GER 561 - The Task of the Translator

This course will combine insights from Translation Studies, applied linguistics, and German cultural / literary studies to help students develop skills, knowledge, and experience in translating a number of literary and non-literary genres, including song texts, short essays, advertising texts, everyday speech, and historical artifacts. We will learn about how to negotiate literal and connotative meaning across codes, idioms, cultures, communities, and symbolic systems. We will explore the idea of "being a translator" as an everyday social and cultural practice. Graduate-level requirements include a final paper.