DipTrans: Choosing Language Thread poster: roverbond
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roverbond 
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:08
German to English
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I am thinking about doing the DipTrans and although I am able to work from German to English, i would prefer to do the qualification from Spanish to English as it would be easier to pass. Would this mean I could only do translation work from Spanish in the future?
Has anyone been on any of the training courses run by IoL??, there is a course in September on starting out as a translator and although it looks good the cost is 175£ and therfore i need to have some idea of how useful ... See more I am thinking about doing the DipTrans and although I am able to work from German to English, i would prefer to do the qualification from Spanish to English as it would be easier to pass. Would this mean I could only do translation work from Spanish in the future?
Has anyone been on any of the training courses run by IoL??, there is a course in September on starting out as a translator and although it looks good the cost is 175£ and therfore i need to have some idea of how useful it will be.
Any advice will be welcome! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 16:08
Member (2007)
English
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| DipTrans is definitely a plus | Aug 3, 2012 |
roverbond wrote:
I am thinking about doing the DipTrans and although I am able to work from German to English, i would prefer to do the qualification from Spanish to English as it would be easier to pass. Would this mean I could only do translation work from Spanish in the future?
It's proof that you are a competent translator. If you are doing the "normal" thing of translating only into your native language (as you are doing), then I would have thought that this competency would automatically be assumed to be likely in the other pair. The only thing that would be questionable is your level of competence in the other source language(s). If you have other ways of proving that, I see no problem whichever language pair you do the exam in.
Whatever happens, it's competency that really determines which languages you translate from and to (and in which subject areas), not a piece of paper, IMO.
Sheila
| | | | roverbond
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:08
German to English
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TOPIC STARTER
Thanks Sheila. So I can presume that doing the qualification is important as I have no experience of translating only a degree??
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 16:08
Member (2007)
English
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| Always important | Aug 3, 2012 |
I believe it's seen by everybody as a highly relevant qualification (though I've heard you aren't always allowed access to a computer - that seems pretty weird, but still...). And not just for newbies, either. I would certainly go in for it if I were a bit younger, but it seems a bit late at my age, particularly as I'm not exactly short of work.
Actually, if you really do mean zero experience, I'm not sure it would be wise to do it just yet - but you'll need to take advice from othe... See more I believe it's seen by everybody as a highly relevant qualification (though I've heard you aren't always allowed access to a computer - that seems pretty weird, but still...). And not just for newbies, either. I would certainly go in for it if I were a bit younger, but it seems a bit late at my age, particularly as I'm not exactly short of work.
Actually, if you really do mean zero experience, I'm not sure it would be wise to do it just yet - but you'll need to take advice from others on that. I believe it's aimed at practising translators who've already got some experience, and even then it isn't at all easy to pass. I know some perfectly competent translators here (at least, that's the impression they give ) who have had to take it more than once, and that's after quite a lot of experience.
Sheila ▲ Collapse
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| What is your mother tongue? | Aug 3, 2012 |
roverbond wrote:
I am thinking about doing the DipTrans and although I am able to work from German to English, i would prefer to do the qualification from Spanish to English as it would be easier to pass. Would this mean I could only do translation work from Spanish in the future?
Let me go one step back in the conversation. What is your mother tongue?
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 16:08
Member (2007)
English
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Glad you're here, Tomás - you're just the expert I had in mind!
Sheila
| | | | roverbond
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:08
German to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
my mother tongue is English.
I agree with you Sheila about how difficult it would be for me to pass this exam, the general section is challenging but ok but the other two sections from what i have seen will need loads of practice.
I had thought about going on the one day workshop 'How to get started' run by the Institute of linguists and i am very keen to know if anyone has been on this course before.
I am just a bit concerned about how i will get started.. I have been a teache... See more my mother tongue is English.
I agree with you Sheila about how difficult it would be for me to pass this exam, the general section is challenging but ok but the other two sections from what i have seen will need loads of practice.
I had thought about going on the one day workshop 'How to get started' run by the Institute of linguists and i am very keen to know if anyone has been on this course before.
I am just a bit concerned about how i will get started.. I have been a teacher of mfl at secondary level for many years and at 47 would like a career change,any ideas would be very welcome! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Many things to consider before the exam | Aug 4, 2012 |
roverbond wrote:
I am just a bit concerned about how i will get started.. I have been a teacher of mfl at secondary level for many years and at 47 would like a career change,any ideas would be very welcome!
Hm... This is a question many people have made lately. My answer is always the same: get training in translation! While getting work without proper translation training and skills is possible (not necessarily easy though)... passing the DipTrans without actual knowledge and experience in translation will prove to be impossible unless you have an undiscovered natural talent. I strongly encourage you to invest time and money in doing proper courses in translation, ideally some university programme.
Although it is of course your prerogative to give the DipTrans a try without experience and training in translation... chances are that it proves to be a futile exercise (i.e. a waste of money), given that I have met a number of excellent, experienced, successful translators who had to try the DipTrans up to four times until they passed all the papers.
Do your best to prepare properly for the exam. It will mean a definite plus in your CV as a translator, but its value does not come for free in terms of effort and investment.
Good luck!
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| In translation? | Aug 4, 2012 |
roverbond wrote:
Thanks Sheila. So I can presume that doing the qualification is important as I have no experience of translating only a degree??
Sorry, I have to take one step back again: do you mean that you have a degree in translation?
| | | | roverbond
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:08
German to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Qualification | Aug 6, 2012 |
Thanks Tomas the advice is so helpful. I shall look into courses though I am not sure how you decide what specialisation to do , does every translator have an area ie legal or technical and do they usually have just one ?
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