Admission requirements: A BA programme or equivalent qualification with Linguistics and/or Literary Theory, at least one language or a relevant specialisation in Communication at third-year level. Students specialising in Translation and Editing must have passed (a) at least one further language at second-year level and (b) a departmental translation and editing test.
Duration of programme: 1 year (full time) or 2 years (part time)
Cost (2014): Between R23 000 and R28 000 per year
Contact details: Prof AM Beukes / Tel: 011 559 2694 / Email: ambeukes@uj.ac.za
Brief description of programme: The postgraduate programme in Applied Linguistics is aimed at the specialised education, training and research needs of language practitioners such as translators, interpreters, text editors, language planners, copywriters and language teachers.
Translation and interpreting are complex linguistic, cognitive and textual processes that, among other things, also entail socio-cultural mediation. Given the complexity of these activities and hence the interdisciplinary nature of language practice, these programmes offer a balance of theoretical, practical and experiential knowledge and skills.
For this program, students need to complete five modules, which may be selected from the options below. (Note that the module Research Essay (LIN8X01) is compulsory.)
Research Essay
LIN8X01
HEQF level: 8
NQF credits: 40
Genre Theory and Applications
LIN8X02
HEQF level: 8
NQF credits: 20
Language in Practice
LIN8X03
HEQF level: 8
NQF credits: 20
Language Planning, Applications and Criticism
LIN8X04
HEQF level: 8
NQF credits: 20
Linguistic Theories and Applications
LIN8X05
HEQF level: 8
NQF credits: 20
Translation Theory, Criticism and History
LIN8X06
HEQF level: 8
NQF credits: 20
Interpreting
LIN8X07
HEQF level: 8
NQF credits: 20
Literary Translation and Criticism
LIN8X08
HEQF level: 8
NQF credits: 20
Multilingualism in Training and Education
LIN8X09
HEQF level: 8
NQF credits: 20
Research Essay (LIN8X01)
The purpose of the module is to teach students the skills necessary for:
· Choosing a topic for research
· Initial research on the topic
· Delineating the topic: formulating the research question/problem
· Deciding on the method, and formulating the aims of the research
· Outlining the research framework
· Compiling the reading list for each section
· Structuring the research proposal
Upon completion of this module students should be able to:
· Choose a topic for research
· Undertake initial research of the topic
· Delineate the topic and formulate a research question/problem
· Decide on the applicable research method for the topic
· Formulate the aims of the research
· Outline the research framework
· Compile the bibliography
· Structure a research proposal
· Write a fully referenced academic research report
Calculation criteria: Full Period Mark Weight – 100%
Genre Theory and Applications (LIN8X02)
The purpose of the module is to familiarise students with genre theory, approaches to genre analysis and methods of genre analysis.
Upon completion of this module students should be able to:
· Give an exposition of the linguistic foundation of genre theory;
· Use the appropriate meta-language of genre theory; and
· Analyse a range of professional and academic genres.
Calculation criteria:
· Minimum Full Period Mark for Examination Admission – 40%
· Full Period Mark Weight – 50%
· Examination Mark Weight – 50%
Language in Practice (LIN8X03)
The purpose of the module is to familiarise students with advanced methods, procedures and issues related to the uses of texts in a variety of applications, including general and specialised translation and editing (e.g. financial translation, legal translation, creative translation), text adaptation, dubbing and subtitling.
Upon completion of this module students should be able to:
· Apply appropriate translation and/or text editing or adaptation methodology
· Use the appropriate metalanguage of translation and/or text editing
· Produce a variety of translated and/or edited or adapted texts.
Calculation criteria:
· Minimum Full Period Mark for Examination Admission – 40%
· Full Period Mark Weight – 50%
· Examination Mark Weight – 50%
Language Planning, Applications and Criticism (LIN8X04)
Language policy and planning is an area of research within the scope of sociolinguistics that focuses on the role of language in social life. The purpose of the module is to familiarise students with the effects of political, economic and social structures and processes and ideologies about language on language policy and practice.
Upon completion of this module students should be able to:
· Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the foundations of language planning;
· Demonstrate a thorough understanding of key theoretical perspectives in language policy and planning;
· Discuss contemporary research methodology in language policy and planning;
· Demonstrate a thorough understanding of key topical areas of research in language policy and planning.
