Translation (TRAN1-GC)

In this course students learn the basic concepts and general conceptual framework for the analysis and understanding of translation as a process and a product. This course explores key principles, main schools of thought, and the fundamental controversies shaping translation theory. We will closely examine and contextualize multiple theoretical models, taking into account the pros and cons of each. This course provides a conceptual foundation on which the other translation courses will build, and on which you will be able to draw when describing, planning, assessing, and justifying your translation work.

This course introduces students to the basic principles and methods of contemporary terminology research and documentation. While the emphasis is on applied terminology, students learn the theoretical background of contemporary terminological practice, including relevant aspects of linguistics, lexicography, and classification. Students explore representative aspects of research and documentation, typical methods for recording and storing terminology (terminography), database record structure, and computer-based systems for terminology management.

In today's translation industry, translators are expected to have a command of technology to make the translation process more efficient. This expectation covers general computer knowledge and especially Computer Assisted Translation (CAT) tools, a class of translation-specific technologies of which Translation Memory and Terminology systems are the most common. Translators may also need to be familiar with Translation Management Systems when working with clients as well as Machine Translation tools. This course introduces translators to technologies used in the translation industry and gives them hands-on experience in using a range of CAT and other tools. Knowledge of computer programming or prior experience using translation technologies is not required. Students will develop practical skills and critical judgement to evaluate the relative merits of different tools to meet project requirements. The course features practice projects based on real life scenarios and essential professional skills, including quoting, understanding file formats, reviewing and QA.

This course examines the relation between language use and human action. Some topics to be emphasized are: conversational logic and implicature, presuppositions, speech act theory, politeness, social role, psychological perception of oneself and language, variation in language use. Students are expected to apply the general principles to their working languages.

In this course students examine language beyond the sentence. They look at the larger discourse context in order to understand how it affects the meaning of the sentence. Topics include global and local properties of connected speech and writing, narrative structures, new and old information, subjects and topics, foregrounding and backgrounding, discourse markers, etc.

Students learn theories and basic concepts of cross-cultural communication. They examine the influence of socio-cultural forces on human interaction as well as how these forces direct the communication patterns of people from various cultures. The analysis focuses on verbal and nonverbal symbols used in intercultural communication and on the challenges presented when an intercultural partner employs a different language system. Students examine the impact of verbal idiosyncrasies and distinctions on problem solving, speaking, perception, translation, interpreting, and understanding.

This course focuses on producing user-friendly documents by mastering the tools and methods professional technical writers use to draft definitions, descriptions, instructions, as well as other relevant reports. Emphasis during the technical portion of the class is placed on narrowing material so only essential information is conveyed, understanding the mechanics of sentences and how readers relate to them, using visual devices and formatting to enhance clarity, impact and readability of technical information. The business portion of the class targets writing effectively for the business environment. Students work on organizing information, word choice, proper phrasing, and editing their work, through analysis of memos, letters, reports, news articles, features, and letters to the editor.

Stylistics is the part of language study that explores the connotative rather than the denotative level of a message. It is important for translators to be able to identify the elements that make up the style of the original and preserve it in their translation. In this course students learn how to identify and use the lexical, syntactic and communicative aspects of aesthetic tonality, i.e. common language vs. poetic, literary, and written language, as well as the functional specializations of language, i.e. administrative, legal, business, scientific, etc.

Stylistics is the part of language study that explores the connotative rather than the denotative level of a message. It is important for translators to be able to identify the elements that make up the style of the original and preserve it in their translation. In this course students learn how to identify and use the lexical, syntactic and communicative aspects of aesthetic tonality, i.e. common language vs. poetic, literary, and written language, as well as the functional specializations of language, i.e. administrative, legal, business, scientific, etc. The course deals with the specific issues posed by Spanish and English.

Stylistics is the part of language study that explores the connotative rather than the denotative level of a message. It is important for translators to be able to identify the elements that make up the style of the original and preserve it in their translation. In this course students learn how to identify and use the lexical, syntactic and communicative aspects of aesthetic tonality, i.e. common language vs. poetic, literary, and written language, as well as the functional specializations of language, i.e. administrative, legal, business, scientific, etc. The course deals with the specific issues posed by French and English.

Stylistics is the part of language study that explores the connotative rather than the denotative level of a message. It is important for translators to be able to identify the elements that make up the style of the original and preserve it in their translation. In this course students learn how to identify and use the lexical, syntactic and communicative aspects of aesthetic tonality, i.e. common language vs. poetic, literary, and written language, as well as the functional specializations of language, i.e. administrative, legal, business, scientific, etc. The course deals with the specific issues posed by Chinese and English.

This course provides students with the theoretical background needed in order to specialize as translators in the field of banking, accounting and finance in an international environment. Some of the topics covered are: accounting principles and practices; presentation of financial statements; accounting systems; investment banking; financial reporting and analysis; banking systems, operations and transactions. The emphasis is on comparing concepts as they apply to each language pair, with country-specific variations.

