ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION 3 - LANGUAGES FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES

The course ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION 3 – LANGUAGES FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES is part of the core educational activities of the Bachelor's Degree Programme in Linguistic and Cultural Mediation, serving as the final step in a professionalising path in the fields of translation and mediation. The course consists of a theoretical module taught by the Professor and related language-practice labs, aimed at enhancing students' communicative skills and consolidating the course contents. The general objective of the course is the acquisition and analysis of the core features of specialized discourse, enabling students to translate specialized texts of various genres and fields from English into Italian. The target communicative competence to be achieved is at the C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

With reference to the Dublin descriptors (Bachelor's Degree), students' expected outcomes are:

1. Knowledge and understanding
1a. Knowledge and understanding of specialized discourse in English;
1b. Knowledge and understanding of the dynamics involved in translating specialized and semi-specialized texts;
1c. Knowledge and understanding aimed at the comprehension and analysis of specialized texts.

2. Applying knowledge and understanding
2a. Ability to recognize and analyze specialized and semi-specialized texts in the English language;
2b. Ability to use the acquired knowledge to translate specialized and semi-specialized texts from English into Italian;
2c. Ability to apply appropriate techniques and strategies to make sound translation choices;
2d. Ability to communicate and express oneself in English in formal and communicative situations at the C1 level of the CEFR;
2e. Ability to understand and produce specialized and semi-specialized texts in English at the C1 level of the CEFR.

3. Making judgments
3a. Ability to carry out the analysis of specialized and semi-specialized texts in the English language;
3b. Ability to justify one's translation choices regarding specialized and semi-specialized texts;
3c. Ability to implement communication strategies at the C1 level of the CEFR.

4. Communication skills
4a. Ability to recognize and explain contrastive aspects of specialized languages in English compared to Italian;
4b. Ability to use the metalanguage of linguistics and translation studies to describe English language phenomena;
4c. Ability to interact in communicative situations at the C1 level of the CEFR;
4d. Ability to apply C1-level language skills to present the topics addressed in the Professor's module;
4e. Ability to argue and discuss matters concerning translation.

5. Learning skills
5a. Ability to undertake the study of the course materials with a high degree of autonomy;
5b. Ability to self-evaluate regarding the acquisition of linguistic and translation content, as well as one's own competence in the English language;
5c. Ability to apply the acquired knowledge to independently undertake future paths of study or specialization in the field of translation.

A solid command of the terminology and notions relating to the syntax of the Italian and English languages, acquired through the basic courses ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION 1, ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION 2, and GENERAL LINGUISTICS.

Knowledge of the principles of translation theory, acquired through the core course Introduction to TRANSLATION FOR THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY AND FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES (ENGLISH).

The course ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION 3 - LANGUAGES FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES is divided into two parts.

The module with Professor Francesca Coccetta explores the core characteristics of specialized discourse in English, analyzing its lexical, terminological, syntactic, and textual dimensions. Particular attention will be paid to communicative strategies, registers, and genres, adopting a primarily contrastive perspective between English and Italian. The pedagogical approach is based on the analysis of authentic and representative texts, examined through the methodological tools introduced during the module classes. Furthermore, the course aims to develop the skills necessary for the practical application of textual and terminological knowledge to translation tasks.

The language practice labs with Dr. Michelle Therese Davies will complement the module, focusing on the consolidation of communicative skills in specialized and academic contexts, aiming for the CEFR C1 level.

PROFESSOR'S MODULE:
- Garzone, Giuliana (2020). Specialized Communication and Popularization in English. Roma: Carocci.

Suggested reading list:
- Bowker, Lynne and Pearson, Jennifer (2002). Working with Specialized Language: A Practical Guide to Using Corpora. London and New York: Routledge.
- Diadori, Pierangela (2012). Teoria e tecnica della traduzione. Milano: Mondadori Education.
- Gotti, Maurizio (2011). Investigating Specialized Discourse. New Edition. Bern: Peter Lang.
- Musacchio, Maria Teresa (2017). Translating Popular Science. Padova: CLEUP.
- Scarpa, Federica (2020). Research and Professional Practice in Specialised Translation. London: Palgrave.
- Taylor, Christopher (1998). Language to Language. A Practical and Theoretical Guide for Italian/English Translators. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

LANGUAGE PRACTICE LABS:
- Foley, Mark and Hall, Diane (2012). MyGrammarLab. Advanced C1/C2. London: Pearson.
- Pathare, Emma and Pathare, Gary (2024). Skillful. Reading and Writing (C1). London: Macmillan.

The expected learning outcomes are assessed in a written and oral exam to be taken in the same appello. Students are admitted to the oral exam only if they have passed the written exam with a grade of at least 18/30.

The written exam, lasting 90 minutes, assesses that students have acquired the core characteristics of specialized discourse in English and that they are able to analyze its lexical, terminological, syntactic, and textual dimensions. Additionally, the exam assesses students' ability to translate short English specialized texts into Italian. The exam includes direct-answer questions on the characteristics of specialized discourse and an English-to-Italian translation of a short text representing one of the genres covered during the course. During the written exam, the use of English monolingual dictionaries and English-Italian dictionaries is permitted in paper format only. Students whose native language is not Italian may also use paper-based bilingual dictionaries between their native language and English.

The oral exam consists of an interview based on the written exam and further assesses knowledge of the topics covered in the Professor's module, as well as students' ability to describe the features of specialized discourse in English, using appropriate terminology in correct and fluent English.

written and oral

The instructor is responsible for ensuring the authenticity and originality of all examinations and coursework. In cases of suspected academic misconduct, an additional on-site assessment may be required during the exams, which may differ from the standard format.

For students who pass the exam, the final grade will be awarded on a 30-point scale, from a minimum of 18 to a maximum of 30. Students who demonstrate exceptional performance may be awarded honours (lode). The final grade is calculated based on the scores obtained in the following components:

Written Exam:
- Part A: Short-answer questions
Up to 15 points will be awarded based on the correct answers provided.
- Part B: Translation
The translation from English into Italian will be assessed based on the following five criteria: 1) Semantic accuracy and fidelity; 2) Domain-specific terminological and phraseological precision; 3) domain-specific genre adherence; 4) Pragmatic Adaptation and localization conventions; 5) Grammatical and syntactic correctness. Each criterion is scored from 0 to 3 points depending on the level of performance, up to a maximum of 15 points.

Oral Exam:
The oral exam assesses the ability to describe the features of specialized discourse in English, using appropriate metalanguage and terminology with a correct and fluent level of English. Up to 3 points will be awarded for the oral exam based on the quality of the presentation.

The Professor's module includes lecture-based teaching—both traditional and computer-assisted—integrated with the active participation of students in group work, peer-review, and cooperative learning activities.

As per the Degree Course Regulations, attendance is mandatory. To be eligible to sit the exam, students are required to attend at least 75% of the whole course (including both the Professor's module and the language practice labs with the CEL).

Students from previous academic years will take the exam in accordance with the assessment methods and course contents effective from the 2026/2027 academic year.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development