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Translation and Interpreting Studies

The Department of Translation and Interpreting offers postgraduate degrees. These allow students to gain the expertise needed to work as language professionals. For undergraduates, a single course is offered to allow them to investigate the field.

Translation

Exposure to a wide variety of texts in fields ranging from law and finance to literature and the media ensures that graduates are well-prepared to respond to the dynamic translation market.

Interpreting

Interpreting students are exposed to a variety of interpreting contexts and are trained by international, experienced conference interpreters in order to equip them for the demands of the profession.

Alongside the practical training offered students also become acquainted with the academic disciplines of translation and interpreting which cover a wide range of fields, including literature, film and adaptation studies, media, subtitling and dubbing, website localisation and multimedia.

Globalisation has meant that the market for translation and interpreting services is among the fastest-growing in the world.

Graduates from the Department often go on to run their own agencies covering the tourist industry, local government and commerce while others work as freelancers.

Interpreters also have the opportunity to work at international conferences, in local and national government structures, and at the community level.

The nature of the programmes makes it possible for students to enter a number of related fields including:

Publishing
Editing
Journalism
Public relations
Marketing
Publicity
Advertising

Research Interests

The translation of South African and African literature into world languages and their reception abroad
Interpreter and translator training
Liaison and conference interpreting
Corpus translation and interpreting studies
Computer-assisted translation tools
Localisation and the role of translation in developing the status of South African Indigenous languages
The broader field of children's and youth literature and the translation of that literature

Undergraduate Courses

Translation Methods and Practice (one module at third-year level)

This is a semester-long module aimed at undergraduates who have an interest in investigating the field of translation and interpreting. The course is designed to introduce students to the profession and give them an opportunity to try their hand at translation and interpreting.

Topics Covered:

The role of translation and interpreting in commerce and politics
Professional practice
Professional ethics
Theory of translation
Translation and technology
Multimedia translation
The translation of literature
The translation of song lyrics
The translation of comic books

Postgraduate Programmes

BA Hons - Translation or Interpreting

MA - Translation or Interpreting

PG Dip - Translation and Interpreting

Translation and Interpreting Studies

Undergraduate Courses

Postgraduate Programmes

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