Microsoft Word Revised Syllabus Ver doc

The Language of Specialized Information
In many areas where there are both in-group and out-group languages, there is a need 
for a language of specialized formation. This is often the language of higher education or of 
specialized formal training. For example in the Philippines, speakers of such languages as 
Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Pampango and Samareno must learn Pilipino if they are to enjoy 
movies, watch television, read certain newspapers, and carry on trade in areas outside of their 
immediate tribal areas. But these persons must also learn English if they want to go on to 
secondary school or the University and if they wish to take positions of leadership in politics, 
business, or social life. 
Translation and Language Attitudes
The attitudes towards source and target languages play a major role in the quality of 
translation. If a translator aims at excellent transfer of the source language material into the 
target language material he has to have an unbiased and normal attitude towards the target 
language. Having such an attitude that language in which source material is written is 
developed language and advanced language and the language to which the source material is 
translated is an under-developed or otherwise will only bias the translation as these will result 
in tampering the quality of translation. One of these two languages may be the mother-tongue 
of the translator. Under these circumstances, too, a translator must take utmost care to see that 
the quality of translation is not affected. Nida (1982) observes that the possession of the 
following attitudes will help in better translation.
Language Genius
A translator must, as a prerequisite for translation, understand that each language has 
its own genius in a specific manner. In other words, each language has certain characteristic 
features which are specific to it alone and not found in any other language. Such 
characteristic features constitute the genius of a language. The genius of a language is 
normally expressed or manifested in the process of word formation, syntactic constructions, 
the methods in which sentences are embedded into another sentence, discourse patterns 
followed in prose, poetry and conversation, the structure of proverbs, idioms, and so on. Each 
language has sufficient words and syntactic patterns according to the cultural and social 
background of the users of that language and each language is empowered with the capacity 
to serve the social, cultural and other functions satisfactorily and completely.
The western languages, for instance, are rich in technical vocabularies. The language 
Piroz spoken in Peru has a rich vocabulary in hunting and fishing. Another language by name 
Anuvak spoken in Sudan abounds with vocabularies on live stocks. In this manner, naturally, 

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all the languages develop their vocabulary in such a manner as to serve their social and 
cultural functions. Tamil language, has got so many such characteristic features. The 
presence of the frictionless continuant lateral sound, inclusive and exclusive first person 
plural pronouns, subject-object concord in the pronominal terminations, etc, are but a few 
features that manifest the genius of Tamil language. Tamil prosody, par excellence, is an 
eloquent example of the genius of the Tamil language. In the same manner, as can be 
expected, each of the world languages has its genius. Having a complete and comprehensive 
understanding of the, genius of a language paves way for better translation.