Creation and Translation Techniques of Legal Texts and Business Correspondence

Course unit code

М2.В.ОД.1

Course unit title

Creation and Translation Techniques of Legal Texts and Business Correspondence

Name(s), surname(s) and title of lecturer(s)

Valentina Gorenintseva, PhD in Philology, Assistant Professor of Romance-Germanic Department, Faculty of Philology

Level of course

Master Program

Semester

1

ECTS credits

4

Working hours

Contact hours

Self-study

76

Total

144

Work of placement

n/a

Prerequisites

To be enrolled in the course the student is

to know:

• fundamentals of phonetics and vocabulary of Russian/English;
• main grammar rules of Russian/English;

to be able to:

• understand simple audio texts (up to 3 min);
• translate texts from English into Russian (up to 1500 symbols) with a dictionary;
• translate texts from Russian into English (up to 1500 symbols) with a dictionary;
• do web search;

to have a good command of:

• general English and Russian vocabulary;
• basic clichés and dialogue patterns;
• norms of Russian and English literary language;
• practical use of Russian and English functional styles;

Language of instruction

English

Objectives of the course

Learning outcomes

A student’s assessments methods

The Course Objectives are:

• to give an overview of various types of written business communication and peculiarities of business translation from Russian into English and from English into Russian;
• to introduce the structure, style and types of business and official correspondence;
• to introduce vocabulary required for understanding, design and translation of business and official correspondence;
• to shape skills of Russian and English written speech for business and official correspondence;
• to shape business translation skills for the English and Russian languages.

Upon completion of the course the student

knows:

• Business Russian and English (ОК-3);
• Stylistics of Russian and English as well as the peculiarities of their Oratory styles (ОК-3);
• structure, style and types of business and official correspondence (ОК-3);
• main programs for text typing, editing and translation (ОК-5);
• rules of typing and formatting of English and Russian texts (ОК-5);
• the logic of semantic extension and laws of creation of various texts in Russian and English (ПК-12);
• basic concepts of business rhetoric and specific character Russian- and English-speaking business communication (ПК-12);
• Russian and English speech culture norms (ПК-12);
• peculiarities of text activities in business communication: its parameters and typological features in the Russian- and English-speaking environment (ПК-13);
• strategies and techniques of business correspondence translation from Russian into English and from English into Russian (ПК-13);

• linguistic and stylistic peculiarities of Russian and English business communication texts (СК-3);

• peculiarities of business translation from Russian into English and from English into Russian (СК-3);

is able to:

• be fluent in writing and speaking in Russian and English as well as freely translate and interpret from Russian into English and from English into Russian (ОК-3);
• speak Russian and English logically and correctly (ОК-3);
• organize professional oral and written bilingual communication in cross-cultural environment (ОК-3);
• perform pre-translation text analysis to determine its communicative task, addressee and type of information (ОК-3);
• use standard legal documents (duty regulations, translation quality standards) in professional activities in Russian and English (OK-3);
• format official and business documents in compliance with Russian and International Standards (OK-5);
• take into account the genre of a business text in Russian and English when creating, editing and translating (ПК-12);
• correspond with international partners and design official documents in compliance with the communicative situation and socio-cultural context (ПК-12);
• carry out a thorough critical analysis of the content and form of a speech unit for its assessment and improvement (ПК-12);
• model the text of a certain speech genre (ПК-13);
• analyse any experience of interpersonal and cross-cultural communication in standard and non-standard situations of professional interaction and edit the corresponding texts (ПК-13);
• adapt translation and interpretation processes to a foreign environment (ПК-13);
• use translation techniques to tackle professional tasks (CK-3);
• work with main information and search systems and resources to translate business correspondence (CK-3);
• understand, design and translate business and official documents used in international business communication (agreements, application forms, instructions, business letters, etc.) (CK-3);
• translate business correspondence (CK-3);

has a good command of:

• a foreign language (C1) (OK-3);
• practical use of Russian and English functional styles (OK-3);
• written English and Russian languages to correspond with international business partners (OK-3);
• one of the text editing software (OK-5);
• written business communication (both in monolingual and polylingual business communication) (ПК-12);
• translation editing techniques (ПК-12);
• varying speech strategies and tactics in written communication in Russian and English (ПК-13);
• language mediation in translation, summarizing, annotation and reviewing (ПК-13);
• written translation of business and official correspondence in compliance with the peculiarities of Russian and English official style (CK-3);
• skills of Russian and English written speech for business and official correspondence (CK-3).

Test translations

Teaching methods

The following educational techniques are used:

simulation allows working with actual samples of business correspondence;

stimulating texts in Russian and English serves to shape a complex idea of types of texts and translation tools;

business and role plays are aimed at simulating real professional communication;

discussing situations of professional communication forms the skills of analysis and self-awareness;

computer technologies are aimed at developing skills for on-line searching and using a computer as a translation tool;

discussions serve as the foundation for a task-oriented and regulated exchange of opinions concerning the translated text followed by a coordinated decision.

Course unit content

• to give an overview of various types of written business communication and peculiarities of business translation from Russian into English and from English into Russian;
• to introduce the structure, style and types of business and official correspondence;
• to introduce vocabulary required for understanding, design and translation of business and official correspondence;
• to shape skills of Russian and English written speech for business and official correspondence;
• to shape business translation skills for the English and Russian languages.

