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04-25-2008, 09:54 PM
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#1 | | New Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Threads: 1
Posts: 1
| Majors for becoming a translator/interpreter?
I'm a junior in high school and I take both Spanish and French. I want to become a translator/interpreter of at least Spanish, or maybe be a sociolinguist. My ultimate dream job is to do this kind of work at the UN. What major should I choose? International Relations, Spanish, Linguistics...? Also, what colleges would be best? | 
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04-26-2008, 01:30 PM
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#2 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Threads: 1
Posts: 144
| IR and Spanish double major. Linguistics, sociology, poli sci, and maybe a few other areas might also be of interest. Don't worry too much about it right now. Once you're in college, have taken some classes in different areas and talked to an advisor or two, it will become clear. Also, internet research (aka googling and finding articles etc., not message boards) can be really helpful. | |
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05-07-2008, 11:42 AM
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#3 | | Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Threads: 47
Posts: 704
| The Institute for Applied Linguistics at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, near Cleveland, has a BS in Translation for French, German, Russian, or Spanish. You might look at the courses that students with this major will take. Professional Foreign Language Translation - Home | 
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Today, 01:46 PM
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#4 | | New Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Threads: 2
Posts: 6
| i think i remember someone telling me that to work for the UN you need to be proficient in a minimum of 5 languages, not sure if that includes your native language. just thought u might wanna know.
take it with a grain of salt tho eh? | |
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Today, 03:40 PM
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#5 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: LI, NY -> Brown Gender: Male
Threads: 74
Posts: 1,056
| I was told that interpretors and translators would have the best luck with an IR major.
I have the same goal, and I think I'm going to do IR and Hispanic or French Language and Linguistics (emphasis on the linguistics). And I plan on spending all the time I could spare academically on other languages!
And I have another general question. I'm considering working for the EU, but it says that one must be a native speaker of one EU language and fluent in 2 others. Does American English count as an EU language? I'm sure they us idioms and spellings of the Queen's English. | |
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Today, 06:45 PM
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#6 | | New Member
Join Date: May 2008
Threads: 1
Posts: 15
| You don't have to be fluent in 5 languages to be an interpreter at the UN. The organization's working official languages are: Arabic, Russian, Spanish, Chinese English and French. It has two working languages which are French and
English. You are alright as long as you are fluent in one of the two working languages. As an interpreter, you have to be fluent in at least one of the working languages.
Being an IR does not mean that you will have a better chance. You can major in any other subject, then become an interpreter in this particular area. Like a medical or a court interpreter. You can have a major in Economics or international commerce and still work as an interpreter. You can choose any major that you want but make sure that you major in a language too. The UN often hire people who major in some type of social sciences but when you are going to work as an interpreter, it is your linguistic ability that they will take into consideration first. The UN will train you.
@Sungchul: It does not matter whether you speak Brit English or American English .Do you think that all the people who work in the EU learnt to speak British English? Several of them studied in the US. You are not going to interpret for Brits only. As far as the spelling, I don't know why it would be a problem because I don't think that there are too many differences between Brit Eng and American Eng. Because you will be train to do your job, you will learn how to do it right.
You can major in Linguistic and most linguistic program require that the students achieve proficiency in a foreign language. I don't think that many schools have one a degree in translation or interpretation
Middlebury has a good language program and Georgetown has a good linguistic department. By the way, Interpretation and translation are two different things.
I would advise you to watch the movie " The Interpreter" and watch the special features after. Some real interpreters who work at the UN talk about their job at the end. Go on the UN webpage to read some interesting facts about interpretation. The CIA offers good opportunity for interpreters.
You can go to the Monterrey Institute in California after your undergraduate studies , if you want to get a M.A in Interpretation and translation. | |
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