Translation of texts related to national law (B language) - Spanish 3200-M1-1TPKBH
The workshop lasts one semester and is devoted to the translation of domestic law texts, such as civil law documents (particularly contracts and powers of attorney), company law documents, and other texts related to legal issues.
Teaching contents:
- specificity of specialized translation of domestic law texts;
- translation strategies for domestic law texts;
- editing of translated text (continued);
- proper selection of dictionaries, analogical and parallel sources and texts: assessment of their reliability and the value of obtained equivalents;
- role of glossaries in the translation of domestic law texts;
- problem of adapting translation to the recipient;
- proper terminology in domestic law texts and hierarchy of sources;;
- role of institutional guidelines and terminological and documentary databases in the translation of legal texts;
- advantages and limitations of CAT tools in translation of domestic law texts;
- translator's ethics in legal translation.
Student's workload:
• Scheduled study hours (classes) – 30 contact hours;
• Independent study hours – c. 1 hour of self-preparation for each class per week = c. 15 hours in total;
• Independent study hours for final assessment – 10 hours;
• Total: c. 55 hours.
Topics:
Polish law
FORMS OF WORK:
- preparing translations at home by students on their own, which are then discussed in class;
- discussing different versions of individual and/or team translations;
- translating short texts made by students during classes;
- teamwork with different roles;
- parallel text analysis;
- analysis of samples of incorrect translations provided by the lecturer;
- working with terminology databases and other sources of terminology;
- working with documentary databases;
- preparation of glossaries (traditionally or using a CAT tool, e.g. SDL Trados TermBase);
- preparation of a translation project: in teams or individually;
- in-class translation using CAT tools (MemoQ or Trados).
Working methods: activating (class discussion, "brainstorming"); programmed (using a computer); project; translation and language exercises (so-called production exercises).
If classroom learning is impossible, the workshop will be conducted with the help of distance communication tools, most probably Google Meet and others recommended by the University.
Type of course
Mode
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
After completing the course the student:
Pursuant to Appendix No. 19 to Resolution No. 122 of the Senate of the University of Warsaw of 25 June 2025 amending Resolution No. 414 of the Senate of the University of Warsaw of 8 May 2019 on study programs at the University of Warsaw
The graduate knows and understands.
-to an in-depth degree, the complex structure of language as a system. K_W01
-to an in-depth degree, the psycholinguistic, biological, cultural, and linguistic aspects of language use. K_W02
-to an in-depth degree, specialized terminology in the field of linguistics. K_W03
-to an in-depth degree, the main directions of development, contemporary research trends, and leading research centers in linguistics. K_W05
-on a professional level, the concepts and principles regarding intellectual property protection and copyright law. K_W07
-to an in-depth degree, the relationships between linguistics and other scientific disciplines. K_W09
-to an in-depth degree, the principles of establishing and developing various forms of entrepreneurship within the translation market. K_W10
-to an in-depth degree, the ethical conditions of professional activity. K_W11
-to an in-depth degree, the basic principles of establishing and developing various forms of entrepreneurship within the translation market. K_W13
-to an in-depth degree, the key concepts of translation studies and the major development trends in contemporary translation studies. S1_W01
-to an in-depth degree, the translation strategies and techniques applied to various types of written and audiovisual texts across different translation contexts. S1_W02
-to an in-depth degree, the fundamental problems of translation as an interlinguistic and intercultural phenomenon. S1_W04
-to an in-depth degree, the principles of intellectual property protection and copyright law within the context of written and audiovisual translation. S1_W05
-to an in-depth degree, the economic and legal conditions governing the professional work of a translator. S1_W06
-to an in-depth degree, the translator’s work environment and the multi-stage translation process. S1_W07
- to an in-depth degree, the principles of establishing various forms of entrepreneurship and the functioning of a translator within different business models (such as freelance work or translation agencies) on national and international markets. S1_W08
The graduate is able to.
