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Weighing up translation degrees: two oft-overlooked tips

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Professor LeviSome of the best translators I know don’t have a degree in translation, so they are certainly not a requirement to becoming a translator.

However, an  increasing number of newcomers to the profession are opting to pursue a formal (usually postgraduate) qualification in the field.

So when translator Lloyd Bingham put out the following call a few months back on Twitter, it set me thinking:

What should you keep in mind when weighing up whether a translation degree is for you?

Here are two key tips that I believe prospective students often overlook:

  • Ask yourself why you want to do it. Is it to learn new translation techniques?  To verify what you already know? To get recognition, confidence, a job, or something else? All of these reasons are valid, and there is almost certainly a qualification out there that will give you one or more of these things – you just need to make sure you choose the course that will best match your motivations.
  • Think specifically about the kind of work you might want in the future. Some courses may be better able to prepare you for some jobs than others, depending on their approach, and network of staff and former students. For example, think about which of the following you might prefer:
    • An inhouse position. If so, in a big institution or a small operation?
    • To go freelance. If so, for which kinds of clients – primarily direct, or agencies?
    • A management role in the industry. Project management, running a company of your own, or something else?

It’s no secret that formal education requires considerable investment in terms of time, money and energy. However, instead of focussing entirely on the course, it’s essential to take a realistic view of what you bring to the table as a prospective student too.

Let’s face it: if you’re not clear on what you want from your degree before you start, you really only have yourself to blame if you’re not happy with what you have when you finish.

Check out Lloyd’s articles for his take on the pros and cons of postgraduate degrees (including one featuring me) here and here.

Photo credit: Professor Levi by geckoam, on Flickr

Comments

  1. Hi Sarah

    A bit late in reading this post, but I think you’ve raised some really interesting points. I think the big gap in many of the Translation postgraduate courses is the area or running a small business. I recently completed an MA in Translation Studies, and whilst there were several useful modules on translation in practice and theory, as well as modules on linguistics, there was nothing on how to set-up and grow a small business. Seeing as many translators pursue a freelance career, I think that in order to offer a well rounded course and meet the requirements of the students, language and translation departments need to offer some sort of support and guidance on the business side of translation. Modules on entrepreneurship are available in Business degrees and I think something along these lines should be introduced into Translation courses.

  3. The analogy of a surgeon (as mentioned by Monica) or a lawyer is often cited in these discussions. No one can practice these professions without specialized education.

    But translation is much more closely related to writing than to practicing medicine or law. Would publishers accept manuscripts from writers who didn’t have an MFA in creative writing? Would you buy a book written by someone who hasn’t studied writing or literature in university? And, turning directly to translation, can a person acquire sufficient mastery of a second language (enough, say, to translate from it), solely by studying it to the highest degree in university?

  4. I received a M.A. in Russian before I ever even considered a career in translation. My degree program focussed on increasing competency in the language, and translation was one of the basic methodological tools that was drilled. Of course, my program did not include any formal coursework in translation theory per se, but I was able to read up on that afterwards. I think many of my clients are happy to know that I have had rigorous training in the foreign language itself, and this is, of couse, one of the main knowledge domains for a translator.

  5. I basically disagree with you, but I have no idea how translation training works or what it is about in other countries. I had been learning English for 10 years before sitting entrance examinations (4 subjects) to start the 4-year course at university and obtain a degree in Legal and Literary Translation. Therefore, as I see it, a translator is only someone who has obtained a university degree in translation. Just like someone may only claim s/he is a physician if they graduated from medical school.
    I have this aunt who is a nurse and has been assisting surgeons in the OR for 40 years. Would you be happy to have your child operated on by her? No way, would you? Likewise, my deft 20-year-old daughter has been clipping her toenails since she was three. However, she would never dare to call herself a podiatrist.
    While it is true that a diploma is not always enough to be a good translator (talent also counts) there is stuff university training teaches you that you will hardly ever learn anywhere else on your own, like in-depth study of grammar in both languages, law in both languages, translation techniques… to name but a few.

  6. This is how I decided NOT to go for the MA degree my university was offering back then. I analyzed the courses, already knew most of the professors and realized that there is (almost) nothing new I can learn there, a theory that was confirmed later by one of my colleagues who did the entire program. Instead I opted for employment in a Law Office. Back then I was dreaming to become a legal translator. I must admit I learned a lot there, not only in terms of legal translation. I am very happy with my choice, even though now I kind of started enjoying marketing translations more 🙂