German for Translators I

The course is divided into three units:
a) German grammar 1
b) German Phonetics for Translators and Interpreters
c) German Language and Translation 1

a) German grammar 1:
Repetition and reinforcement of grammatical structures the students already know (e. g. adjective declension and comparison, noun, pronouns, declension, separable-prefix and non-separable-prefix verbs, irregular verbs ...) and presentation of certain new grammatical areas.
Drawing students’ attention to special features of certain German structures, with a focus on the contrasts between German and Slovene. Developing the ability to understand and compare grammatical elements of German and Slovene. The ability to use grammatical structures correctly when translating and producing texts in German as well as in translation into Slovene. For every structure, the students pay attention to grammatical elements in their native language and especially to differences between the two languages.

b) German Phonetics for Translators and Interpreters:
Familiarizing students with segmental and prosodic properties of German orthoepy: drawing attention to typical mistakes by speakers of German with Slovene as their native language (phonetic interference).
Correcting certain pronunciation errors. Special emphasis is placed on phonetic and rhetorical elements that are important for interpreting Slovene texts into German.

c) German Language and Translation 1:
Language practice, reinforcement, and improvement. Developing comprehension skills with texts the students read and listen to. Improvement and productive use of German vocabulary. The course will also concentrate on practicing the grammatical structures mentioned above (see German Grammar 1) in various texts.
Additional emphasis will be put on developing higher-level reading skills and rewriting of different types of source texts as well as translation.