Crystal Medrano
co-editor-in-chief
There is a belief that individuals who are bilingual are capable of translating messages between two languages, that isn’t always the case.
For this exact reason, two faculty members at Dominican, Gema Ortega and Lisa Petrov, decided to take on the task of adding a translation minor to the Dominican curriculum.
Gema Ortega, a full time faculty lecturer in the English department explains why this new minor is important and how it can set individuals apart in the workforce.
“Not everyone who speaks two languages can be a mediator, the translator’s job is to analyze the ways to communicate so the messages match in both languages” she says, “the person must understand and successfully translate because they are navigating both worlds- it’s an art, and a profession.”
This skill is important because it allows educated individuals to be more sensitive and respectful to different cultures and languages, something highly respected here at Dominican.
There are correct and incorrect
ways to address people and other factors that come into play when trying to translate messages. Direct “translation” does not always yield the same messages you are trying
to communicate, which is why
Ortega stresses that this skill is
highly demanded.
According to Ortega, Dominican has a student body that is bicultural or bilingual and most live in the Chicagoland area, which is why it’s important for our students to become the intermediators, a person inbetween to effectively be able to serve their community as a translator.
Petrov and Ortega started the process of executing this minor five years ago when Ortega first became a faculty member. They were part of this project from start to end going through years of research, planning, and meetings with different professors and executive decision makers.
As of now, there are 11 students enrolled in this minor. To be able to minor in this field, the student must be fluent in another language besides English, as of right now the program will work with Spanish, Italian, French and possibly Polish. As the minor grows, Ortega mentions they will incorporate more languages.
The minor is structured to be completed in 18 credits, which involve an intro class and modules of translation with a professional according to the student’s needs. This means that since every profession requires a different vocabulary, depending on the student’s concentration,
that is the specification of translation that the student will be working on.
The minor is open to any student who has completed English 101 and who has placed out of or who has completed courses above the 200 level in their respective languages.
Students involved in this minor will need to complete a capstone and an partake in an internship. These requirements can be completed alongside what is required for each student’s major(s). For example, if a major requires the student to complete an internship, that same internship would qualify towards this minor as well. The student would just have to communicate with the professor so that whatever extra work is needed for the student to do, can be put into action.
Minoring in translation can open a window of opportunities because of the ever growing demand for bilingual individuals. If you want to make yourself more marketable and be able to communicate effectively between two languages in your profession, you might want to minor in translation.
medrcrys@my.dom.edu