What does becoming a translator mean to you?

FACT: Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the translation industry has seen an increase in revenue of 70% in 2020 alone.

The translation profession allows you to be flexible, work from home, or anywhere in the world. And if you are a mum, or dad, with a young family, being able to work from home while looking after your kids is priceless!

Unless you already have a translation qualification from a university, the CertTrans will help you get work as a freelance translator and gain the professional recognition that you deserve.

The CertTrans will showcase your early career translation skills and will allow you to progress to higher levels of professional translation.

Do you want to work as a translator for a translation company? Or build a career as a freelance translator, perhaps?

If your answer is YES, then the CertTrans is the right qualification for you, and Foundations of Translation will definitely help you get there!

Why should I take this course?

Foundations of Translation is the #1 Course to prepare you for the Certificate in Translation. All necessary materials are included. Learn the principles of translation as well as the tools, strategies and techniques used by professionals.

Foundations of Translation is an online course designed to prepare candidates for the CIOL CertTrans.

It is aimed at:

language graduates that want to become translators
language teachers that wish to switch to the translation profession or combine both professions for an extra income stream.

The course is delivered at degree level, and students are expected to have a high command of their foreign language, between C1-C2 level (CEFR), as well as an excellent command of their native language.
The time frame to cover the contents of this course is 10 months. This will allow for ample time for consultations and exam revision to guarantee a successful exam result.

The course is 100% online, with a human touch. It consists of 6 modules, detailed below.

The course content is updated every year!

Course Content

Module 1: Welcome to Mastery of Translation

Welcome module to the course. You will find some suggested reading and bibliography.

Module 2: Translation Theory

In this module we will look at what translation is, what translation theory is about, language functions, text-categories, and text-types.

Module 3: Translation Methods and Techniques

In this section, we will look at some translation methods such as word-for-word, literal, faithful, adaptation, and techniques such as borrowing, calque, naturalisation; as well as when and how to use them.

Module 4: Translation Problems and Strategic Solutions

This module covers levels of translation, notions of terminology, i.e. translation of lexis and what to do when we do not find an equivalent. We will look at how and when we "improve" a text for translation. We will discuss how to build a glossary, and what is the difference with a terminological database.

Module 5: The CertTrans

This module gives you an overview of the exam. We will also look at the exam marking criteria to understand what is expected of you.

Module 6: Translation Practice

This module is all about putting the theory into practice for all the units of the exam, with a choice of Unit 2 or 3. The CertTrans is composed of three units:

Unit 01 - General Translation Skills
Unit 02 - Business and Commercial Translation Skills
Unit 03 - Government and Public Service Translation Skills

You must take two units to achieve the qualification. Unit 01 is the mandatory core unit which must be selected, then you need to select one other mandatory option unit from either Unit 02 or Unit 03.

What our students say

Note: Foundations of Translation was the prep course for the Diploma in Translation, before the CertTrans. This is what our students have to say:

"This is an interesting and enjoyable course, not only targeted at preparing for the Diploma in Translation, but also useful to learn more about what translation is all about, even if you are not taking the exam. Carina is a knowledgeable and demanding teacher who helps you reach your potential. Her personalised and accessible approach is excellent." Jane Longley, Spanish-English

"I had no experience of translation before starting the course and was very worried and nervous about my prospects of passing the DipTrans exam. However, because of all the support, positive feedback and encouragement I have received from Carina, I now feel more confident about it. Carina is very meticulous, methodical and organised and has worked extremely hard to provide us with clear, concise and informative materials.

We have also had a lot of really good guidance on further reading, building comprehensive glossaries and even buying the best dictionaries for the exam. The way the course is designed and delivered is excellent and I would have no hesitation in recommending Carina as one of the best-placed people to deliver a course like this." Rana Shabibi, Spanish-English

"Having worked as a freelance translator for some years, I decided to invest in advancing my career and planned to sit the Diploma in Translation. I was looking for tuition and guidance to help me prepare for this exam. I had tried self-study but was overwhelmed with the amount of material and textbooks available and I wasn't sure what I should focus on. I also lacked motivation and couldn't seem to progress.

Foundations of Translation provided a structure to help me organise my time better. The material was comprehensive but divided into easily digestible units and, knowing that there was a feedback session after every unit, it gave me the motivation and accountability I needed to progress. I was extremely happy with my experience with MLH. I liked the particular focus on the exam, including a lesson on how to prepare a paper glossary (essential as no digital resources are allowed). I particularly enjoyed the open, encouraging atmosphere. From the very first practice session, we were encouraged to complete a translation under exam conditions which really helped me to develop the skills needed to perform well under pressure. The course also provided a good balance between theory and practice.