This course gives students a basic understanding of the Anglo- American common-law system and the code-law system that prevails in many other countries. It also covers the implications of each for the organization of legal institutions, day-to-day administration of justice, and the translation of legal documentation. Topics covered include comparison of the inquisitorial-investigative systems and adversarial-accusatorial systems, legal procedure (organization of court systems, theoretical exposition of the nature of a lawsuit, procedures of various courts and types of proceedings, the roles of judge and jury), as well as business, marriage, inheritance, and divorce practices.

The dot com phenomenon, globalization, pressures for global regulation, mega-mergers and the productivity imperative are among the trends characterizing the corporate sector in the last decade. This course examines how corporations in diverse fields and regions deal with heightened competition, public scrutiny, government oversight, non-governmental organizations and other pressures while at the same time safeguarding profits and productivity and meeting shareholder expectations. It contrasts approaches of diverse industries facing similar and different challenges. It peers inside to assess the roles of corporate image, marketing, sales, research and development, technology, governance and other critical factors in meeting and protecting the bottom line.

The main objective of this course is that of providing students from various academic backgrounds with a condensed overview of the current structure of world economy in order to better prepare them for translation projects that involve economic materials. While some attention will be given to theory, those with little or no academic background in economics should be able to develop a thorough understanding of the forces that shape our current global economy, and reflect on the implications thereof. Beginning with an overview of the structural characteristics of the modern world economy, we proceed to discuss issues related to international trade, global governance, international financial markets, regional economic integration and resource movements. The course culminates in a review of recent and ongoing economic transformations, and how these may be instructive in our quest to better understand the logic of economic and social development, and the language used in its description and analysis.

The international financial institutions (IFIs) hold a central place in today’s globalized economy. Born out of the economic chaos that followed World War II, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (now part of the World Bank Group) and the International Monetary Fund, collectively known as the Bretton Woods institutions, have grown beyond their original mandate of stabilizing international trade and finance. Along with the World Trade Organization, established in 1995, they are playing a direct role in global governance. Because these organizations practice multilingualism as part of the United Nations system, they offer unparalleled opportunities for linguists. This course equips students with the skills they need to compete for a job as a staff or freelance translator with an IFI. Students become familiar with the content, terminology and style of documents produced in IFIs, as well as strategies and techniques for turning out sparkling, polished translations in the relevant subject areas. This course is offered online in a blended asynchronous and synchronous format.

This course gives students a basic understanding of the Anglo-American common-law system and the code-law system that prevails in many other countries. It also covers the implications of each for the organization of legal institutions, day-to-day administration of justice, and the translation of legal documentation. Topics covered include comparison of the inquisitorial-investigative systems and adversarial-accusatorial systems, legal procedure (organization of court systems, jurisdiction and procedures of various courts and types of proceedings), as well as business, investment, marriage and inheritance practices. This is an on-site course.

The convergence of globalization and the expansion of electronic communications has opened new fields for translators beyond the traditional need for document translation. Websites and software applications now need to be accessible to audiences globally in multiple languages. However, these types of content delivery pose technical issues many translators are not equipped to handle without additional training. This course is aimed at introducing translators to the world of web and software localization and mastering the skills needed to pursue it as a business opportunity. We will focus on the technical background and skills required for this work as well as the translation approaches needed for culturally sensitive and creative content.

This course gives translation students an overview of the editing profession and the roles that a professional editor can play in the translation industry. The course will also help students improve their ability to revise their own translations, revise translations prepared by others, and to edit original writing by others. Revising and editing are tasks that require careful reading, and foster mastery of writing skills. A good editor has a keen ear for language and this course will help you to develop your ear for how a good translation should sound. An editor seeks to polish a text so that it is clear, logical, and precise while ensuring that the full sense and spirit of the source text is rendered into the target text through a close examination of word choice, syntax, structure, style, tone, register, and punctuation.

This course is an introduction to literary translation and provides an overview of the field of literary translation, both in the US and abroad. Students will learn about the craft of literary translation and how it can help them become better translators. In this course students will gain an understanding of how “literary” tools—i.e. reading, writing, revision, editing, and critiquing skills—are applicable to all translation. The class will be organized in a multi-genre, multi-lingual workshop format. Students will produce their own literary translations, write reflective commentaries on the translation process, compare existing translations of literary texts, reference in-class readings, and engage in peer assessment. Emphasis will be placed on examining and critiquing each other’s translations and discussing process and best practices.

This course will allow students to learn about audiovisual translation (AVT) and its applied practice. With today's expansion of digital video content, it is natural that much of that content demands to be localized and translated. Translators in the professional world are increasingly asked to translate video content in a way that can be streamed, embedded online, or otherwise distributed. AVT is a very distinctive field in translation, with several modalities: subtitling, dubbing, SDH (closed-captioning), audio-description, surtitling, and script translation, to name a few. Each of them has its specific characteristics, challenges, and requirements. This course intends to introduce the main modalities of AVT to students, providing them with essential tools, strategies, and best practices.

Interpreting is a cognitive-linguistic skill as well as a socially informed discipline. This course provides an overview of the history and evolution, current best practices, and general pragmatics of professional interpreting as practiced today. Based on case studies and applied linguistic research, the course addresses the formulation of key principles and the industry standards, methodology, and mechanical processes that guide interpreting practice from the moment-to-moment delivery to larger issues of ethics, liability, credence and professional development for the career interpreter. Through readings and role-play scenarios, students will analyze the verbal dynamic and paralinguistics of interpreting in the consecutive, simultaneous, and community mode. While studying an array of interpreted materials in terms of communicative purpose and interlocutor roles, students will develop an articulate appreciation of performance criteria specific to the transient nature of interpreting (as opposed to translation) and the diverse situations and clients served.

This course reinforces the basic principles of translation and of logical progression. It gives students a chance to strengthen their passive language by reinforcing their vocabulary in different areas, adding a special emphasis on style, register, and the specific demands of certain text categories. They research corresponding idiomatic expressions in both languages and review and compare the grammatical structures of both the active and passive languages in order to avoid the pitfalls of literal translation. Discussions of the theory of translation emerge naturally in this context.

This course surveys various banking and finance-related documents. Students get an overview of the types of documents a financial translator encounters daily. Among the topics covered are annual reports, articles of incorporation, bylaws, financial statements, guarantees, insurance, mutual funds, shareholders meetings, and taxes. Students are expected to make extensive use of the Internet, other specialized terminology sources, and parallel documents.

This course builds on the knowledge acquired in Financial Translation I. It explores more complex financial topics such as derivatives, economic analysis, trust structures, securities markets, shareholder agreements, tenders, and term sheets. Since the terminology required to translate these documents is rarely found in bilingual sources, this course also covers the evaluation of terminology found in alternative sources.

Topics covered in this course include birth, marriage, and death certificates, concepts and structures of contracts, the organization of companies, with emphasis on types of partnership and corporations, court systems, the judiciary, and the legal profession, and the prosecuting of civil and criminal cases. On-line discussions present factual information about the civil-law and common-law approaches to the pertinent topics, as well as discussions of terminology and terminology resources. Materials for translation include contracts, articles of incorporation, minutes of meetings, summonses and complaints, petitions, motions, judgments, and orders.

Building on the materials covered in Legal Translation I, this course covers advanced topics to include appeals, marriage and divorce, decedent estates, patents and trademarks, and real property transfers. Classroom discussions present basic information about civil-law and common-law practices pertaining to appellate courts and types of appeals, marital property systems, marital-property and separation agreements, the prosecuting of divorce cases, inheritance laws, preparation of wills, administration of estates, patent and trademark applications, and property instruments. Materials for translation include appellate briefs and decisions, pre-nuptial agreements, separation agreements, petitions for divorce, judgments of divorce, wills, certificates of inheritance, and deeds.

This course teaches effective mediation of intercultural/interlanguage oral communication between English and Spanish. Through immersive process-oriented training, students will acquire strategies for navigating delivery and pitfalls involved in consecutive and simultaneous interpreting. A conceptual framework for quality assessment from the user perspective will be provided as a guide to critical analysis and reflective thinking. Students will develop competence in managing interpreting assignments in a variety of specialized topics and work settings in the public and nonprofit sectors (in social and medical services, the judiciary system, etc.) as well as private corporations of various industry sectors. The course will cover professional ethics, the use of relevant technologies, and essential professional interpreting tools including note-taking, non-verbal cuing, and sight translation. Students will role-play interlanguage scenarios in practice interpreting; record and evaluate each other's performance; build terminology databases; and document the process of acquiring interpreting skills.

This course will provide the critical skills needed to convey written transcripts and texts into clear, accurate, and coherent oral interpreting under time constraint. This course addresses applied reading skills, such as scanning, chunking, and text analysis of written sources as well as techniques in oral delivery—articulation, pacing, marking and framing, etc.—based on a silent reading process. Students will develop insights into the comparative stylistics of Spanish and English, as well as differences in communicative dynamic between written texts and their oral renditions. Students will work with scripts on diverse topics and in a range of verbal exchange situations, including trials and depositions, trade conferences, and occasions of diplomatic or cultural exchange. Students will develop competence in interpreting from a written script in a clear, accurate, and coherent manner, with minimal advance preparation, and within the acceptable timeframe of normal business and legal proceedings.

