CJQB20 Lost in Translation

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
PhDr. Tomáš Míka (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Eva Rusínová
Division of Czech for Foreigners – Department of Czech Language – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Bc. Petr Šipka
Supplier department: Division of Czech for Foreigners – Department of Czech Language – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites
SOUHLAS
Applicants enrol in courses of Czech for foreigners via an application form submitted at the Department of Czech for Foreigners (not via the MU Information System).
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to motivate students to think in such a way that will allow them to solve the basic problems which are encountered by translators to and from Czech. In the seminar each student works with translations to Czech or English, and the problems related to this type of translation are analysed. Further aims are to gain an understanding of the original text and be able to analyse it on all levels, to learn throughcreative methods in the translation process, and to be capable of explaining one's own decisions about how to translate a given text.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course the student will be able to solve the main problems which a translator encounters in their work.
They will learn to gain a deep understanding of the original text and will be able to analyse it on all levels.
Will be able to define the main strategy of their approach to translation, use creative methods in the translation process and justify their approach to the translation.
Syllabus
  • Translations of excerpts from literary texts by Czech authors (poetry and prose), for example:
  • Karel Jaromír Erben: Kytice
  • Vladimír Holan: Terezka Planetová
  • Literary texts by British/American authors, for example:
  • Walt Whitman: Leaves of Grass
  • Samuel Beckett: Watt
  • John Bunyan: The Pilgrim’s Progress
  • Non-literary texts - technical/economic/journalistic/legal texts – Czech and English. The seminar will also involve the analysis of published translations, through which the approach of individual translators to specific translations will be demonstrated.
Teaching methods
Discussion in the seminar, working in pairs/group work, homework.
Assessment methods
The course is completed with a credit.
The credit has a form of assessment of translations prepared individually by students at the end of the semester.
Course participant must have 70% active class attendance. Late arrival to in-person classes or joining an online class late also counts as an absence. Only absence due to illness (backed up by a medical confirmation) does not count.
Active attendance means readiness for teaching (completed homework, having study materials, etc.) and fulfillment of tasks set by the teacher.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught each semester.
The course is taught: in blocks.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2016, Autumn 2016, Spring 2017, Autumn 2017, Spring 2018, Autumn 2018, Spring 2019, Autumn 2019, Spring 2020, Autumn 2020, Spring 2021, Autumn 2021, Spring 2022, Autumn 2022, Spring 2023, Autumn 2023, Spring 2024, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/CJQB20