MA Conference Interpreting and Translation (Chinese-English)

Program Overview

The MA Conference Interpreting and Translation (Chinese-English) program at the University of Essex is a one-year, intensive program designed to equip students with the skills needed for a career in the Language Services Industry. The program offers specialized training in consecutive and simultaneous interpreting, translation technologies, and subtitling, and students have access to state-of-the-art facilities and expert faculty. The program's focus on practical application and industry connections prepares graduates for success in the field.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

MA Conference Interpreting and Translation (Chinese-English) is a one-year, full-time program designed to equip students with the high-level conference interpreting and translation skills required for a career in the Language Services Industry. The program focuses on providing comprehensive conference interpreting training, enabling students to develop specialized consecutive and simultaneous interpreting skills, as well as bilateral interpreting, translation technologies, and transcreation skills. The program builds upon the University of Essex's internationally recognized expertise in teaching practical foreign language skills, offering written translation, oral interpreting, and film and video subtitling within a single program. By the end of the program, students will have developed the practical language and key skills necessary for employment in professional translation, interpreting, and subtitling.

Outline:

Year 1

• Component 01: COMPULSORY (15 CREDITS)
• Advanced Consecutive Interpreting:
This module focuses on polishing interpreting abilities between Chinese and English, preparing students for professional work or exams. Students engage in practical activities and tasks to produce accurate and concise interpretations. They participate in a mock conference to improve their interpretation skills and receive feedback on their presentation abilities. A field trip to the Centre of Cell is offered to enhance interpreting knowledge of medical subjects, with a cost of £10 and additional travel expenses.
• Component 03: COMPULSORY WITH OPTIONS (15 CREDITS)
• Component 04: COMPULSORY (15 CREDITS)
Students learn to track speech for accurate and concise interpretations, develop note-taking skills, and gain confidence in monitoring the accuracy of other interpreters.
• Component 05: COMPULSORY (15 CREDITS)
• Principles of Translation and Interpreting:
This module examines the responsibilities, contexts, and tools involved in professional translation and interpreting. Students explore issues faced by professionals, alongside theoretical concepts and considerations.
• Component 06: COMPULSORY WITH OPTIONS (45 CREDITS)
• Component 07: CORE (60 CREDITS)
• Dissertation:
This module allows students to consolidate their practical language skills by conducting a project investigating translation, interpreting, or subtitling. Students work with a supervisor to define research questions, search existing studies, reflect on processes, and write an extended report on their findings.

Teaching:

• Postgraduate students of English Language and Linguistics typically attend two-hour teaching events for each module every week.
Seminars usually have about 20 students.
• Postgraduate students of translation modules typically involve two hours of classes per week.
• Interpreting modules typically involve four hours of classes per week.
• Classes usually contain up to 20 students within each group.
• Teaching methods include lectures, demonstrations, and learning by teaching others.
• A weekly departmental seminar is held, attended by both staff and students.
• Small class sizes provide high levels of student and teacher contact.
• The faculty includes internationally renowned experts in the field, with their books dominating reading lists at other universities.
• All language teachers are native or bilingual speakers, maintaining excellent student-staff ratios.
• Language learning is integrated with linguistics wherever there is synergy.
• 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.

Assessment:

• Eight one-term modules are assessed by coursework.
• Students are also assessed on their dissertation.
• The dissertation is a 16,000-word project allowing students to focus in-depth on their chosen topic from April onwards.
• Close supervision is provided by a member of staff within the Department.

Careers:

• The program directly leads to a career in translation, interpreting, and subtitling in the media, business, and tourism between the English-speaking world and China.
• Students receive realistic training from experienced translation and interpreting trainers, preparing them for work after graduation.
• The University's Careers Services assists students in finding work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.
The additional cost for this trip is £250, depending on the mode of travel.
• The University of Essex is ranked 1st in the UK for research impact in modern languages and linguistics (Grade Point Average, Research Excellence Framework 2021).
• The University is ranked top 25 in the UK for linguistics in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024.
• The program provides access to state-of-the-art interpreter training labs and UN-style conference interpreting booths.
• Weekly multilingual interpreting conferences, field trips, and workshops are led by internationally renowned experts from the industry.
• Students have access to professional recording studios for video recording and presentations.
• The University of Essex is located within 200 acres of award-winning parkland (Wivenhoe Park) and is two miles from the historic city center of Colchester.
• The Colchester Campus is easily reached from London and Stansted Airport in under one hour.
• The University offers a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests, or responsibilities.

Home/UK fee

£10,000

International fee

£21,700