The content covered enough theory to help me understand why I might want to translate something a certain way and be able to explain my choices. We also received detailed feedback on every practice paper, a total of 12, which is more than any other course is offering. I would recommend this course to anyone looking for high-quality, thorough tuition in translation theory and techniques." Dania Daniel, Spanish-English

"I was looking for translation tuition and mentorship in order to prepare for the CIOL Diploma in Translation. With no professional background in translation and having not taken any type of translation classes or tuition in the past, I was hesitant about having the right skills to prepare for this exam and ability to follow the course.

MLH has met my expectations by guiding me on what is expected from candidates to the Diploma in Translation and also on how to prepare for this exam. It was very helpful to learn the theories surrounding translation in order to have some context given that I had no previous experience in the field except a good command of both languages.

It was also encouraging to work with a group of students of different experience and skill in translation and still feel encouraged to participate and to bring in my ideas when discussing the challenges of translation. I really liked the group of students and having them sharing different life and professional experiences with language. Also, once the student starts one-to-one sessions with their personal tutor, they arrange the tuition sessions, which makes it a very flexible learning experience. I like the personal approach of the school.

I would recommend this course to a friend, especially if they do not have formal translation experience because FOT adapts to the student's level of expertise and individual needs while aiming for the DipTrans standards." Begoña Rueda, English-Spanish

"MLH has met my expectations in that I felt supervised and held for the entire duration of the programme, during the earlier theory part as well as during the latter practice part. I liked that the course provided for 9 months of preparation and that it was well paced.

I have liked the personal connection to the programme tutor Carina as well as within the study group of other students. The small group allowed for both personal connection and thorough discussion of the course material.

I have also particularly enjoyed working with my specific language tutor Katrin, she was an excellent choice. She brought the programme alive for me with her deep expertise and skills, bottomless encouragement, hands on approach and going the extra mile to give me detailed feedback, suggestions and even checking and commenting on my final versions. She was always prompt and made time for me." Anna Milic, English-German

"MLH definitely met my expectations. The course was very well organised from theoretical part which explained the theories and rules of translation to the practical one, which applied all the theories. There was also a tutor for each target language. Through its Zoom meetings, the course created trust and strong bonds between the tutor and us, making it possible to clarify details and share translation experiences.

Before the course I had a vague idea about the possibilities provided by this Diploma and the actual work as a translator. MHL helped me by opening access to a rich world of information and materials about translation techniques, about approaching different texts based on my own expertise, motivating me to learn and discover more.

Through its course structure, MLH brought together a group of people so diverse from all points of view: nationality, language, culture, passions. I personally enjoyed to the maximum our Zoom meetings which created every single time inter/multi-cultural exchanges and unexpected learning situations." Mihaela Stanciu, English-Romanian

MEET YOUR INSTRUCTORS

Carina Balbo

Course director, author and tutor: English >< Spanish

Chartered Linguist Carina Balbo, FCIL, is a professional translator and a foreign language trainer with 25 years’ experience in industry. She is also a professional Assessment specialist working for the major national and international Exam Boards.

An author, speaker, mentor and coach, Carina is a CIOL Fellow, Council Member and Hon. Treasurer of the Association of Translation Companies (ATC), one of the leading translation organisations in the UK.

Carina is also an English-Spanish and Spanish-English tutor on the course.

Katrin Frahm

Course tutor: English>German

Chartered Linguist Katrin Frahm is an English to German translator specialising in technical, legal, veterinary documentation and diplomatic interpreting in the fields of education and government. Katrin is a Masterclass Tutor and SDL Trados trainer in the MSc Translation Studies programme at the University of Glasgow. She is also a fully qualified Member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL) and the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI).

Mihaela Patrascu

Course tutor: English>Romanian

Mihaela Patrascu is an experienced Legal Translator and Interpreter within the public sector, both in the UK and in Romania. A current Law student, Mihaela is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) and the Association of Police and Court Interpreters (APCI). She is also registered with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI) and the Ministry of Justice of Romania and the UK.

Chris Humphries

Course tutor: French, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish > English

Christopher Humphries is a translator and language teacher with 30 years of experience as a professional linguist. He has worked in the UK and abroad as a translator, editor, copywriter, tutor and examiner, and has published material on a variety of language-related subject matter. He is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists.