ETI 212 – INTRODUCTION TO INTERPRETING

Course Syllabus

2022-2023 Spring

Department: Translation and Interpreting Studies Weekly Hours: Friday 09:00-12:00

Instructor: Öğr. Gör. Erdem AKGÜN Office Hours: Plannable online

E-mail: erdemakgun@halic.edu.tr Classroom: TBA (to be announced)

Course Description:

The course will equip students with the foundational knowledge and skills required to pursue as
career as an interpreter. It covers the theoretical and practical aspects of interpreting and gives an
overview of the discipline of interpreting studies, including its history, concepts, interpreters' roles as
well as basic practical skills. The main focal method to be elaborated on in this course will be the
fundamental interpreting mode, On-sight (Sight) Interpreting in order to familiarize students with
interpreting and prepare them for the following Consecutive and Simultaneous Interpreting courses.

Course Student Learning Objectives:

This course covers both the theoretical and practical aspects of interpreting. Students will be
provided with a comprehensive overview of the discipline of interpreting studies, including its history,
key concepts, interpreters' roles as well as practical skills such as: split attention in simultaneous
interpreting; note-taking in the consecutive mode; chuchotage and sight translation in the liaison
mode. Students will have opportunities to put the theories learnt into interpreting practice. At the end
of the course, students should be able to discuss key concepts in interpreting studies confidently and
be able to exercises the basic practical skills in performing interpreting tasks.

The course will cover a range of topics related to the study and practice of interpreting, which
may include but not limited to:

- The history of interpreting

- Key concepts of interpreting
- Liaison interpreting 1 - Public Service Interpreting
- Liaison interpreting 2 - Business Interpreting
- Conference interpreting 1 - Consecutive Interpreting
- Conference Interpreting 2 - Simultaneous Interpreting
- Theories in interpreting research
- Research topics and methods in interpreting studies
- Ethics and the role of the interpreter
- The future of interpreting

This course will be taught through lectures, seminars and tutorials in synchronous and
asynchronous individual and group learning activities. Students will be provided opportunities to
practice their interpreting skills in different modes of interpreting as well as to learn the relevant
theories to explain their interpreting performance and lead their own research. From this learning
process, students will be able to understand the necessary skill to perform in an interpreting task,
and demonstrate a critical understanding of interpreting theories, concepts and principles, which in
turn achieve the intended learning outcomes.
1
Attendance & Participation:
Attendance is mandatory, and active participation in class discussions is expected.

Grading Policy:

Midterm Exam: 40 %
Final Exam: 60%
!! Weekly assignments and practices will be included in both exams.

Course Materials:

The primary course materials are the PowerPoint notes prepared by the instructor from multiple
sources, and various visual and textual materials thereupon.

Texts will be assigned and made available by the instructor. Generally, practice scenarios will be
provided in print or digitally.
Digital Recorder (may use Smart Phone in lieu of)
Laptop or desktop

Weekly Schedule:
Week 1:

• Course presentation and syllabus distribution. All issues pertaining to course content and
logistics will be discussed in class.

Week 2:

• General Introduction on the history and various modes of interpreting

• Guest speaker (if possible) with a professional interpreting background and experiences

Week 3:

• In-class, hands-on on-sight interpreting practice

• Paraphrasing Practice

Week 4:
• In-class, hands-on on-sight interpreting practice
• Chunking and Paraphrasing

Week 5:

• In-class, hands-on on-sight interpreting practice

• Focal theme: News
Week 6:

• In-class, hands-on on-sight interpreting practice

• Focal theme: News

Week 7:

• In-class, hands-on on-sight interpreting practice

• Focal theme: Politics
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Week Midterm:

Week 8:

• In-class, hands-on on-sight interpreting practice

• Focal theme: Politics

Week 9:

• In-class, hands-on on-sight interpreting practice

• Focal theme: Medical

Week 10:

• In-class, hands-on on-sight interpreting practice

• Focal theme: Legal

Week 11:

• In-class, hands-on on-sight interpreting practice

• Focal theme: Economy

Week 12:

• In-class, hands-on on-sight interpreting practice

• Focal theme: Environment

Week 13:

• Presentations on different dimensions of interpreting such as ethics

Week 14:

• Presentations on different dimensions of interpreting such as ethics

• Revision

Academic Honour Code:

Students are assumed to have read and agreed with the Haliç University rules and regulations and its academic honesty policy.
The following is the gist message: “Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to cheating, fabrication, plagiarism,
altering graded examinations for additional credit, having another person take an examination for you, or facilitating academic
dishonesty or as further specified in this policy or other campus regulations.” These and other forms of cheating are all
potentially grounds for penalties including failure of the assignment or the course as well as university-level disciplinary action.