Calculation criteria:
· Minimum Full Period Mark for Examination Admission – 40%
· Full Period Mark Weight – 50%
· Examination Mark Weight – 50%
Linguistic Theories and Applications (LIN8X05)
The purpose of the module is to familiarise students with some of the major disciplines of linguistic theory, such as psycholinguistics or cognitive linguistics.
Upon completion of this module students should be able to:
· Recognise the various branches of linguistics and be able to relate them to one another;
· Show insight into the various domains of application of Sociolinguistics, Forensic linguistics, Anthropological linguistics, Text linguistics, Cognitive linguistics, Psycholinguistics and Educational Linguistics;
· Relate the various branches to a particular field of specialisation, namely translation studies, editing, research in literary theory or second language acquisition;
· Demonstrate the application of at least two of the branches to a field of specialisation.
Calculation criteria:
· Minimum Full Period Mark for Examination Admission – 40%
· Full Period Mark Weight – 50%
· Examination Mark Weight – 50%
Translation Theory, Criticism and History (LIN8X06)
The purpose of the module is to familiarise students with the history and theory of translation, as well as translation criticism as applicable to good methods and procedures in the practice of translation, and documentary research in support of translation theory, history and criticism.
Upon completion of this module students should be able to:
· Reason against the cultural-historical background of these disciplines, referring to the principal role-players;
· Understand the main theoretical issues that these approaches and disciplines address;
· Apply the key terms, concepts and analytical instruments that make up the debates in these approaches and disciplines;
· Apply the above to a critical discussion of relevant issues;
· Apply the above to relevant applications outside the field of literary studies.
Calculation criteria:
· Minimum Full Period Mark for Examination Admission – 40%
· Full Period Mark Weight – 50%
· Examination Mark Weight – 50%
Interpreting (LIN8X07)
The purpose of the module is to familiarise students with the theory and practice of interpreting, good methods and procedures in the practice of interpreting, and documentary research in support of interpreting.
Upon completion of this module students should be able to:
· Distinguish between the various types of interpreting, namely, liaison interpreting and conference interpreting;
· Distinguish between the various modi of interpreting, namely simultaneous interpreting and consecutive interpreting;
· Report on the domains of application of liaison interpreting, i.e. in the health sector;
· Comparatively report on the state of liaison interpreting in South Africa and other countries;
· Understand the functioning of telephone interpreting;
· Show insight into the state of court interpreting;
· Report on the neurological aspects of simultaneous interpreting;
· Apply the guidelines for successful simultaneous interpreting.
Calculation criteria:
· Minimum Full Period Mark for Examination Admission – 40%
· Full Period Mark Weight – 50%
· Examination Mark Weight – 50%
Literary Translation and Criticism (LIN8X08)
The purpose of the module is to familiarise students with the theory of literary translation, as well as translation assessment or criticism as applicable to good methods and procedures in the practice of literary translation, and documentary research in support of translation theory, history and criticism as regards the field of literary translation.
Upon completion of this module students should be able to:
· Reason against the cultural-historical background of these disciplines, referring to the principal role-players;
· Understand the main theoretical issues that these approaches and disciplines address;
· Apply the key terms, concepts and analytical instruments that make up the debates in these approaches and disciplines;
· Apply the above to a critical discussion of relevant issues;
· Apply the above to relevant applications outside the field of literary translation studies.
Calculation criteria:
· Minimum Full Period Mark for Examination Admission – 40%
· Full Period Mark Weight – 50%
· Examination Mark Weight – 50%
Multilingualism in Training and Education (LIN8X09)
The purpose of the module is to familiarise students with broad societal issues with regard to multilingualism within the scope of applied linguistics as a field of critical enquiry, in particular focusing on language use in multilingual classroom and training situations with a variety of student and user groups.
Upon completion of this module students should be able to:
· Reason against the cultural-historical background of applied linguistics as a field of critical enquiry, referring to principal role-players;
· Understand the main theoretical issues within the field of applied linguistics with specific reference to language use in multilingual learner settings;
· Apply the key terms, concepts and analytical instruments that make up the debates in relevant approaches;
· Apply the above to a critical discussion of relevant issues in the South African context;
· Apply the above to relevant applications in the field of applied linguistics.
Calculation criteria:
· Minimum Full Period Mark for Examination Admission – 40%
· Full Period Mark Weight – 50%
· Examination Mark Weight – 50%