Postgraduate Diploma Chinese-English Translation and Interpreting

Program Overview

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PG Diploma Chinese-English Translation and Interpreting 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. Postgraduate (PG) Diplomas last for six to nine months (full-time) and include the modules and assessed work of a Masters, without a dissertation. This allows you to proceed to a Masters in Languages if your undergraduate degree was in a different subject. 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 qualifications, 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 including:

• Bilateral, consecutive and simultaneous interpreting
• Technologies of translation
• Effective note-taking
• Written translation

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, REF 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 lecturers are skilled interpreters and translators, experienced in training students with the necessary skills for professional practice. We maintain excellent student-staff ratios with capped language-specific seminars and all our language teachers are native or bilingual speakers. Our lecturers on the PG Diploma (Dan Chen, Nan Zhao and Yanxi Wu) are professional interpreters and translators experienced in training students in the necessary skills for professional practice.

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Specialist facilities

• Our new interpreting lab 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
• An 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

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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. We work with the University’s Careers Services to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities. After the Postgraduate Diploma Chinese-English Translation and Interpreting study, many of our students move on to an MA course, for example: MA Translation and Professional Practice, MA Advanced Interpreting with Specialised Translation and MA Conference Interpreting and Translation, where you can focus on modules and topics you are most interested in for another year to hone your translation and/or interpreting skills for employment, as well as doctoral studies if you prefer. 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. Our graduates are successful in a wide variety of career paths. They leave Essex with a unique set of skills and experience that are in demand by employers. “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, Former Postgraduate Diploma Chinese-English Translation and Interpreting student

Program Outline

Course structure

Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The following modules are based on the current course structure and may change in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, or in response to COVID-19, we’ll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

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Components

Components are the blocks of study that make up your course. A component may have a set module which you must study, or a number of modules from which you can choose. Each component has a status and carries a certain number of credits towards your qualification.

Status	What this means
Core	You must take the set module for this component and you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Core with Options	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component but you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Compulsory	You must take the set module for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Compulsory with Options	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Optional	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.

The modules that are available for you to choose for each component will depend on several factors, including which modules you have chosen for other components, which modules you have completed in previous years of your course, and which term the module is taught in.

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Modules

Modules are the individual units of study for your course. Each module has its own set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria and also carries a certain number of credits. In most cases you will study one module per component, but in some cases you may need to study more than one module. For example, a 30-credit component may comprise of either one 30-credit module, or two 15-credit modules, depending on the options available. Modules may be taught at different times of the year and by a different department or school to the one your course is primarily based in. You can find this information from the module code . For example, the module code HR100-4-FY means:

HR	100	4	FY
The department or school the module will be taught by. In this example, the module would be taught by the Department of History.	The module number.	The UK academic level of the module. A standard undergraduate course will comprise of level 4, 5 and 6 modules - increasing as you progress through the course. A standard postgraduate taught course will comprise of level 7 modules. A postgraduate research degree is a level 8 qualification.	The term the module will be taught in. AU : Autumn term SP : Spring term SU : Summer term FY : Full year AP : Autumn and Spring terms PS: Spring and Summer terms AS: Autumn and Summer terms

Year 1 Want hands-on experience of the key technologies that aid translation today? Become a confident user of CAT (computer aided translation) in the translation environment. Practice and develop your translation and editing skills via our practical workshops, so that you are familiar with all stages of the translation process. View Technologies of Translation on our Module Directory Want to translate English and Chinese? Develop your practical abilities to translate between these two languages. Study a range of texts, looking at topics related to society, politics, economics and business, to build your knowledge of the relevant terminology and typical constructions. View Translation Portfolio (Chinese-English) I on our Module Directory Are you new to interpreting and want some beginners-level training? Undertake practical activities and tasks, including participation in a mock conference, to develop your interpretation skills. Learn to understand and process the main ideas of a speech accurately and concisely. Devise your own note-taking system and build your public speaking. As part of this module you have the opportunity to undertake a real-time interpreting assignment for the Colchester Information tour or an interpreting internship. You may incur associated travel costs for these trips within Colchester. View Introduction to Consecutive Interpreting on our Module Directory This module will acquaint you with some of the existing approaches and issues in intercultural communication, balancing theoretical insight with advanced practical skills. You will investigate communication patterns in different cultures and languages including illocutionary force, indirect speech acts and politeness and look at how cultural norms, values and conventions influence linguistic choices across languages and cultures. View Intercultural Communication: communicating across languages and cultures on our Module Directory Are you proficient in both Chinese and English? Want to develop a practical experience of simultaneous interpreting? Keen to understand the syntactic difference between Chinese and English during the simultaneous interpretation process? Undertake guided exercises and examples to build your simultaneous interpretation skills for the future. View Introduction to Simultaneous Interpreting on our Module Directory How do you interpret between two individual speakers, conversing in two different languages that you have studied? Develop your ability to swiftly move between your two main languages on a range of topics. Learn to quickly solve interpretation problems while providing accurate and concise spoken interpretations. As part of this module, you have the opportunity to go on a field trip to the V&A Museum for interpreting of art and museum subjects. The cost for this is £10 and you will also incur travel costs. View Introduction to Bilateral Interpreting on our Module Directory In this module, you will continue to practice weekly translation of texts of different domains and genres, to further improve your skills according to the specific requirements of translation. Texts will be taken from educational, socio-political and promotional areas mainly. You will learn to analyse the source texts at various levels, identify translation challenges and overcome them by applying different strategies and translation techniques. In line with current translation practices, you will be trained to translate into both Chinese and English. This will ensure that you are equipped to enter the translation market and have an edge over your competitors. View Translation Portfolio II (Chinese-English) on our Module Directory How do you interpret between two individual speakers, conversing in two different languages that you have studied? Develop your ability to swiftly move between your two main languages on a range of topics. Learn to quickly solve interpretation problems while providing accurate and concise spoken interpretations. As part of this module you will have the opportunity to go on a field trip to Kew Gardens to attend interpreting events on plantation and environment protection. The cost for this trip is £10 and you will also incur travel costs. View Bilateral Interpreting on our Module Directory

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Teaching

• Teaching methods include lectures, demonstrations and learning by teaching others
• We run a weekly departmental seminar, attended by both staff and students

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Assessment

• Your eight one-term modules are assessed by coursework and you are also assessed on your dissertation