Cooperative Network Philotrans: Applied Linguistics and Translation Studies

The project aims to create an innovative cooperative network bringing together students and teachers from foreign-language philologies and translation studies (seven departments from five 4EU+ universities). We will establish an institutionalised student and staff mobility scheme, thus enabling the formation of multilingual student groups which will then profit from their complementary linguistic competences, and adding an interdisciplinary and intercultural element to their respective course of studies. Philology and Translation Studies students form a particular group since their respective courses of studies require bilingualism or even multilingualism with an exceptionally high level of linguistic competence, even though, naturally, their mother tongues and foreign languages will differ. With regard to contents, the complementarity of the disciplines involved must be pointed out: while the foreign-language philologies usually focus on literature and culture-related topics, translation studies also include specialised languages and technical texts.

The network will exploit the complementary strengths of foreign-language studies (linguistics, literature and culture-related topics) and translation studies (specialised languages, language and translation technologies). The long-term goal of the project is a system of flexible learning paths leading to a 4EU+ degree.

The idea of creating bi- and multilingual groups has been tested in a pilot exchange between the Department of German and Nordic Studies at Sorbonne University and the Institute of Translation and Interpreting at Heidelberg University, designed in the framework of two planned Double Degrees (at BA and MA level). Now this approach is being extended to Milan, Prague and Warsaw and will be supported by a series of common activities:

1. In the winter term 2020/21 and summer term 2021, up to 18 courses held in an online or blended format will be opened to students across all 4EU+ member institutions and integrated in a long-term sustainable offer.

2. In further steps for the coming years, we will identify a series of jointly defined competencies and set up a framework of joint modules based on partially shared and partially complementary competencies of project partners.

3. The partners are planning to offer the possibility to obtain, after the regular graduation, complementary diplomas at one of the partner universities (e.g. an MA certificate for a third foreign language).

4. The long-term outcome of the network should be a system of flexible learning paths leading to double or joint degrees between partners, integrated in an overall 4EU+ degree.