Poll: Do you have a university degree specifically in translation or interpretation? Autor vlákna: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you have a university degree specifically in translation or interpretation?".
This poll was originally submitted by Tuulia Tipa. View the poll results »
| | | | Tim Drayton 
Kypr
Local time: 10:24
turečtina -> angličtina
+ ...
No, my first degree is in linguistics and I learnt my main source language through immersion. I have also acquired my background knowledge in my main areas of specialisation through a mixture of self-study and experience.
| | | | Jack Doughty
Velká Británie
Local time: 08:24
ruština -> angličtina
+ ...
In memoriam
I don't think there was any such animal in the early fifties, when I was of university age, not in the UK anyway. But in any case I was in the RAF at that time, and there I was taught Russian and gained a Civil Service Interpreter Certificate (I have never worked as an interpreter though).
| | | | neilmac
Španělsko
Local time: 09:24
španělština -> angličtina
+ ...
Just a language degree (French and Russian), although I work mainly in ES-EN.
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My degree is in economics.
P.S. As there were no student-workers by then, it took me so long to obtain it that I have never used it formally…
[Edited at 2015-02-01 16:20 GMT]
[Edited at 2015-02-01 16:21 GMT]
| | | | Yvonne Gallagher
Irsko
Local time: 08:24
Člen (2010)
francouzština -> angličtina
+ ...
| yes, MA in Translation Studies | Feb 1, 2015 |
My first BA was way back in '74, (in Spanish and English) returned to uni for a 2nd BA in French(awarded 2002) as I was teaching French but not officially qualified so needed the piece of paper, and returned to uni for third time for MA (awarded 2010) before launching full-time into translation
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Španělsko
Local time: 08:24
Člen (2007)
angličtina
+ ...
| Don't have one in anything | Feb 1, 2015 |
I'm a tad younger than Jack but I don't seem to remember absolutely everyone staying in education until their mid-twenties the way you seem to have to nowadays if you're to get a half-decent job.
When I left school in 1975, I was offered a place at SOAS, but I did a one-year bilingual secretarial course instead, so I could start earning. Of course, I'll never know how my life would have panned out if I'd done the degree but I'm happy with the way it's gone. It's a pain that I'm auto... See more I'm a tad younger than Jack but I don't seem to remember absolutely everyone staying in education until their mid-twenties the way you seem to have to nowadays if you're to get a half-decent job.
When I left school in 1975, I was offered a place at SOAS, but I did a one-year bilingual secretarial course instead, so I could start earning. Of course, I'll never know how my life would have panned out if I'd done the degree but I'm happy with the way it's gone. It's a pain that I'm automatically excluded from some jobs though. Seems daft to me - surely 40 years of working life must count for something? Fortunately, there are plenty of clients who think it does. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Julian Holmes
Japonsko
Local time: 16:24
Člen (2011)
japonština -> angličtina
Degree in Japanese, two years of which were very translation-intensive. We translated modern and classical literature - I mean the really old stuff going back centuries to over 1,500 years ago - and articles from magazines.
Even though I was surrounded by loads of university colleges offering a variety of languages and courses, I never heard the magical words "degree in translation or interpretation." I doubt that they were widely available at the time, ahem, about 40 years ago.
... See more Degree in Japanese, two years of which were very translation-intensive. We translated modern and classical literature - I mean the really old stuff going back centuries to over 1,500 years ago - and articles from magazines.
Even though I was surrounded by loads of university colleges offering a variety of languages and courses, I never heard the magical words "degree in translation or interpretation." I doubt that they were widely available at the time, ahem, about 40 years ago.
Small additions
[Edited at 2015-02-02 07:50 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Edward Potter
Španělsko
Local time: 09:24
Člen (2003)
španělština -> angličtina
+ ...
Let's see. I have a BA in English, a five-year Spanish degree from the Spanish Official School of Languages, a six-month post-grad diploma in translation from the University of Valencia, a one-week legal translation certificate, and lots of smaller stuff.
Does the six-monther qualify as a university degree?
| | | | | Yes, MA in Translation Studies | Feb 1, 2015 |
I can count on one hand the number of clients who have even asked, much less cared though.
| | | | Triston Goodwin
Spojené státy americké
Local time: 01:24
španělština -> angličtina
+ ...
I do have a wide variety of certifications and licenses in several fields of computer science and I just received my AA in business administration. Sadly, almost everything I spent thousands of dollars to learn can now be easily found on YouTube for free :/ Great for the world, but awful for my wallet.
| | | | Paulinho Fonseca
Brazílie
Local time: 04:24
Člen (2011)
angličtina -> portugalština
+ ...
| The first thing I looked for... | Feb 2, 2015 |
Before changing from a 20-year-EFL Job I went back to university for a Degree in Translations - I had a degree in Language Teaching. I find it important to understand how things may flow from one language to another as well as alternative sources regarding each target language options.
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564354352 (X)
Dánsko
Local time: 09:24
dánština -> angličtina
+ ...
I learnt more English during the eight years I lived in England before commencing official language studies than I did during a 3-year BA programme in Danish, English and Spanish business communication and translation. And I learnt more 'practical Spanish usage' during a 5-month stay as an exchange student in Mexico than during a 3-year MA programme in Danish >< Spanish translation and interpretation.
In other words, degrees are useful to some extent - and good for our egos - but n... See more I learnt more English during the eight years I lived in England before commencing official language studies than I did during a 3-year BA programme in Danish, English and Spanish business communication and translation. And I learnt more 'practical Spanish usage' during a 5-month stay as an exchange student in Mexico than during a 3-year MA programme in Danish >< Spanish translation and interpretation.
In other words, degrees are useful to some extent - and good for our egos - but nothing beats hands-on immersion in foreign language cultures and practical, hard grafting as a translator.
We are like good wine: We get better as the years (of practical language usage) go by... ▲ Collapse
| | | | Muriel Vasconcellos
Spojené státy americké
Local time: 00:24
Člen (2003)
španělština -> angličtina
+ ...
My doctorate is in linguistics, and my thesis was on translation theory.
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazílie
Local time: 04:24
Člen (2014)
angličtina -> portugalština
+ ...
Every time I mention this, those who do crucify me, but the best translators I know have degrees in other areas (other than translation, arts, and the like). I wonder why, but it's true.
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