University of Toronto Online Translation Certificate Thread poster: Neema
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Neema
Local time: 00:16
French to English
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Hello...I have been researching possible Translation certificate programs. Does anyone know something about University of Toronto's Online Translation Certificate? I'd really appreciate any insights.
Thanks in advance.
Neema
| | | | Juliana Brown 
Israel
Local time: 00:16
Member (2007)
Spanish to English
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If all you are looking for is some practice, the U of T certificate is good. I did one of the the advanced courses and found it useful for building glossaries, but in terms of theory or actual instruction, that was minimal. That is not necessarily a bad thing (I was happy to just send in the assignments and get feedback), but if you want a lot of instruction, go elsewhere.
| | | | Neema
Local time: 00:16
French to English
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TOPIC STARTER | maybe not substantial enough for a beginner | Feb 7, 2008 |
Thank you Juliana. I appreciate your feedback. I actually was looking into something to start me off as a 'serious' translator. I have no translating education or significant experience, but I have a business degree and I am trilingual. So I am looking for some quality instruction to give me a solid base - and some credibility on the market too. What you described might not be enough for a beginner like me. Do you recommend any other school? Have you heard about St. Boniface?. I posted a questio... See more Thank you Juliana. I appreciate your feedback. I actually was looking into something to start me off as a 'serious' translator. I have no translating education or significant experience, but I have a business degree and I am trilingual. So I am looking for some quality instruction to give me a solid base - and some credibility on the market too. What you described might not be enough for a beginner like me. Do you recommend any other school? Have you heard about St. Boniface?. I posted a question about it some time ago but didn't get much response. Thanks again.
Neema ▲ Collapse
| | | | Juliana Brown
Israel
Local time: 00:16
Member (2007)
Spanish to English
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| I'm not familiar with St. Boniface,I may not be the best one to ask... | Feb 7, 2008 |
I went freelance after doing academic translations for many years, while lecturing in literature, languages and cultural studies. I believe quite strongly in the importance of practical work as the best way to get into the business, along with a willingness to learn on one's own.
This is not to say that courses are unimportant. If you have never done any translations whatsoever, and want to make sure that you at least have a basic idea of what to look for in your work (nuances, both lingui... See more I went freelance after doing academic translations for many years, while lecturing in literature, languages and cultural studies. I believe quite strongly in the importance of practical work as the best way to get into the business, along with a willingness to learn on one's own.
This is not to say that courses are unimportant. If you have never done any translations whatsoever, and want to make sure that you at least have a basic idea of what to look for in your work (nuances, both linguistic and cultural, for example, common errors, etc. ), then by all means, a diploma or degree is the way to go. If, however, during your business studies you found yourself translating matieral for colleagues or friends, then you already have a good starting point, and even a specialization . Many translators choose this job because they were doing it already in their private lives in some capacity or another. In this case I would say, practice, practice, practice. Find texts online to translate and then ask for feedback. ▲ Collapse
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Neema
Local time: 00:16
French to English
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TOPIC STARTER
Thank you for taking time to give me your opinion.
Neema
| | | | Laura Gentili
Italy
Local time: 06:16
Member (2003)
English to Italian
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| City University | Feb 8, 2008 |
Hi Neema
you could take a long distance course from City University in London in order to prepare for the IoL (Institute of Linguists) examination.
In such courses you basically translate one text per week and then a tutor revises it and gives you suggestions. I did one and found it useful.
When you feel ready you can take the Diploma of Translation examination at IoL.
... See more Hi Neema
you could take a long distance course from City University in London in order to prepare for the IoL (Institute of Linguists) examination.
In such courses you basically translate one text per week and then a tutor revises it and gives you suggestions. I did one and found it useful.
When you feel ready you can take the Diploma of Translation examination at IoL.
More info here:
http://www.city.ac.uk/languages/courses/courses_translation.html ▲ Collapse
| | | | Neema
Local time: 00:16
French to English
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TOPIC STARTER
Thank you Laura. The course seems interesting although too long and the deadline already passed. Thanks for the tip anyways.
Neema
| | | | Parrot
Spain
Local time: 06:16
Spanish to English
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From what I've seen of your questions, very few of our colleagues knew of St. Boniface (although the person who responded to you on that score had very positive remarks about it). That's no cause for alarm, as we all have to go by our own language combinations and often have limitations as to what is convenient or not.
On another part of the questions you have posed in these forums, there are two ways of approaching training for a language career. There is what we may call a top-dow... See more From what I've seen of your questions, very few of our colleagues knew of St. Boniface (although the person who responded to you on that score had very positive remarks about it). That's no cause for alarm, as we all have to go by our own language combinations and often have limitations as to what is convenient or not.
