CROATIAN
–     text from tourist brochure – art
–     translator’s (lack of) knowledge of art; resources; terminology; consultation with experts
–     discussion about concrete problems in the text and possible solutions
25. TENTH TEXT: ENGLISH INTO CROATIAN
– text of an advertisement or commercial for a tourist destination (from the newspapers, web page or TV)
– discussion about the translation function and pragmalinguistic characteristics of the text; “freedom” of the translator in the translation of advertisements and commercials – translator as a transcreator; translator’s relation towards other participants in the translation process (the client, the author of the text, etc.)
–     discussion about concrete problems in the text and possible solutions
27. SECOND CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT TEST
29. CORRECTION OF THE CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT TEST
2.   FIRST TEXT: CROATIAN INTO ENGLISH
–    a newspaper article – topic: culture (cultural event in Croatia; review of a play, book or film, etc.)
–     discussion about translation specifics of this type of text and topic: style, register, readers, cultural elements and strategy of their translation; translator’s mediation in the translation of a less known culture to a global language)
–     discussion about concrete problems in the text and possible solutions
4.   SECOND TEXT: CROATIAN INTO ENGLISH
–     a newspaper article – topic: politics (for example: a report about an actual event in Croatia)
–     discussion about problems related to translation of such texts and the necessity that the translator follows news; specifics of the vocabulary and style; cultural differences between political systems; importance of reading and listening for translation to a foreign language – work with “parallel texts” and with dictionaries of collocations 
–     discussion about concrete problems in the text and possible solutions
6.   THIRD TEXT: CROATIAN INTO ENGLISH
–     a newspaper article – topic: economics and business (analysis of a condition of some economies, trends and predictions)
–     discussion about the difficulties related to the translation of newspaper articles about economics and business, especially questions of style in which those news are written in English; translation of idioms and metaphors; norms of the target culture and their role in the selection of translation strategy; question of the introduction of new terminology into the area of economics and business; question of the translator’s (lack of) knowledge of economics and business; consultation with experts and the usage of resources – importance of getting familiarised with the topic as a prerequisite for translation
–     discussion about concrete problems in the text and possible solutions
8.   FOURTH TEXT: CROATIAN INTO ENGLISH
–     popular-science  newspaper article; topics: psychology, sociology, IT or another social or humanistic science
–     discussion about problems related to the terminology of a specific area for which the translator is not an expert; usage of special dictionaries and other resources; consultation with experts; register and readers
–     discussion about concrete problems in the text and possible solutions
10. FIFTH TEXT: CROATIAN INTO ENGLISH
–      popular-science  newspaper article, topics: medicine and biology or another related science
–     discussion about problems related to the terminology of the specific area for which the translator is not an expert; consultation with experts; range and readers
–     discussion about concrete problems in the text and possible solutions
12. FIRST CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT TEST
– translation of the text in the class, the instructor marks the translations afterwards
14. CORRECTION OF THE FIRST CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT TEST
– discussion about the most common mistakes and their causes; advice on how to improve translation skills
16. SIXTH TEXT: CROATIAN INTO ENGLISH
–    text from a tourist brochure about Croatia– way of life, customs, tradition
–    discussion about the specifics of the translation such texts; text function; readers; style; role of the translator in the mediation between cultures, especially in the translation of a less known culture to a global language
–     discussion about concrete problems in the text and possible solutions
18. SEVENTH TEXT: CROATIAN INTO ENGLISH
–     text from a tourist brochure (or web page) about Croatia – geography
–     discussion about the translation of place names; usage of resources
–     discussion about concrete problems in the text and possible solutions     
20. EIGHTH TEXT: CROATIAN INTO ENGLISH
– text from a tourist brochure (or web page) about Croatia – history
– discussion about the problems related to the translation of  a tourist text dealing with history; translation of historical names and terms; translator’s knowledge of Croatian history and resources which may help; most common mistakes; necessity of the mediation between a less known culture and the visitors
–     discussion about concrete problems in the text and possible solutions     
22. NINTH TEXT: CROATIAN INTO ENGLISH
–     text from a tourist brochure – art
–     translator’s knowing of Croatian art and art in general; resources; terminology; consultation with experts
–     discussion about concrete problems in the text and possible solutions
24. TENTH TEXT: CROATIAN INTO ENGLISH
– text of an advertisement or commercial for a Croatian tourist destination (from the newspapers, web page or TV)
– discussion about the translation function and pragmalinguistic characteristics of the text; “freedom” of the translator in the translation of advertisements and commercials – translator as a transcreator; translator’s relation towards other participants in the translation process (the client, the author of the text, etc.)
–  discussion about concrete problems in the text and possible solutions
26. SECOND CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT TEST
28. CORRECTION OF SECOND CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT TEST
30. FEEDBACK
– students’ impressions about the course; about how much they have learned; suggestions for future work (questionnaire or discussion)

Reading: Bilingual dictionaries, for example:
Bujas, Željko. Veliki hrvatsko-engleski rječnik. Zagreb: Nakladni zavod Globus; and Bujas, Željko. Veliki englesko-hrvatski rječnik. Zagreb: Nakladni zavod Globus.

A monolingual dictionary, for example:
Hornby, A. S. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

An encyclopedic dictionary, for example:
The New Oxford Dictionary of English or
Webster’s Third New International Dictionary,    Unabridged.

A dictionary of collocations, for example:
Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.

 


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