-search for, analyse, evaluate and select information in their native language and foreign languages. K_U03
-use advanced linguistic research tools and select research methods appropriate to the problems being addressed. K_U04
communicate in their native and foreign languages in various professional situations with specialists, using various channels, techniques and communication strategies for this purpose. K_U05
use language B at level C2 and language C at level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. K_U07
-interact and work in a group, taking on the role of a language mediator. K_U08
-independently acquire knowledge in the field of linguistics and assess the usefulness of the methods, practices and procedures learned in their own professional activity. K_U09
-independently plan and implement their own education using their knowledge of foreign languages. K_U10
-collaborate with representatives of a linguistic-cultural community. K_U11
-use their theoretical knowledge of translation studies to solve complex problems in translation by creatively interpreting the source text, selecting appropriate sources (e.g. industry dictionaries, glossaries, corpora), and to adequately assess
the function of the translation and select translation strategies appropriate for the target text and its audience. S1_U01
-use their knowledge of translation studies by selecting the right tools in the translation process, including advanced information and communication technologies such as CAT tools, machine translation and post-editing. S1_U02
-use knowledge of research methodologies used in contemporary translation studies to plan and conduct methodologically sound research in the field of translation, analyse its results and determine its implications. S1_U03
-translate various types of texts from languages B and C into their native language (language A) and from their native language (language A) into language B (and C), recognise the type of text being translated and translate it into the target language, selecting appropriate equivalents that are relevant to the given social context. S1_U04
-communicate on translation-related topics with clients, institutions and translation recipients in a manner that is understandable to non-specialists, and justify the decisions made and translation strategies used. S1_U05
-lead a discussion on translation, understood as both a process and a product, taking into account different points of view and the latest results of translation research. S1_U06
-independently plan and implement their own lifelong learning thanks to their knowledge of various translation-related centres and sources that can be used to improve their translation skills. S1_U08
The graduate is ready to
-recognise the importance of the latest knowledge in the field and critically evaluate the content received. K_K01
-adequately identify and resolve problems of interlingual and intercultural communication. K_K02
-perform the profession of language mediator in accordance with the principles of professional ethics. K_K04
-recognise the importance of knowledge in solving cognitive and practical problems and seek the opinions of experts. K_K05
-apply scientifically based criteria for evaluating different types of translation. K_K06
-critically evaluate original texts and their translations. S1_K01
-recognise the importance of knowledge, including translation knowledge, in solving translation problems. S1_K02
-critically evaluate research in the field of translation studies, in particular that published in scientific journals and monographs as well as popular science sources. S1_K03
-join professional translation organizations and take actions to popularize the profession of written and audiovisual translation in society. S1_K05
-initiate and conduct translation research, particularly for the purpose of improving the quality, role, and accessibility of translation in society. S1_K06
-responsibly perform the professional role of a written and audiovisual translator, taking into account changing social and market needs. S1_K07
-take an active part in the translation process at every stage of its implementation. S1_K09
-think and act in an entrepreneurial manner within translation projects and individual business activities in both national and international translation markets. S1_K10
RESUME:
After completing the course the student:
KNOWLEDGE:
- has acquired the specialized terminology and phraseology allowing for adequate translation of national law texts from and into a foreign language;
- has basic knowledge in the field of translation of national law texts;
- knows the strategies and techniques of translation of national law texts;
- knows the specificity of translating national law texts;
COGNITIVE SKILLS:
- adequately classifies the type of text (genre);
- is able to use the relevant translation strategies and to justify their choice;
- is able to select specialist dictionaries and text sources, assess their value and use them properly;
- is able to translate specialized texts in the given domain in a correct, comprehensible and accessible language;
- is able to justify and critically assess own translation choices;
- is able to verify own translation;
- has the ability of self-correction;
- is able to prepare the translated text in a suitable graphic format;
- is able to prepare a glossary;
- is able to use the basic functions of a CAT tool (create and complete a project with translation memory and glossary, retain the original formatting, perform quality control, export in a given format to a designated location).
SOCIAL SKILLS:
- demonstrates diligence at work;
- complies with formal and ethical requirements typical for the legal translation services market (reliability, timeliness, confidentiality, etc.);
- has improved teamwork skills (e.g. through a translation project).
Assessment criteria
Ongoing assessment based on:
- attendance, preparation for classes, quality of work during classes;
- self-prepared translations, including those in the CAT programme
- on-time delivery of assignments;
- terminology tests;
- the preparation of glossaries;
- passing the final written test and/or semester translation.
Criteria:
- attendance: 2 absences admissible. More absences at the discretion of the lecturer. In the case when the number of admissible absences is exceeded (including the justified absences), the lecturer determines additional form to compensate for the missings. More than 50% absences are a valid reason to fail.
- quality of work and results of tests: grading scheme below;
- timeliness - criteria given by the lecturer in the syllabus.
Grading scheme:
99% -100 - 5!
98% - 91% - 5
90% - 86% - 4.5
85% - 76% - 4
75% - 71% - 3.5
70% - 60% - 3
below - 2 (Fail)
Bibliography
• Alcaraz Varó E., Hughes B. 2009 Español jurídico. Barcelona: Ariel.
• Carbó Marro C., Mora Sánchez M. Á. 2012 De ley-Manual de Español jurídico. Madrid: SGEL.
• Del Valle V., Gómez de Agüero J. L. 2005 Elementos de derecho. Madrid: McGraw-Hill Interamericana de España S.L.
• Diccionario del español jurídico http://dej.rae.es/
• Gęsicki Ł. i Gęsicki M. 1997 Słownik terminów ekonomiczno-prawnych. Łódź: Interfart.
• Jopek-Bosiacka A. 2006 Przekład prawny i sądowy. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.
• Kierzkowska D. 2011 Kodeks tłumacza przysięgłego z komentarzem. Warszawa: Translegis.
• Kierzkowska D. 2008 Tłumaczenie prawnicze. Warszawa: Tepis.
• Kodeks tłumacza przysięgłego, 2018.
• Komarnicki M., Komarnicki I. 2010 Słownik terminologii prawniczej hiszpańsko-polski, polsko-hiszpański. Warszawa: C. H. Beck.
• Kubacki A. D. 2012 Tłumaczenie poświadczone. Status, kształcenie, warsztat i odpowiedzialność tłumacza przysięgłego. Warszawa: Wolters Kluwer.
• Kuźnik A., Podleśny B. (2014) Documentos españoles. Recopilación para traductores y otros profesionales de lengua.
• Majewska-Bartkowiak E., Cano-Santana E. (2006) Diccionario comercial-financiero español-polaco, polaco-español.
• Majewska-Bartkowiak E. (1992) Polsko-hiszpański słownik handlu zagranicznego.
• Lingua legis – czasopismo wydawnictwa Tepis.
• Poznański J., Kierzkowska D. 2007 Dokumenty polskie. Wybór dla tłumaczy sądowych. Warszawa: Translegis.
• Supera-Markowska M. (2009) Zarys prawa hiszpańskiego i prawa polskiego. Esbozo del derecho español y del derecho polaco.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: