Translating and Translation Studies (TTS) at UNC Charlotte: Present and Future
By Dr. Michael Scott Doyle

The Department of Languages and Culture Studies (LCS) at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte offers the following curricula with Translating and Translation Studies (TTS):

For more information on both courses, see:
http://languages.uncc.edu/graduate-programs/63-masters-in-spanish.html

The remainder of this article describes each of these curricula and a proposed future program for a Ph.D. degree.

Undergraduate Certificate in Translating
The undergraduate Certificate in Translating (CT) at UNC Charlotte, now nearly thirty years old, was created in 1979 by emeriti Professors Bill Park (German), Judith Suther (French), and Ralph McLeod (Spanish), whose foresight anticipated today's increasing demand for qualified translators. It currently offers the following language pairs and directionality:

French→English
German→English
Spanish↔English

The CT consists of 12 credit hours (four courses). It is not equivalent to a major in a foreign language (30-33 credit hours/minimum of ten courses), rather it represents a theory-based intercultural communication skill developed at the bachelor's degree level.

The CT may complement a major in any field, and is especially recommended for majors and minors in French, German, Spanish, International Studies, Latin American Studies, or International Business. As a free-standing certificate program, the CT also serves working professionals who already hold an accredited undergraduate degree and would like to add this credential to their résumés. These individuals have only to enroll as post-baccalaureate students and meet the requirements for the CT. They are not subject to other degree, program, or graduation requirements.

The CT is earned by completion of TRAN 3401, 4402, 4403, and 4404 (in a given language pair) with a grade of C or better in each course. The following are sample course descriptions for the CT in Spanish↔English:

TRAN 3401. Introduction to Translation Studies. History, theory, pragmatics, and procedures of the field of translation. Introduction to text typology, terminology, and issues such as register, audience, editing, and computer-assisted translating.

TRAN 4402-S. Practicum in Translating I — Spanish. Comparative stylistics, restructuring texts, editing, troubleshooting, and techniques of the translator in working with a variety of text types (e.g., business, legal, medical, technical, etc.). Continues with history and theory of translation.

TRAN 4403-S. Practicum in Translating II — Spanish. Further work in restructuring texts, editing, troubleshooting, and translation of a variety of literary and cultural text types (e.g., fiction, poetry, drama, essay, film). Continues with history and theory of translation.

TRAN 4404-S. Practicum in Translating III — Spanish. Vocational, pre-professionalizing activities. Study of professional journals, technologies, protocol, and resources in the field (e.g., ATA, ALTA). Advanced issues of translation. Translation of a semester-long project in individual consultation.

For full CT course information, including pre- and co-requisites and scheduling cycle, please see http://languages.uncc.edu/undergrad-programs/undergraduate-certificate-programs.html.

Bachelor of Arts in Spanish
The Applied Language emphasis in the B.A. in Spanish allows Spanish majors to incorporate three upper-division Spanish↔English translation courses (9 credit hours) as part of their curriculum. These three courses—TRAN 4402S, 4403S, and 4404S, mentioned previously—may be taken once students have completed substantial foundation course work in advanced Spanish grammar, conversation and composition, and an introduction to literary analysis, which hone literacy and critical thinking skills.

An Applied Language emphasis in Spanish↔English translation may be complemented by course work in advanced business Spanish (LCS offers four different upper-division Business Spanish courses and a Certificate in Business Spanish, French, or German) or further studies of Spanish linguistics, literature, film studies, or special topics.

Graduate Certificate in Translating and Translation Studies
The Graduate Certificate in Translating and Translation Studies (GCTTS in Spanish↔English) is designed for post-baccalaureate, graduate, and post-graduate students. Students typically complete the required 18 graduate credit hours (six courses) in 2-3 semesters, and may begin the program in either the fall or spring semester, or during the summer. Students enrolled in the Language, Literature and Culture (LLC) track of the M.A. in Spanish program can earn the Graduate Certificate in TTS by completing 12 hours (four courses instead of six).