This course gives students intensive practice in translating a wide variety of contracts. The theoretical considerations presented cover the underlying concepts of the contract (a promise supported by consideration, in the common-law system; an agreement between parties, according to the code-law view), the requirements for the existence of a contract, and a comparative study of the structure and terminology of common contract clauses. Contracts for translation include employment agreements, leases, loan agreements, assignments of rights of various kinds, property management contracts, and contracts for the sale of properties, goods, and services.

This course offers students the opportunity to translate specialized documents from the vast field of accounting. Emphasis is placed on the types of accounting documents most frequently encountered in each language pair. A better understanding of underlying concepts is sought through translation and analysis of texts such as: balance sheets, income statements, statements of cash flow, documents related to account payables and account receivables, and cost accounting documentation. Students learn how to research terminology previously unknown to them and find reliable sources of information.

This course prepares students to translate highly specialized documents such as those drawn from documentation used in international banking operations, mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, and stock market operations. Issues related to the translation of banking software packages are also discussed. Students learn where to find sources for specialized terminology and how to apply previously acquired knowledge to new types of texts.

This course delves more deeply into the field of financial translation, focusing on the securities market. Students learn techniques for reading and comprehension of market analyses and equity research reports. Examples of these documents as well as documents related to initial public offerings (IPOs), financial futures, currencies, stock indexes, and the commodities market are translated.

Debt is the engine of the world markets, and constitutes a language unto itself. In this course students explore the various forms of debt. Documents examined include a variety of negotiable instruments such as loans, bonds, debentures, bankers acceptances, repos and reverse repos, and other commercial papers. At the end of this course, students have the tools to translate any debt-related documents they may encounter.

This course familiarizes students with the different types of insurance through translation and analysis of various policies, certificates, and claim forms such as those used in health insurance, life insurance, liability insurance, transport and marine insurance, and other types of coverage. The emphasis is on insurance documents most often encountered in the translation industry, and in particular on those required in the field of import-export operations, travel and tourism, and multinational-companies management. Students learn to research specialized terminology and develop their writing skills in accordance with the style and usage specific to the field.

Intellectual property (IP) is the umbrella term covering areas such as copyright, trademark law, unfair competition and patent law. Students study an outline of the legislation and salient aspect of each area, to become familiar with the mechanics and terminology, and then see this applied by translating from real-life case studies involving intellectual property lawsuits. This approach provides an overview of generalist education in intellectual property law and policy as well as focus on patents. Students carry out research using relevant multilingual databases and resources from international organizations. Becoming familiar with the content, terminology and style of documents involved in this field, as well as with the appropriate translation strategies and techniques, prepares participants to produce professional-level translations.

Course description: Intellectual property (IP) is the umbrella term covering areas such as copyright, trademark law, unfair competition and patent law. Students study an outline of the legislation and salient aspect of each area, to become familiar with the mechanics and terminology, and then see this applied by translating from Spanish aspects of real-life case studies involving intellectual property lawsuits. This approach provide an overview of generalist education in intellectual property law and policy as well as focus on a specific area, such as biotech patents, media and entertainment law, gene patents, Napster-like peer-to-peer file sharing, etc. Students carry out research using relevant multilingual databases and resources from international organizations. Becoming familiar with the content, terminology and style of documents involved in this field, as well as with the appropriate translation strategies and techniques prepares participants to produce professional-level translations in these specific subject areas, helping them gain an advantage over those competing for similar work but with only a general background.

This course reinforces the basic principles of translation and of logical progression. It gives students a chance to strengthen their passive language by reinforcing their vocabulary in different areas, adding a special emphasis on style, register, and the specific demands of certain text categories. They research corresponding idiomatic expressions in both languages and review and compare the grammatical structures of both the active and passive languages in order to avoid the pitfalls of literal translation. Discussions of the theory of translation emerge naturally in this context.

This course surveys various banking and finance-related documents. Students get an overview of the types of documents a financial translator encounters daily. Among the topics covered are annual reports, articles of incorporation, bylaws, financial statements, guarantees, insurance, mutual funds, shareholders meetings, and taxes. Students are expected to make extensive use of the Internet, other specialized terminology sources, and parallel documents.

This course builds on the knowledge acquired in Financial Translation I. It explores more complex financial topics such as derivatives, economic analysis, trust structures, securities markets, shareholder agreements, tenders, and term sheets. Since the terminology required to translate these documents is rarely found in bilingual sources, this course also covers the evaluation of terminology found in alternative sources.

Topics covered in this course include birth, marriage, and death certificates, concepts and structures of contracts, the organization of companies, with emphasis on types of partnership and corporations, court systems, the judiciary, and the legal profession, and the prosecuting of civil and criminal cases. On-line discussions present factual information about the civil-law and common-law approaches to the pertinent topics, as well as discussions of terminology and terminology resources. Materials for translation include contracts, articles of incorporation, minutes of meetings, summonses and complaints, petitions, motions, judgments, and orders.

This course will provide the critical skills needed to convey written transcripts and texts into clear, accurate, and coherent oral interpreting under time constraint. This course addresses applied reading skills, such as scanning, chunking, and text analysis of written sources as well as techniques in oral delivery—articulation, pacing, marking and framing, etc.—based on a silent reading process. Students will develop insights into the comparative stylistics of French and English, as well as differences in communicative dynamic between written texts and their oral renditions. Students will work with scripts on diverse topics and in a range of verbal exchange situations, including trials and depositions, trade conferences, and occasions of diplomatic or cultural exchange. Students will develop competence in interpreting from a written script in a clear, accurate, and coherent manner, with minimal advance preparation, and within the acceptable timeframe of normal business and legal proceedings.

This course gives students intensive practice in translating a wide variety of contracts. The theoretical considerations presented cover the underlying concepts of the contract (a promise supported by consideration, in the common-law system; an agreement between parties, according to the code-law view), the requirements for the existence of a contract, and a comparative study of the structure and terminology of common contract clauses. Contracts for translation include employment agreements, leases, loan agreements, assignments of rights of various kinds, property management contracts, and contracts for the sale of properties, goods, and services.

This course offers students the opportunity to translate specialized documents from the vast field of accounting. Emphasis is placed on the types of accounting documents most frequently encountered in each language pair. A better understanding of underlying concepts is sought through translation and analysis of texts such as: balance sheets, income statements, statements of cash flow, documents related to account payables and account receivables, and cost accounting documentation. Students learn how to research terminology previously unknown to them and find reliable sources of information.

This course prepares students to translate highly specialized documents such as those drawn from documentation used in international banking operations, mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, and stock market operations. Issues related to the translation of banking software packages are also discussed. Students learn where to find sources for specialized terminology and how to apply previously acquired knowledge to new types of texts.

This course delves more deeply into the field of financial translation, focusing on the securities market. Students learn techniques for reading and comprehension of market analyses and equity research reports. Examples of these documents as well as documents related to initial public offerings (IPOs), financial futures, currencies, stock indexes, and the commodities market are translated.

Debt is the engine of the world markets, and constitutes a language unto itself. In this course students explore the various forms of debt. Documents examined include a variety of negotiable instruments such as loans, bonds, debentures, bankers acceptances, repos and reverse repos, and other commercial papers. At the end of this course, students have the tools to translate any debt-related documents they may encounter.

This course familiarizes students with the different types of insurance through translation and analysis of various policies, certificates, and claim forms such as those used in health insurance, life insurance, liability insurance, transport and marine insurance, and other types of coverage. The emphasis is on insurance documents most often encountered in the translation industry, and in particular on those required in the field of import-export operations, travel and tourism, and multinational-companies management. Students learn to research specialized terminology and develop their writing skills in accordance with the style and usage specific to the field.

This course introduces students to the world of patent writing by translating various patent and trademark applications and claims, covering different areas including chemical, mechanical, electrical, industrial, pharmaceutical documents, etc. Students learn special terminology, semantic and grammatical constructions, and the formats particular to patents and trademarks. Concepts necessary for patent translation are also discussed, such as application and filing, intellectual property, copyright, and research techniques.

This course serves as an overview of the practice of professional translation and offers a hands-on approach to a wide-range of translation areas. Translation is a complex and multi-faceted field which has been greatly impacted by the advances in technology and sophisticated business practices. Thus, the successful translator of the future must have a breadth of understanding about the scope of work in the field as well as the business aspects of the profession. Students learn how to: use key translation resources; develop strategies; determine criteria for evaluation; work in revision mode; and evaluate the major theoretical and historical landmarks of the field. They practice translating academic documents, consumer-oriented texts, scientific and technical texts, material for the medical profession, legal firms, financial organizations, literary publications, and the Web.

This course reinforces the basic principles of translation and of logical progression. It gives students a chance to strengthen their passive language by reinforcing their vocabulary in different areas, adding a special emphasis on style, register, and the specific demands of certain text categories. They research corresponding idiomatic expressions in both languages and review and compare the grammatical structures of both the active and passive languages in order to avoid the pitfalls of literal translation. Discussions of the theory of translation emerge naturally in this context.

Topics covered in this course include birth, marriage, and death certificates, concepts and structures of contracts, the organization of companies, with emphasis on types of partnership and corporations, court systems, the judiciary, and the legal profession, and the prosecuting of civil and criminal cases. On-line discussions present factual information about the civil-law and common-law approaches to the pertinent topics, as well as discussions of terminology and terminology resources. Materials for translation include contracts, articles of incorporation, minutes of meetings, summonses and complaints, petitions, motions, judgments, and orders.

Building on the materials covered in Legal Translation I, this course covers advanced topics to include appeals, marriage and divorce, decedent estates, patents and trademarks, and real property transfers. Classroom discussions present basic information about civil-law and common-law practices pertaining to appellate courts and types of appeals, marital property systems, marital-property and separation agreements, the prosecuting of divorce cases, inheritance laws, preparation of wills, administration of estates, patent and trademark applications, and property instruments. Materials for translation include appellate briefs and decisions, pre-nuptial agreements, separation agreements, petitions for divorce, judgments of divorce, wills, certificates of inheritance, and deeds.

