Spanish Translation

Certificate
12 Credit Hours

This program is offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences/Global Languages, Cultures and Societies Department and is only available at the St. Louis main campus.

For information on the general requirements for a certificate, see Certificate under the Academic Policies and Information section of this catalog.

Note: Students must successfully complete coursework for this certificate with a grade of B- or better.

This certificate introduces students to the basic tools, methods, resources and understanding they will need to begin professional work translating Spanish texts into English.

In our global society intercultural communication assumes an increasingly central role. Translation has become a thriving professional field in the United States and promises diverse applications of students' linguistic, technological and intercultural skills. The certificate at Webster proposes high-impact pedagogic practices. Rather than focusing solely on theory in the classroom, the majority of the courses target specific fields of practical translation and provide students with hands-on experience in these areas: legal, medical and scientific, commercial and financial, technical and literary. The resulting translations of real-world documents will become part of each student's professional portfolio.

The certificate courses are offered in the 8-week format. Students may choose to complete the four-course sequence or they may take individual courses to satisfy specific needs.

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

• Achieve at least an advanced-mid level of proficiency in Spanish, according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Proficiency Guidelines. Methods for determining the proficiency level may include an oral interview, a written test and a writing sample. Contact the department chair for further details.
• Describe the history and theories of translation and be able to articulate their position in regards to the latter.
• Write in a professional manner in both English and Spanish.
• Identify grammatical, lexical and cultural differences between Spanish and English that impact the quality of translation.
• Identify and demonstrate the basic skills required of professional translators in the current market, including an understanding of popular software translation programs.
• Be proficient in using specific vocabulary, troubleshooting and understanding common documents in at least two different technical areas of translation.
• Understand the different types of accreditation available for translators in the United States and will be familiar with the testing procedures and requirements.

Admission

Students whose native language is not English must have a minimum TOEFL score of 600. The certificate also requires an entrance level of intermediate-high proficiency in Spanish (according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Proficiency Guidelines). Methods for determining the proficiency level may include an oral interview, a written test and a writing sample. Contact the department chair for further details to initiate the admission procedure.

Course Requirements

Core Courses

• TRSP 4090 Introduction to Translation Studies (3 hours)
• TRSL 4000 Professional Translation Practices (3 hour)

2 courses from the following list:

• TRSP 4100 Legal Translation (3 hours)
• TRSP 4150 Medical and Scientific Translation (3 hours)
• TRSP 4170 Financial and Commercial Translation (3 hours)
• TRSP 4180 Technical Translation (3 hours)
• TRSP 4250 Literary Translation (3 hours)

Students must successfully complete coursework with a grade of B- or better.