MLO 2 Language and Linguistic Knowledge
Students develop their knowledge of fundamental concepts in the fields of Hispanic and Applied Linguistics, and are able to apply them in the completion of research papers and data-driven small-scale research studies pertaining current issues in these areas.
Under this criteria, I have completed the course SPAN 395IP: Translation English to Spanish (Spring 2017), SPAN 395IP: Spanish Grammar Superior (Spring 2017)
Linguistic knowledge when learning a language is extremely important, which is why this is listed as a Major Learning Outcome. To fulfill this MLO, I completed an introductory Translation from English to Spanish course and Spanish Grammar Superior while studying abroad at the University of Granada. The superior grammar course allowed me to enhance my complex sentence structures and word usage. In this course, there was an emphasis on topics that are more difficult for heritage speakers. We completed multiple handwritten assignments and worked together in class to problem solve questions around grammatical errors. The translation course helped us to learn about the linguistic contrasts between English and Spanish. To evaluate these linguistic contrasts, we translated a variety of documents such as cultural, literary and historical documentaries. We learned some of the symbols that are used when translating to better understand the editing process. Through our various translations of documents from different Spanish speaking countries, I learned about the linguistic variations that exist in the Spanish speaking world.
For myself, the most challenging part of this MLO was consistency, especially in translation. For example, making sure that I was only using “tú”, “usted”, “ustedes”, or “vosotros”. Making sure I was using the proper conjugations and tenses was also a bit more difficult when the texts were harder to interpret or understand. I also learned about how difficult it is to make certain things from one culture relatable to another. Sometimes, the content we were translating was something that might not have had the same significance in the other language and culture. In order for the translation to be accurate and make sense, we had to think of things that were equivalent in the target language and culture.
Through the courses I completed while studying abroad, I absolutely feel as though I have completed the linguistic knowledge major learning outcome. It’s extremely important to understand the rules of why things are the way they are and to understand how geographic location can have an effect on the language. Spanish has variations around the world and this MLO made me more aware of many of the variations.
Below, I have attached an extra credit assignment that I completed for my translation course. I used all of the tools we learned in class an applied them to analyze to different translations of a Disney song.