In Commercial Translation I we proceed from the standpoint of "commercial" in the broadest sense, concerning all affairs of buying & selling and the exchange of goods and services in the marketplace. With focus on the consumer market this course surveys fundamental industry sectors – of retail manufacturing, advertising, banking, personal finance, real estate, tourism, and entertainment, etc., and oversight bodies such as consumer protection bureaus, business administrations, internal revenue services, and housing and transportation authorities. This course provides an overview of subject matter pertinent to commercial translation from Chinese into English and serves as hands on practical training for the translator. This course requires that students research and discover pertinent documents to learn about key industries and the operation of the market place, thereby developing a personal resource "cabinet" (of terminology, key concepts, topical issues & glossaries) of the commercial translator.

In this course, students will hone their skills in translating complex documents, while moving beyond a service role to become proactive in tracking industry trends, educating employers, entering emerging translation markets, and identifying non-traditional opportunities for their Chinese/English translation skills. Students in this course will focus on the translation of high-stakes communications and will gain an understanding of larger-scale economic engagement. Students will practice translating a range of documents concerning entire industries and the rise and fall of markets, including reports, ordinances, proposals, and analyses. They will also translate journalistic content concerning globalization, corporate social responsibility, soft-power economics, and economic trends. Additionally, students will investigate the industries behind the documents encountered; analyze what gets translated and why, who gets hired and how; and explore new directions for the translation professional.

This course provides an overview of the translation industry landscape from both a local and global perspective. Students will gain an understanding of how translators and interpreters adapt to rapid changes in a dynamic profession, engaging in a wide array of business interactions with colleagues, clients, and companies in a competitive marketplace. Students will acquire practical skills in how to start and run a business, conduct due diligence, assess contracts and NDAs, cultivate a professional community of practice, and approach prospective employers and clients. The course will explore how digital technologies are changing the nature of translation work and how economic trends are altering translators’ access to resources, information, options, and bargaining power. Students will become familiar with analytical approaches that will enable them to negotiate strategically with diverse stakeholders in the language services industry. As a final project students will develop personal strategic plans for their translation practice.

This course will provide the critical skills needed to convey written transcripts and texts into clear, accurate, and coherent oral interpreting under time constraint. This course addresses applied reading skills, such as scanning, chunking, and text analysis of written sources as well as techniques in oral delivery—articulation, pacing, marking and framing, etc.—based on a silent reading process. Students will develop insights into the comparative stylistics of Chinese and English, as well as differences in communicative dynamic between written texts and their oral renditions. Students will work with scripts on diverse topics and in a range of verbal exchange situations, including trials and depositions, trade conferences, and occasions of diplomatic or cultural exchange. Students will develop competence in interpreting from a written script in a clear, accurate, and coherent manner, with minimal advance preparation, and within the acceptable timeframe of normal business and legal proceedings.

This course will address a variety of approaches to the translation of science and technology in the broadest sense, from academic papers to everyday product manuals and safety guidebooks produced for the lay reader. Students will gain experience translating technical documents in specialized areas. They will engage in the translation of scientific texts from fields such as pharmacology, biotechnology, environmental science, computer science, construction, machinery, and transportation. While completing practice translations of a variety of texts, the student will also develop research skills and build terminology sets in the subject areas covered throughout the course.

Topics covered in this course include birth, marriage, and death certificates, concepts and structures of contracts, the organization of companies, with emphasis on types of partnership and corporations, court systems, the judiciary, and the legal profession, and the prosecuting of civil and criminal cases. Online discussions present factual information about the civil-law and common-law approaches to the pertinent topics, as well as discussions of terminology and terminology resources. Materials for translation include contracts, articles of incorporation, minutes of meetings, summonses and complaints, petitions, motions, judgments, and orders.

This workshop course builds on the translation experience acquired in Legal Translation I. It goes deeper into areas of civil and commercial law and covers topics of marriage and divorce, decedent estates, and real property, as well class action and anti-trust litigation. Students continue to master pertinent civil-law and case-law concepts, terminology, and legal writing styles. Weekly assignments for translation include pre-nuptial agreements, separation agreements, and judgments of divorce; last wills, certificates of inheritance, powers of attorney for sale of real property and contracts of sale of real property. Students are expected to do on-line research as necessary, and are required to participate in the weekly asynchronous Forum exchanges and to attend the weekly on-line synchronous sessions, held on dates and at times to be arranged. An important aspect of the course is learning to meet clients’ needs and translating for the various Spanish language markets including the one in the USA.