Students in the GCTTS study the history, theory, and profession of translation; work intensively in the analysis and translation of different discourse domains and genres, including non-literary and literary texts; become familiar with computer-assisted translation; and develop advanced post-editing skills. Graduate level coursework may also include special topics courses in translation and up to 3 hours of professional internship credit in translating. Translating is done from both Spanish to English and English to Spanish. For full GCTTS course information, please see http://languages.uncc.edu/graduate-programs/63-masters-in-spanish.html.

Master of Arts in Spanish
The Master of Arts in Spanish is designed to provide a rich variety of graduate course work in a major world language that is becoming increasingly important in the United States, the Southeast, and the Carolinas. This graduate program builds on a comprehensive undergraduate curriculum in Spanish and consists of two tracks: Language, Literature and Culture (LLC) and Translating and Translation Studies (TTS). The M.A. in Spanish requires a total of 36 graduate credit hours: either 36 hours of graduate course work (12 courses) or 30 hours of graduate course work (10 courses) plus a master's thesis (6 credit hours).

The TTS track of the M.A. consists of 24 credit hours (8 courses) of graduate course work in history and theory of translation, and analysis and translation of different types of texts and discourse: business, technical, medical, legal, scholarly, and literary. It may also include special topics courses in Spanish-English translation, up to 3 hours of professional internship in translating, and a translation thesis (equivalent to 6 hours).

Course work in applied language areas such as Business Spanish is especially appropriate for the TTS track. This specialized track serves individuals interested in a career in professional translation or in enhancing their career or work opportunities as language and culture specialists. It also provides preparation for those who may wish to pursue a Ph.D. in fields such as Spanish, linguistics, translating and translation studies, intercultural communication, or international studies.

For full M.A. TTS course information, please see http://languages.uncc.edu/graduate-programs/63-masters-in-spanish.html.

A Proposed Ph.D. Program
Presently, faculty involved in the TTS programs in Spanish are exploring possibilities for proposing a new Ph.D. program in Spanish and Translation. Europe and Canada have offered Ph.D. studies in translation for many years. In 2006 Kent State University implemented the first and only doctoral program in translation (as opposed to comparative literature or linguistics with the inclusion of translation) in the United States. A Ph.D. program in Spanish and Translation at UNC Charlotte would build upon the strengths and demonstrated success of its TTS programs at the undergraduate and master's levels.

It would include the history, theory (normative, descriptive and prescriptive), criticism, sociology, methodology, technology, and commerce of translation, and praxis and internships in key discourse domains. It would respond to a documented growing need for specialists and managers in global communication and for faculty who are better equipped to teach and conduct research in TTS.

In its 2006 report titled "Foreign Languages and Higher Education: New Structures for a Changed World," the Modern Language Association of America (MLA) states that a goal of foreign language education should be the development of "translingual and transcultural competence," with the following recommendation:

Develop programs in translation and interpretation. There is a great unmet demand for educated translators and interpreters, and translation is an ideal context for developing translingual and transcultural abilities as an organizing principle of the language curriculum.

This means that the nation needs to develop those future professors who in turn will work to better educate tomorrow's translators and interpreters while also contributing improved continuing education to today's translators and interpreters. If you support the idea of creating a Ph.D. in Spanish and Translation at UNC Charlotte, which would be the first in the Southeast, please email me at msdoyle@uncc.edu with your support or ideas.

Dr. Michael Scott Doyle (Ph.D. University of Virginia) is Professor of Spanish, Translation and Latin American Studies, and an Adjunct Professor of International Business, at UNC Charlotte. He serves as the Graduate Coordinator for the Master of Arts in Spanish and as Director of the Certificates in Translating and Translation Studies (Graduate and Undergraduate) and the Certificate in Business Spanish. He is ATA-certified in both Spanish to English and English to Spanish translation.