SAQA

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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

Bachelor of Arts Honours in Translation and Professional Writing

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
50360	Bachelor of Arts Honours in Translation and Professional Writing
ORIGINATOR
University of Pretoria
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education			HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
Honours Degree	Field 04 - Communication Studies and Language		Communication Studies
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	120	Level 7	NQF Level 08	Regular-Provider-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"		SAQA 1141/23	2021-07-01	2024-06-30
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2025-06-30		2028-06-30

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.

This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification.

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

Purpose:
The purpose of the qualification is to prepare the qualifying learner to practise as a translator as well as a professional and technical writer in a multilingual, multicultural South African context.

The general purposes of the qualification are:

Provide qualifiers with Honours level knowledge, specific skills and applied competence in one or more subfields of Communication Studies, Language and Literature, which will provide opportunities for continued personal intellectual growth, gainful economic activity and rewarding contributions to society, thus facilitating entry onto a career path that opens up opportunities for lifelong learning.

Provide South Africa with a cadre of specialists in the field of research, facilitation, development, management and service provision, who will contribute to a continuously growing understanding of their chosen field of expertise.

Contribute to widening the local and international leadership base of innovative and knowledge-based scholarly activity in Communication Studies and Language - specifically within the field of Translation and Professional Writing.

The specific purposes of the qualification are:

Enable learners to acquire in-depth, comprehensive theoretical knowledge and understanding of various contexts in the field of Translation and Professional Writing.

Provide learners with the practical skills, techniques, attitudes and values required for the effective and appropriate application of this knowledge and understanding in the context of a multilingual and multicultural South Africa.

Enable learners to develop the ability to communicate effectively in a professional context, to co-operate with others in the academic as well as in professional contexts and to acquire the ability to report clearly and concisely (in a responsible and ethical manner) on research results, utilising the appropriate technology.

Enable learners to acquire the independent ability to analyse, critically review and integrate current knowledge and recent literature in the field of Translation Studies and Professional Writing in order to identify and solve complex problems.

Rationale:
This is the only qualification offered by a South African higher education institution, which combines translation and professional writing into a planned, cohesive and tightly focussed study programme. Internationally too, qualifications with this particular focus are offered by only a few institutions, notably by Indiana and Purdue Universities in the USA, and the Université du Québec en Outaouais in Canada. The study fields of Translation and Professional Writing are highly complementary and in multilingual and multicultural contexts such as South Africa and Canada, inextricably entwined. It is, therefore, not accidental that large globalisation and localisation companies such as Lionbridge Multilingual Content Development Solutions should utilise a combination of technical writing, document design, and translation expertise in delivering their products.

This qualification therefore takes cognisance of the South African reality, where most (if not all) kinds of professional writing must either be translated into one or more of the other 10 official languages (usually from English), or is based on documentation that either has to be translated before it can be used, or on documents that are in fact translated texts themselves.

Regionally, RAU, UNISA, WITS and the Technikon Pretoria offer postgraduate qualifications (ranging from BA (Honours) to postgraduate qualifications) that focus mainly on translation studies, interpreting and language editing. Some of the qualifications focus on only one of these study fields, e.g. translation studies or language editing, other qualification reflect a combination of these focal areas, whilst in still others these study fields form part of a larger qualification in for example language practice or applied) linguistics. Further afield such as at the Universities of Stellenbosch, Port Elizabeth, the Free State, North-West University, etc. a similar situation holds.

The qualification submitted here is the only one in South Africa that integrates translation and professional writing with a professional and skills focus, and with the intention to equip learners both formatively and for the workplace. There is therefore a need for a qualification such as this, designed specifically to cater for the unique multilingual, multicultural South African context, whilst being at the cutting edge of global developments in the field of Translation and Professional Writing.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
The institution conducts RPL in terms of the policy and guidelines of the institution to recognise other forms of formal, informal and non-formal learning and experience. In cases where learners do not comply with the formal admission requirements, the institution applies its RPL policy.

Entry Requirements:
The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is:

Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing, NQF Level 7.

Bachelor of Arts in Translation, NQF Level 7.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

Level, credits and learning components assigned to the qualification:

NQF Level 7.

Fundamentals: None.

Core: 40.

Research: Independently researched essays will form part of the modules within the programme.

Electives: 80.

Total: 120 Credits.

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

Qualifying learners will:

1. Have developed a wide-ranging, advanced and specialised knowledge and research capabilities within and across the field of Communication Studies, Language and Literature.
2. Have mastered a full range of advanced analytical and descriptive instruments in the area of translation and professional writing, and the skills to use these instruments in variable contexts.
3. Have the ability to obtain and use information in a theoretically justified manner in order to resolve problems in the field of study.
4. Have the competence to plan, resource and manage processes within the broad parameters and functions of science.
5. Have a sense of accountability for determining, achieving, and evaluating personal and/or group output.
6. Have the necessary competence and skills to work within one or more of the language professions.
7. Have an understanding of the principles that guide audience-centred text design, translation, professional writing and editing in different genres and media (literary and/or non-literary).
8. Have the ability to reflect critically on self-created products and to evaluate work done by others.
9. Have the ability to adjust to different audiences and media.
10. Have the expertise required to engage in research and to operate in research-based occupations.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Mastery of the knowledge and skills required is demonstrated by:

Continuous assessment of the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes of the learner over the period of study and in various realistic contexts to meet the criteria of reliability, validity, comprehensiveness, objectivity, discrimination, meaningfulness, and the appropriate level of difficulty.

This will be done by means of an integrated assessment approach including various modes of formative and summative assessment, inter alia, oral and written work, peer reviews, portfolios, simulations, tests and written examinations, research essays of limited scope.

Integrated Assessment:
The knowledge, skills, values and attitudes of the learner are assessed continuously over the period of study and in various realistic contexts to meet the criteria of reliability, validity, comprehensiveness, objectivity, discrimination, meaningfulness, and the appropriate level of difficulty.

The assessment will be criteria-based and norm-based, and reliability will be ensured by both internal and external moderation.

Apart from general assessment criteria, specific criteria are developed for each module within the programme in order to determine the learner's applied competence. The assessment will be done by way of a range of continuous, formative and summative practices such as self-assessment, peer assessment, written work, oral work, tests, portfolios, simulations, observations and work-place assessments.

One or more research essays of limited scope are required, constituting compact and accurate descriptions of independent academic work, and demonstrating that the learner has critically engaged with existing research findings in order to provide evidence-based solutions to research problems within the field of Translation and Professional Writing.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

Internationally programmes with this particular focus are offered by only a few institutions, notably by Indiana and Purdue Universities in the USA, and the Université du Québec en Outaouais in Canada. The study fields of Translation and Professional Writing are highly complementary and in a multilingual and multicultural context such as e.g. South Africa and Canada, inextricably entwined.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

This qualification offers both possibilities of horizontal and vertical articulation.

Horizontal Articulation:

Bachelor of Arts Honours in Translation and Interpreting, NQF Level 8.

Bachelor of Arts Honours in Translation Studies, NQF Level 8.

Vertical Articulation:

Master of Arts in Translation Studies and Linguistics, NQF Level 9.

Master of Arts: Translation Studies, NQF Level 9.

MODERATION OPTIONS

N/A

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

N/A

REREGISTRATION HISTORY

As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2006; 2009; 2012; 2015.

NOTES

N/A

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

NONE

PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION:

This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.

1.	University of Pretoria