This course surveys various banking and finance-related documents. Students get an overview of the types of documents a financial translator encounters daily. Among the topics covered are annual reports, articles of incorporation, bylaws, financial statements, guarantees, insurance, mutual funds, shareholders meetings, and taxes. Students are expected to make extensive use of the internet, other specialized terminology sources, and parallel documents.

This course builds upon the knowledge and skills acquired in the prerequisite course Financial Translation I: English to Spanish, furthering the discussion and analysis of documents and concepts encountered in the field of financial translation. The topics covered include shareholders’ agreements, loan agreements, promissory notes, trusts, derivatives, reinsurance, mergers, economic reports and annuities. Students are expected to make extensive use of the Internet, specialized terminology sources and parallel documents (both previous translations and original target-language documents). In this course, students will further deepen their knowledge of the areas that comprise the specialty of financial translation. Students will develop skills necessary for researching and solving a number of financial terminology problems. Special emphasis will be placed on translating in proper style register and producing accurate work. This course presents and discusses more challenging documents in the field of financial translation. Students learn how to analyze and translate letters of credit, shareholders agreements, corporate bylaws, reinsurance documents, promissory notes, and others. Students are expected to make extensive use of the Internet, specialized terminology sources and parallel documents (both previous translations and original target-language documents). An important aspect of the course is learning to work with clients and translating for the various Spanish language markets including the one in the USA.

Contracts are the product of a bargaining process, and they employ language designed to ensure that all parties understand their responsibilities. In this course, students become familiar with contract language and the resources necessary to translate contracts effectively from English to Spanish. Students explore the specifics of the common law and civil law systems in the area of contracts and the strategies that need to be employed in the process of translation. The course places special emphasis on developing the comprehension and research skills students need to be successful translators. Attention is also paid to the laws of the various Spanish-speaking countries. An important aspect of the course is learning to meet clients’ needs and translating for the various Spanish language markets including the one in the USA.

From refugee camps to legal clinics to community meetings, language work is a necessary, if occasionally overlooked, aspect of the human rights landscape. In this course, we will address the roles that translators and interpreters play in the nonprofit sector, as well as the specific challenges and rewards of working with languages in that realm--everything from navigating power relationships in difficult situations, building a trauma-informed language work practice, quickly training other interpreters in emergent situations, and advocating for oneself and others. Receive a basic introduction to language justice principles and an understanding of how these inform the ethical norms followed when working with clients who are advocating for basic rights and fighting against systems of oppression. The course will include theoretical foundations, case studies, best practices, and an exploration of careers available to translators and interpreters in the field and on the ground.

Medical translation is in high demand and requires specialized knowledge of the medical field and its terminology, in addition to general interlanguage competencies. This course introduces the basic concepts and terminology needed for successful medical translation using representative parallel texts and source texts for translation practice. The course will be structured around three text types for translation from English to Spanish: 1) patient-provider documents and other written communication materials used by public health-related institutions and organizations; 2) market-facing materials used in the pharmaceutical industry; and 3) specialized texts used in the medical publishing sector. Throughout the course, students will receive a terminology grounding in human anatomy, ailments and diseases, and diagnostic and treatment procedures. Particular attention will be given to key challenges that translators face in medical translation, including the translator’s own knowledge gap, and the cultural distance that may prevail between medical providers and the target language audience. The course will feature self and peer assessment; there will be one group assignment and an individual final project based on the translation of source materials used in the medical context.

This course teaches effective mediation of intercultural/interlanguage oral communication between English and Chinese. Through immersive process-oriented training, students will acquire strategies for navigating delivery and pitfalls involved in consecutive and simultaneous interpreting. A conceptual framework for quality assessment from the user perspective will be provided as a guide to critical analysis and reflective thinking. Students will develop competence in managing interpreting assignments in a variety of specialized topics and work settings in the public and nonprofit sectors (in social and medical services, the judiciary system, etc.) as well as private corporations of various industry sectors. The course will cover professional ethics, the use of relevant technologies, and essential professional interpreting tools including note-taking, non-verbal cuing, and sight translation. Students will role-play interlanguage scenarios in practice interpreting; record and evaluate each other's performance; build terminology databases; and document the process of acquiring interpreting skills.

This course will address the translator’s craft in the multi-faceted context of media production and the exciting jobs associated with this industry. Students will explore social media platforms and news publication in the digital environment from a translator’s perspective, working with authentic multimedia content to tackle the translation challenges associated with these domains. Students will learn how to work with "electronic-textuality," or translate texts with multiple signifying components such as sound, animation, and kinesthetic involvement, as is the case with video games and virtual reality products.

This course introduces translators to the dynamic role of transcreation in marketing and branding for global companies and local audiences, preparing students to specialize in a demanding and profitable sector of the translation industry. The course will address the spectrum from marketing translation to transcreation to multilingual copywriting along with the process of recreating highly visible consumer content for a new cultural context. Students will gain experience in working from briefs, collaborating with teams of content creators, producing culturally adept translations, and providing variants for client selection. Projects include the transcreation of slogans and advertisements for print, web, audio, and video, based on examples drawn from mass marketing to luxury brands, with students encouraged to choose assignment material from campaigns and companies that appeal to their interests and relate to their career plans.

