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PL52113: Chinese / English liaison interpreting for business

[Page last updated: 16 August 2024]

Academic Year: 2024/25
Owning Department/School: Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
Credits: 20 [equivalent to 40 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 400
Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Period:
Academic Year
Assessment Summary: CWOA 100%
Assessment Detail:
  • Liaison interpreting for Business Chinese/English (CWOA 100%)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites:
Learning Outcomes: By the end of the unit, you will be able to demonstrate:
  • that you have assimilated the professional skills and techniques of liaison interpreting for business by acting as an intermediary in a range of different scenarios simulating real business negotiations on a variety of different topics
  • that you have the ability to analyse and fully understand negotiators' and clients' arguments and ideas
  • that you can communicate clearly and concisely in Chinese and English of an appropriate register
  • that you can research topic areas and build glossaries of relevant terminology, as well as explain cultural differences as required
  • that you have gained an understanding of the role of professional interpreters and how they interact with both clients and end-users
  • that you will be able to serve as a professional interpreter in difficult and challenging situations



Synopsis: Learn the skills and techniques required for professional liaison interpreting in a business context. You'll work in both directions between the languages. You'll be trained to act as a professional interpreter in simulated business interpreting scenarios, where students will also role-play as real clients. Some classes will be recorded, giving you the opportunity to watch recordings of your performance and learn from your mistakes. In each session, you'll receive constructive feedback.

Content: The unit begins with several sessions designed to improve active listening, note-taking, memory, concentration, and analytical skills, building blocks which form the foundation for all modes of interpreting. These skills are then applied and developed during simulated real-life scenarios covering a range of topic areas. There is also a particular focus on expression in the mother tongue and second language, and on body language, eye contact and presentation skills. Some classes are in the form of business seminars where an expert delivers a seminar and students are asked to interpret; on other occasions classes take the form of field interpreting exercises (such as with the Mayor of Bath guides), where students learn to interpret in real-life situations on location. Students are provided with practice materials to use for individual and group practice. Individual, formative feedback is provided to each student in class in each teaching week, fostering continuous progress. Summative assessment consists of interpreting one 10-minute dialogue in a specialised commercial or business situation for a panel of examiners.

Course availability:

PL52113 is Compulsory on the following courses:

Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
  • THPL-AFM47 : MA Translation with Business Interpreting (Chinese) 

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2024/25 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2025/26 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2024/25.
  • Courses and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.