career in translation

[Valentino, Russell]

Your student can find a list of grad programs here: http://www.word2word.com/degreead.html.

There are also a few schools not on that list that offer more professionally oriented degrees like the MA in translation studies at Chicago's Graham School (https://grahamschool.uchicago.edu/php/translationstudies/).

There is still a pretty clear division between schools that offer degrees in literary translation (like the University of Iowa's Translation Workshop, which is a spin-off of the Writers Workshop, so it is an MFA in literary translation) and those like the Graham school that don't have any literary translation in them at all.

The American Literary Translators Association (http://www.utdallas.edu/alta/) tends to list resources associated with the literary side, the American Translators Association (http://www.atanet.org/) tends to list resources associated with the technical side -- these are tendencies, there is overlap. But the distinction between translators and interpreters is pretty clearly drawn between the two organizations.

The professional translators on the list will speak for themselves, but my impression is that the paths into professional work are quite varied and that they often do not include professional degrees specifically designed to produce translators. I'd like to hear some anecdotal evidence to confirm this impression or not.

Russell Valentino

-----Original Message-----
From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list [mailto:SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of David L. Cooper
Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 9:37 AM
To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] career in translation

The University of Illinois offers a certificate in translation studies 
through its Center for Translation Studies. The program arranges 
internships with businesses, non-profits, or publishers, including the 
Dalkey Archive Press. Your student could earn the certificate in 
conjunction with an MA in Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Cultures; 
or an MA in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies. Your student 
would have the advantage of all the resources of a vibrant Slavic 
department, a strong Title VI National Resource Center, and one of the 
top Slavic libraries in the country. An MA program in Translation 
Studies is in development.

Center for Translation Studies:
http://services.lang.uiuc.edu/Translation/CenterForTranslationStudies.htm

Dalkey Archive Press:
http://www.dalkeyarchive.com/

Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
http://www.slavic.uiuc.edu/

Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center
http://www.reec.illinois.edu/

David Cooper

evprok at WM.EDU wrote:
> Dear colleagues,
>
> I need advice on how a student can transition from a Russian major to a career in translation. A (undergraduate) student of mine who is a Russian major wants to become a professional translator (probably legal/business translation rather than fiction).  He had four years of Russian plus a semester in Moscow. 
>
> 1) Would it be best for him to apply for a Master's program in translation?  
> 2) Are there undergraduate programs that offer a "translation major"?
> 3) Or is it better to go to Russia and try to get a job translating for a business or a publisher?
>
> My questions sound naive but I have never advised students on a career in translation.  Most our graduates go to work for the government :))
>
> I would appreciate any advice and info.  Please answer offlist: evprok at wm.edu  
>
>
> Elena Prokhorova, Ph.D.
> Assistant Professor of Russian
> Modern Languages Department
> Russian Section Coordinator
> Film Studies Program
> College of William and Mary
> (757) 221-7755
>
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-- 
David L. Cooper
Assistant Professor
Slavic Languages and Literatures
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Ph: 217-244-4666

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