This course introduces students to more recent scholarly approaches to the study of translation. The course follows a thematic and chronological development of the major theories in the field of TS in relation to other disciplines of the humanities and social sciences, including literary, philosophical, historical, political and sociological approaches. Through discriminating, critical engagement with theory and its scholarly and practical applications, this course invites students to think critically and reflectively about the complexity and implications of the choices they have to make as translators and scholars.

This is a practical course which introduces students to subtitling (interlingual and SDH). Students are introduced to norms and conventions of both subtitling types: tempo-spatial constraints, timing, condensation, verbal and non-verbal cues, punctuation, positioning and segmentation. Students see how subtitles are a form of inter-semiotic mediation and learn how to apply appropriate strategies in view of the source text and intended audience (hearers or deaf viewers). Students also learn how to handle culture-specific difficulties in subtitling.

This course introduces students to the transadaptation of filmic visual content and dialogue for non-lip-synched dubbing, voice over or audio description. The language of instruction and of activities is both Arabic and English. Students learn to create scripts and to deal with a range of linguistic, cultural, semiotic and technical issues when producing voicing scripts; e.g. re-segmentation and the use of standard dubbing/voicing symbols. Students will work with a variety of genres: documentaries, interviews, cartoons, movies.

In this course, students will refine their understanding of international norms in SDH and AD to consider their applicability to the Arab context. Students will also address AVT for access as “transadaptation,” in which multimodal communication strategies and multiformat materials are used to reinforce multisensory engagement with knowledge and culture. Students will also interact with local stakeholders in cultural settings, as well as in organizations working with people with special needs towards the development of collaborative projects.

This course prepares students to write their thesis, whether research- or practice-oriented. It builds on all they have learned in previous courses and leads them through the main areas of research in Audiovisual Translation, the principles of designing research projects, reviewing the literature and writing research proposals. They will also learn the skills and requirements for writing translation commentaries for the purposes of writing a practice-oriented thesis that consists of a translation accompanied by a theoretically-informed and evidence-based analysis.

This course extends the essential skills acquired previously to a more professional level, with experience in a wider range of genres, as well as serious cultural and linguistic challenges. Students will develop their professional practice further and learn to work with the specific standards and practices that are current in the Arabic-speaking world. Students will also be encouraged to reflect critically on prevailing standards and consider ways in which the market can be induced to value greater quality more highly.

This unit follows on from AVT 625 and extends the skills acquired to a more professional level while also introducing students to the actual recording and production of lip-synchronized revoiced AV products. Students will tackle more complex translation and adaptation tasks, learning to deal with a variety of cross-cultural issues, such as the rendering of dialect, slang, taboo language. Students will also learn to adapt for closely lip-synched dubbing.

This course will take on new topics with specific aims as required by the program

This is a largely practical course which introduces students to the techniques of various modes of audiovisual translation, including subtitling, dubbing and accessibility. Students will be introduced to the formal and discursive features of these modes: the temporal and spatial constraints, synchronisation, verbal and non-verbal cues, etc. Students will be encouraged to analyse how these branches of audiovisual translation function as a form of inter-semiotic communication and inter-linguistic mediation and reflect on the implications of choosing the most appropriate strategies.

The Internship aims to help develop HSS MA students’ professional competence and understanding of the translation industry in a structured period of practical-work based learning.

Designed like an independent study, this course supports students in their endeavor to conduct research in the field of Audiovisual Translation Studies. Students can produce a research-based thesis or a translation and commentary thesis of up to 15,000 words. The thesis should display the student's ability to collect/assess data, build an argument; and critically apply the main theories in their area of study.