On another part of the questions you have posed in these forums, there are two ways of approaching training for a language career. There is what we may call a top-down approach (as in business school), looking for the best offer and hoping for the best opportunities to emerge on the basis of such a choice. Unfortunately, language training does not entirely work that way, as it also has a bottoms-up angle.
I'm referring to the fact that schools form around certain market demands, and the fact that certain majority language combinations are offered in certain places means that those places are sensitive to that particular market demand, which may not be what you may call "traditional fare" (such as, for instance, the Chinese combinations mushrooming in the UK), but it is there and making itself felt; and, hence the course in that combination. I think this is important to take into account, as the decision to offer a translation course, in many cases, does not rest on prestige alone, but on need. Hence, a school may have many students (and numbers are a part of its financial success), but its real -- call it economic (in the original sense of the term) -- success is based on survival and mortality ratios. (I.e., training on the basis of need, which ensures survival.)
Need comes from the community and is first perceived by the community. As a part of the community that you desire to serve, you are in the best position to determine and push your own chances of survival. I won't say "gone are the days" when prestige determined success in language mediation, but we should really all be asking ourselves if it ever really did, in the first place, and how much such success was due to our own "genius" or "quality". Because what we here are calling now "translation" and "interpretation" are really just two aspects of what trainers all over the world are now referring to as "language mediation" or "interlingual mediation". To paraphrase the man who coined the term, or, at any rate, put it into active circulation (I have to credit fellow prozian sviaggio, who headed the UN interpreter corps), in acknowledging this fact, we are merely going back to our basics, the oral and temporal nature of our services. Hence, your other pending question on client base redounds, first and foremost, to what you perceive around you.
Canada is only one of the countries where the need for language mediation in Arabic is being met, and if the efforts are feeble at first, they're already something to build on. (I can tell you here in Spain civil servants are actively recruiting, almost from the street, but we're such disasters in future projection that we can't tell a need "until the bull is upon us" -- and perhaps we've only done as well as the US in that regard). But to try to help you out in your specific quandary, local community centres, municipal authorities and (these seem to be in the vanguard) libraries are where the "help wanted" signs are put for language mediation. Some of these even offer training, or are affiliated with training institutions. And even when this training may not be exactly what you mean by a "translation school" (Spain now has what it calls "schools of socio-cultural mediation"), it indicates the real and existing market status. (It's also public money and can't afford to go wrong). This is another angle to investigate.
Offhand, I can say the mediation schools leave a lot to be desired as training for translation, but they're a step up towards another need we have to fill, namely, qualified court mediators. (A better facility already exists for this field in Spain, and I doubt that Canada is behind -- in fact, it's usually ahead in my experience).
Wishing you luck around those general lines.
Cecilia
[Edited at 2008-02-12 21:07] ▲ Collapse
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Neema
Local time: 00:16
French to English
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TOPIC STARTER | Thanks for the big picture feedback | Feb 11, 2008 |
Hello Cecilia,
Wow....you actually took the time to read through all my posts and write me a big picture feedback. Thank you SO much. I really appreciate your feedback. It helped me step back and look at the whole thing from an economic point of view : supply and demand. I almost feel silly now that I was more focused on what I have to offer versus what is actually needed. This will definitely help me refocus and choose a suitable training according to this logical finding.
Thanks a... See more Hello Cecilia,
Wow....you actually took the time to read through all my posts and write me a big picture feedback. Thank you SO much. I really appreciate your feedback. It helped me step back and look at the whole thing from an economic point of view : supply and demand. I almost feel silly now that I was more focused on what I have to offer versus what is actually needed. This will definitely help me refocus and choose a suitable training according to this logical finding.
Thanks again, Cecilia. And everybody else who shared their experiences with me.
Have a great week everyone!
Neema ▲ Collapse
| | | | jaymin
Canada
Local time: 00:16
German to Korean
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| translation certificate program | May 27, 2010 |
hi Neema
Have you found any other resources? Seems that it's been two years since you posted the question here. Actually I am presently looking into it. ATIO and CTTIC don't seem to be working for me.
please advise.
| | | | Neema
Local time: 00:16
French to English
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TOPIC STARTER | sorry not able to help | May 28, 2010 |
Hi Jaymin,
Sorry I have no advice for you. I gave up that route actually, and I am pursuing teaching instead. My languages market is too saturated. I occasionally do some translating on the side just because I enjoy it. Good luck.
Neema
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