Pages

Tuesday 13 December 2011

So you want to be a Translator, eh?

If you are a future translator/translation student/translation enthusiast, and if the friends, family and strangers in your life are anything like mine, the following conversation may seem incredibly familiar:



And this reaction is sort of surprising. I mean, the job is in the name. But, I get it. It’s not something you hear every day. And when it comes to childhood dream jobs, it’s not exactly as popular as doctor, astronaut or cupcake taster...mmm cupcakes. 

Plus, with text translation tools like Google Translate and Babel Fish, some might even say translators will become obsolete before you know it, that in ten years they won’t even need us. But can an online translation program translate emotion, humour and irony? Nuh-uh. When it comes to translation, human > technology. Any day. Any place. Any time.

So, for those people in your life that keep on asking: 

What is Translation?

Translation is “the process of converting written texts from one language to another” Glendon Translation. But it’s not just that, it is transmitting culture and knowledge from one language group to another. I don’t mean to get all philosophical on you, but it’s actually really cool if you think about it. All that philosophical deep thinking translated from Ancient Greek and Latin, all that mathematical, scientific knowledge translated from Arabic, all that romance and poetry translated from French.

But, because I know you so well, I know you're thinking: Ok, fine, so I'm transmitting knowledge. Hooray. But, how am I going to bring home the bacon (or tofu for those of us vegetarians) with a Translation degree.?

What can you really do with Translation?

A ton.

Translators can work for major national and international corporations, the government, law firms, international organizations and non-profit organizations. Basically any job that requires the use of exceptional writing and language abilities. Want to travel the world while donating your time to organizations like  Translators Without Borders? Working with non-profits like Translators Without Borders means you’re helping people get access to knowledge they might otherwise not have had, and that’s pretty awesome.

Ok, so you’ve decided you want to be a Translator. Awesome. Where are you going to study?

Well, I chose Glendon.

What makes Translation at Glendon so special?

1.     You’re going to be studying on a bilingual campus. That means that while you’re learning French (or Spanish as the case may be) inside the classroom, you’re also being exposed to it outside the classroom, giving you the perfect opportunity to practice and perfect your language skills.
2.     The Translation Department offers work placements and internships so that before you’ve even graduated, you can gain incredibly valuable experience
3.     The professors are awesome. They are very accessible and want to help you.  In fact, they like it when you drop by their office and ask them questions.
4.     The small class size. The small-class size thing is great for many reasons, obviously. But one important one is getting a really personalized experience. All my professors know me by name so getting reference letters for graduate schools and jobs is easy peasy (do people still say that anymore? Well, I’m bringing it back.) And when it comes to giving you feedback on your assignment and where you went wrong, that’s so easy to do when there’s only 20 other people in your class. 

You’re convinced. Right?













You're not? How is that possible?!? Fine, if you're not yet certain that translation is for you, check out the following:

1 comment:

  1. Don't forget to "like" the Glendon School of Translation on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Glendon-School-of-Translation/210395258981032

    ReplyDelete