This course reflects the reality that many translators today work in teams and will have opportunities to take on project management and leadership roles. Translation proper is one piece of a much larger picture when it comes to bringing products and services to audiences in different languages for global organizations and corporations. The processes of globalization, internationalization, localization, and translation (GILT) require project managers conversant with translation and localization tools and workflows. The course will focus on the administrative, planning, and translation-specific dimensions of these positions, which are crucial to adapting websites, software, video games, and other products into forms that meet local expectations for content and interface. Students will work in teams and individually to prepare sample products for target markets, documenting quality assurance measures and making evaluations for improved efficiency.

This course will prepare students to correct and revise the output of machine translation to meet the standards of traditional human translation, a skill increasingly sought by translation service providers. Machine translation can be used to process large quantities of text much faster than human translators, but the output requires post-editing to ensure it meets the accuracy and intelligibility parameters appropriate to the end-user purpose. Students will practice pre-editing, post-editing, and editing more broadly at levels applicable to many writing and translation fields. The class will also examine position papers and debates about machine translation and artificial intelligence. Students will be equipped to contribute to a changing industry by making informed evaluations and recommendations about when to utilize human translation versus machine translation and what level of post-editing to implement.

The course will provide an overview of translation and interpreting at intergovernmental organizations including the United Nations, international financial institutions, and regional trade organizations. Topics will include introductions to the various departments and services throughout the UN and other intergovernmental organizations, the particular roles of translators, interpreters, precis-writers, verbatim reporters, and project editors, and the editorial standards and translation technologies specific to this sector. Students will work individually and in teams using real-world documents. The course will also introduce translation and interpreting for nongovernmental organizations.

This course builds on the foundation laid in Theory and Practice of Terminology. The overall goal of the course is for students to set up a termbase that suits them either as freelance translators or as future project managers in an organization, such as a language service provider (LSP). The termbase will meet ISO standards discussed during TRAN1-GC1010001 and expanded on in this course. Students will use their termbase to set up a concept system in two of their languages. They will also explore project management and cost-benefit aspects of terminology projects.

This course teaches effective mediation of intercultural/interlanguage oral communication between English and French. Through immersive process-oriented training, students will acquire strategies for navigating delivery and pitfalls involved in consecutive and simultaneous interpreting. A conceptual framework for quality assessment from the user perspective will be provided as a guide to critical analysis and reflective thinking. Students will develop competence in managing interpreting assignments in a variety of specialized topics and work settings in the public and nonprofit sectors (in social and medical services, the judiciary system, etc.) as well as private corporations of various industry sectors. The course will cover professional ethics, the use of relevant technologies, and essential professional interpreting tools including note-taking, non-verbal cuing, and sight translation. Students will role-play interlanguage scenarios in practice interpreting; record and evaluate each other's performance; build terminology databases; and document the process of acquiring interpreting skills.

This course addresses specialized topics relevant to the MS in Translation & Interpreting degree. The program will announce the topic at the start of the registration period when the course is offered. There will be weekly assignments and a final project in the form of a translation with an accompanying analytical paper or a research paper.

This course provides for students to gain insights and hone professional skills in real work environments and through an academically structured internship in translation and interpreting. Under the stewardship of a faculty instructor the student will attend biweekly class sessions while completing a set work schedule with a designated employer—a language service provider or client organization whose business involves translation and other related language and cultural services. In-class discussion, research, and assignments will examine various work models in translation/interpreting, parallel sectors in the job market, and pertinent organizational behavior and labor relations issues; referring to each student’s ongoing internship experience, the course explores industry-specific topics including translation technologies, workplace communication, subject fields specialization and workflow management, QC and evaluation processes, collaborative work, and time management and work-life balance issues. Students should have first received an offer of internship from a prospective employer before enrolling in the Internship course.

The thesis project can be a translation, a research paper, or combination of a translation and a research paper. Students are paired with a thesis adviser with whom they consult to develop a project proposal. While working on their projects students receive feedback from their advisers. The final project is evaluated by an independent reviewer. In a thesis defense students explain their translation process and justify decisions made in the translation or arguments made in the research paper with reference to theoretical approaches and professional contexts.

This course provides students with the opportunity to synthesize their professional preparation in translation / interpreting with personal interest in an advanced or specialized topic. The student will work one-on-one with a designated instructor in the language pair or field most relevant to the project. With approval the Independent Study may be taken in conjunction with an internship in translation / interpreting. Unless otherwise specified, the final product of the independent study will be a 7,500-word research paper, field study report, or translation with an introductory essay. Students should contact the program director in advance to propose an independent study project.