This course examines Greek as a professional tool for translation, interpreting and language mediation. Through the analysis of authentic texts from different genres, students explore language proficiency, editing, revision of translated texts, stylistic adaptation and the evaluation of linguistic choices. Particular emphasis is placed on the relationship between literalness and naturalness, as well as the characteristics of journalistic, administrative, academic and advertising discourse. The course also addresses the challenges posed by machine translation and artificial intelligence. Its aim is to develop students’ ability to critically read, assess and improve Greek-language texts, an essential skill for contemporary translators and interpreters.

The course aims to develop advanced linguistic awareness and skills in the evaluation, editing and revision of Greek-language texts in the context of translation and interpreting.

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
• identify the characteristics of effective and functional Greek-language texts;
• assess the linguistic quality of original and translated texts;
• identify problems of style, clarity and naturalness;
• apply fundamental principles of editing and text revision;
• recognise the distinctive features of different discourse genres;
• evaluate translation choices according to communicative and linguistic criteria;
• critically assess the output of machine translation and artificial intelligence systems;
• develop well-supported arguments concerning language use and translation.

Week 1: What Does Language Proficiency Mean?. The concept of linguistic competence. Linguistic awareness and professional language use. The translator as an expert language user.

Week 2: The Concept of Editing. Proofreading, editing and revision. Levels of linguistic quality control. Examples of edited texts.

Week 3: Revision of Translated Texts. Common problems in translated texts. Accuracy, coherence and readability. Examples from translations.

Week 4: Literalness and Naturalness. The concept of naturalness in language. Translation-induced calques. Literal and functional renderings.

Week 5: The Language of News Reporting. Journalistic discourse. Headlines and summaries. Language and the evaluation of events.

Week 6: The Language of Administration. Administrative and institutional discourse. Announcements, circulars and public documents. Clarity and accessibility.

Week 7: Academic Discourse. The structure of academic texts. Documentation and terminology. Issues of style and objectivity.

Week 8: Advertising Discourse. Persuasion and linguistic strategies. Slogans and cultural adaptation. Examples of translated advertisements.

Week 9: Subtitling and Discourse Constraints. Language and audiovisual translation. Brevity and readability. Examples from film and television.

Week 10: Language and Artificial Intelligence. Machine translation and large language models. Capabilities and limitations. The role of the human editor.

Week 11: How Do We Evaluate a Translated Text?. Evaluation criteria. Accuracy, style and functionality. Examples of translation assessment.

Week 12: Comparative Reading of Human and AI Translations. Case studies and comparative commentary. Issues of quality and reliability.

Week 13: Revision Workshop. Comprehensive review. Analysis of examples. Preparation for the final examination.

Core Bibliography
• Babiniotis, Georgios, Λεξικό των δυσκολιών και των λαθών στη χρήση της ελληνικής γλώσσας [Dictionary of Difficulties and Errors in Greek Usage].
• Mackridge, Peter, Η νεοελληνική γλώσσα. Περιγραφική ανάλυση της νεοελληνικής κοινής [The Modern Greek Language: A Descriptive Analysis of Standard Modern Greek].

Supplementary Bibliography
• Mackridge, Peter, David Holton and Irene Philippaki-Warburton, Γραμματική της ελληνικής γλώσσας [Grammar of the Greek Language].
• Kopidakis, Michalis Z. (ed.), Ιστορία της ελληνικής γλώσσας [History of the Greek Language].

The course combines lectures, analysis of authentic texts and comparative reading of translations. Examples are drawn from journalism, public administration, academic writing, advertising and digital media. Case studies involving machine translation and artificial intelligence are also examined. Particular emphasis is placed on the critical evaluation of linguistic and translation choices.

Digital teaching materials and online resources are used to analyse authentic Greek-language texts. Electronic dictionaries, digital text corpora, machine translation tools and artificial intelligence systems support the comparative evaluation of linguistic choices. The course’s online learning platform is used to distribute teaching materials and facilitate communication with students.

Final written examination (100%). The examination may include commentary on authentic texts, identification of linguistic and stylistic problems, comparative evaluation of translation choices, short editing or text revision exercises, and critical assessment of human and machine translations.