Gained knowledge and skills –

Upon completion of the course the student

knows:

• Business Russian and English (ОК-3);
• Stylistics of Russian and English as well as the peculiarities of their Oratory styles (ОК-3);
• structure, style and types of business and official correspondence (ОК-3);
• main programs for text typing, editing and translation (ОК-5);
• rules of typing and formatting of English and Russian texts (ОК-5);
• the logic of semantic extension and laws of creation of various texts in Russian and English (ПК-12);
• basic concepts of business rhetoric and specific character Russian- and English-speaking business communication (ПК-12);
• Russian and English speech culture norms (ПК-12);
• peculiarities of text activities in business communication: its parameters and typological features in the Russian- and English-speaking environment (ПК-13);
• strategies and techniques of business correspondence translation from Russian into English and from English into Russian (ПК-13);

• linguistic and stylistic peculiarities of Russian and English business communication texts (СК-3);

• peculiarities of business translation from Russian into English and from English into Russian (СК-3);

is able to:

• be fluent in writing and speaking in Russian and English as well as freely translate and interpret from Russian into English and from English into Russian (ОК-3);
• speak Russian and English logically and correctly (ОК-3);
• organize professional oral and written bilingual communication in cross-cultural environment (ОК-3);
• perform pre-translation text analysis to determine its communicative task, addressee and type of information (ОК-3);
• use standard legal documents (duty regulations, translation quality standards) in professional activities in Russian and English (OK-3);
• format official and business documents in compliance with Russian and International Standards (OK-5);
• take into account the genre of a business text in Russian and English when creating, editing and translating (ПК-12);
• correspond with international partners and design official documents in compliance with the communicative situation and socio-cultural context (ПК-12);
• carry out a thorough critical analysis of the content and form of a speech unit for its assessment and improvement (ПК-12);
• model the text of a certain speech genre (ПК-13);
• analyse any experience of interpersonal and cross-cultural communication in standard and non-standard situations of professional interaction and edit the corresponding texts (ПК-13);
• adapt translation and interpretation processes to a foreign environment (ПК-13);
• use translation techniques to tackle professional tasks (CK-3);
• work with main information and search systems and resources to translate business correspondence (CK-3);
• understand, design and translate business and official documents used in international business communication (agreements, application forms, instructions, business letters, etc.) (CK-3);
• translate business correspondence (CK-3);

List of Topics

Topic title

Contact hours

Assignments and independent study hours

Documentation Management Basics (DM): Documentation management basics,  the standard and methodological basis of DM, unified systems of documentation, the state system of managing documentation; basic rules of documentation drafting, requirements to documentation, forms of documents.

2

6

Management operation records: administrative and organizational documents, collegiate bodies documentation, information and reference documentation

2

6

Documentation workflow management: incoming and outgoing documentation management, in-house documentation management, document registration and control, File Register design.

2

6

Business correspondence: the business letter as a document, business letter writing basics, the structure, general overview of structure, style and language.

2

6

English business-letter format: parts of a business letter, arrangement styles, stationery. Components of an effective business letter: style, language, you-oriented approach, tone.  Punctuation Styles.

2

6

Types of business letters in Russia: letters of invitation, letters of warranty,  letters of guidance, letters of enquiry, replies and quotations, letters of appreciation , cover letters, contracts, offers, complementing letters, collection letters, confirmation letters.

2

6

Translation of request letters and orders. Translation of letters of confirmation and waivers.

2

6

Translation of letters of invitation, appointment and cancelling a meeting. Booking hotels. Translation of complaints, claims and adjustments.

2

6

Translation of credit letters and invoices. Contracts. Contract design and translation.

2

6

Translation of letters of warranty and guidance. Duty regulations. 

2

6

Types of CVs. Letters of application. Letters of recommendation. Reference letters. Letters rejecting a job applicant.

2

6

Faxes and e-mails.  Contractions and abbreviations in e-mail correspondence. Social, personal and miscelanneous letters. Expressing complimens, congratulations and acknowledgement in a business letter.

2

8

Assessment requirements

The exam is to be taken in Semester 9. As a part of the exam the students are required to have the portfolio of the course including translated texts with positive assessed as excellent, good or satisfactory, glossaries of clichés, term basis and a set of parallel texts of business correspondence samples in Russian and English.

The exam includes:

1. Written translation of a business document from English into Russian (1,000 - 1,5000 symbols and characters) followed by editing (2 hours, PC/laptop, dictionaries).
2. Written translation of a business document from Russian into Russian (1,000 - 1,5000 symbols and characters) followed by editing (2 hours, PC/laptop, dictionaries).
3. Analysis and editing of an official document translation from English into Russian/from Russian into English (2,000 - 2,500 symbols and characters).

Assessment criteria

Assessment criteria:

Max. score - 100

The composition of final accumulative mark

Student’s portfolio, attendance and participation in classroom activities, final exam assessment mark

Author of the course

Valentina Gorenintseva, PhD in Philology, Assistant Professor of Romance-Germanic Department, Faculty of Philology