The need for professional translators to be expert language users is self-evident. Nevertheless, little has been said as to how translator trainees may come to possess this expertise. Targeting the Source Text contributes to filling thes gap. Focusing on the development of the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve an in-depth understanding of written English source-language texts as a preliminary step in translation. Targeting the Source Text combines notios from discourse analysis and contrastive linguistics in a practical and entertaining 120-hour course featuring a wide variety of textual materials and classroom activities.