Spanish for Community Fall 2020 Projects

Project II: Translation/Adaptation (Spanish-English) of Ratón de Biblioteca’s Documents 

Fundación Ratón de Biblioteca is a community organization that facilitates and supports access to library services as well as reading and literacy programs to families, children and youth living in challenging areas of Medellín aiming towards fostering community and civic engagement for a more creative and peaceful society.

  • Course: SPAN 401: Upper Intermediate Spanish I (C1) -Community Service-Learning Component

About SPAN 401: Span 401 Upper Intermediate (C1)

Spanish 401 is an intensely practical upper intermediate language course aim to strengthen fluency and accuracy in spoken and written communication with emphasis on mediation, interpretation, and metalinguistic competencies through translation (English into Spanish) and comparative stylistics.

Spanish 401 has a community service-learning component through Spanish for Community that gives students the opportunity to apply theory and practice in real and meaningful contexts through translation projects for community organizations, local and abroad.

SPAN 401 community service-learning component overview:

SPAN 401 students will translate (Spanish-English) documents produced by the organization regarding its history, background, mission, model, activities, and organization programs. These documents will be used to disseminate the organization’s history, mission, and work to create links with community libraries, library-related organizations, and prospective sponsors in North America. This project is the first part of a larger one involving Spanish 302 (2021 Winter Session, Term 2).

Description, curriculum alignment and highlights

  • Span 401 class, 29 students
  • Maria Carbonetti, coordinator, designer
  • Lorenia Salgado-Leos, communications, student liaison, group coordinator
  • Dr. Maria Adelaida Escobar Trujillo, SfC Liaison
  • Co-teaching partners:
    • Sandra Zuloaga- Sanchez : Ratón de Biblioteca, director
    • Yamili Ocampo Molina: Ratón de Biblioteca, project(s) director

Alignment with course curriculum and learning outcomes

  • Apply translation theory and methods on authentic texts.
  • Develop strategies and solve questions of linguistic mediation in English to Spanish translation.
  • Develop strategies to solve questions regarding contextual implications (gender, political and cultural implications) in translation for community organizations.
  • Make connections between course content and its application in community specific contexts.

Highlights

  • 1-2 hours in class training delivered by instructors with format and materials and assessment provided by partner
  • Students interested will have the opportunity to jump start their translation portfolio, first requirement toward provincial process of examination/certification