Program Overview

---

MA Conference Interpreting and Translation (Chinese-English) should interest you if you want to build your language proficiency in Chinese and English and further develop the translation and interpreting techniques that are required by employers. This 1-year programme offers you the opportunity to develop the high-level conference interpreting and translation skills which you will need as a professional in the Language Services Industry. The focus of the programme is to provide students with a comprehensive conference interpreting training during which they will be able to develop specialised consecutive and simultaneous interpreting skills as well as bilateral interpreting, technologies of translation, transcreation skills etc. Building on our internationally recognised expertise in the teaching of practical foreign language skills, our course offers written translation, oral interpreting and film and video subtitling in a single programme. By the end of your studies, you will have developed the practical language and key skills necessary for employment in professional translation, interpreting and subtitling. Our course will build on the knowledge and skills you acquired in your previous studies, and is unique in the emphasis it places on hands-on training. With the help of native speakers, you learn how to use your language skills to translate, interpret and subtitle effectively, using the latest industry-standard software, in a culturally sensitive way. You cover topics and skills including:

• Simultaneous interpreting
• Advanced simultaneous interpreting
• Advanced consecutive interpreting
• Specialised translation
• Subtitling

Essex has built a good reputation in the market of offering top UK programmes in conference interpreting. Our excellent relationships with professional organisations such as the Institute for Translation and Interpreting (ITI) and internship opportunity in international organizations like DG Interpretation of the European Commission and United Nations, ensure that you have plenty of opportunities to learn and develop as a conference interpreter and translator while at Essex. We also offer internship and placement opportunity to work as intern interpreter and translator in the UK market. We are 1st in UK for research impact in modern languages and linguistics (Grade Point Average, Research Excellence Framework 2021). We are also ranked 11th in the UK for Linguistics in the QS World University Rankings by Subject (2023). If you want a global outlook, are interested in human communication, and want to study for a degree with real-world practical value in a world-class department, welcome to Essex. Why we're great.

• We are 1st in UK for research impact in modern languages and linguistics (Grade Point Average, Research Excellence Framework 2021).
• Work in our state-of-the-art interpreter training lab and UN-style conference interpreting booths
• Weekly multilingual interpreting conferences, field trips and workshops led by internationally renowned experts from the industry

Our expert staff

Our staff are internationally renowned. Their books dominate the reading lists at other universities. All our language teachers are native or bilingual speakers, we maintain excellent student-staff ratios, and we integrate language learning with linguistics wherever there is synergy. Our lecturers on the MA (Dan Chen, Yujia Wang and Yanxi Wu) are professional interpreters and translators experienced in training students in the necessary skills for professional practice.

---

Specialist facilities

• Our new interpreting suite provides 10 booths to interpret conferences with up to 20 interpreters
• Use our lecture theatre equipped with five interpreting booths, and the capacity to interpret lectures of up to 350 people – we are the only university in the UK with such facilities
• We regularly use two multimedia language teaching labs equipped with top-of-the-range computers integrating audio-visual projectors and large screens
• Use specialist software such as SDL Trados Studio 2019 and MemoQ for technical translation, Avidanet Live and Black Box for Interpreting and WinCaps Qu4ntum for Subtitling
• Use our professional recording studios to video record a small audience or for presentations
• Attend our exciting programme of research seminars and other events
• Our Languages for All programme offers you the opportunity to study an additional language alongside your course at no extra cost

---

Your future

Our course directly leads to a career in translation, interpreting and subtitling, in the media, business and tourism between the English-speaking world and China. Students are exposed to realistic training from experienced translation and interpreting trainers which prepares them for work after graduation. We work with the University’s Careers Services to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities. Within our Department of Language and Linguistics, we also offer supervision for PhD and MPhil. We offer supervision in areas including language acquisition, language learning and language teaching, culture and communication, psycholinguistics, language disorders, sociolinguistics, and theoretical and descriptive linguistics.

---

One Masters not enough for you?

We offer a number of postgraduate taught dual awards with our international partners. You work for two Masters degrees, one at Essex and another at a prestigious university across the globe, gaining them both in a shorter time than studying them separately. This unique opportunity gives you a competitive edge when applying for jobs or prepares you for PhD study. “I’ve had the opportunity to use state-of-the-art equipment in the interpreting lab and be involved in some wonderful lectures, both of which have given me an unparalleled study experience. Studying here has reassured me of my aspirations and also helped me realise my potential.” Yanzhu Chen, MA Chinese-English Translation and Interpreting student