DipTrans - 2010 / 2011 Thread poster: Annett Hieber
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Dear All,
I am following up on my posting in the German forum a while ago comparing the different possibilites of postgrade examinations for translators (particularly for German translators). At the same time I was following Tomás Binder's posting on this year's DipTrans Exam in January 2010.
As the "Akademische Fachübersetzerprüfung" does no longer exist, and I do not want to take the German State Exam (e.g. at Karlsruhe), because in my personal opinion it is too ge... See more Dear All,
I am following up on my posting in the German forum a while ago comparing the different possibilites of postgrade examinations for translators (particularly for German translators). At the same time I was following Tomás Binder's posting on this year's DipTrans Exam in January 2010.
As the "Akademische Fachübersetzerprüfung" does no longer exist, and I do not want to take the German State Exam (e.g. at Karlsruhe), because in my personal opinion it is too general, comprising too many areas and tasks away from the practical work of translators (as well as papers requiring translations in both directions), I have decided to take the DipTrans. It applies to me due to various reasons: you are required to translate in one direction (normally your working pair), no essay, but translating various texts from various fields under conditions similar to your regular work. Furthermore, I do not want to be a sworn court translator. Also, I regularly work for agencies in the UK as well as in the USA, where the German State Exam is not so much recognized.
I was very impressed by the experience of Tomás and all the others in this year's exam. I hope they will receive their results soon and will all pass well!
As I have 15 years of working experience and also passed several exams (CAE, CPE, AKAD) I have decided to take only the third module of the distance learning course of the City of London University and additionally work through several books myself.
My question now is as follows: is there anyone who did this year's exam in the combination English to German and could share his/her experiences? Furthermore, I would like to know which books/dictionaries are really recommendable to bring along? (Although I have a great variety of general and special paper dictionaries, I believe the one or other might be outdated by now, so I would be greatful to get some hints from someone who made the experience).
Thanks for every comment! And it would also be nice to hear from others in this pair who are also intending to take next year's exam.
Annett ▲ Collapse
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Dear Annett,
I sat the exam this January. My language pairs are different than yours but I can forward you 3 of the papers so you can make your own conclusions about the level of difficulty.
After the exam I just googled few key sentences and found the actual articles:)
Regards
| | | | | Translating past papers is useful | Mar 18, 2010 |
I just wanted to add a little note on the texts of the state exam being “too general, comprising too many areas and tasks away from the practical work of translators”. I sat the exam some years ago in Munich.
You choose just one field of speciality rather than two. In my case it was law. The texts are taken from the specialised fields themselves, i. e. contracts, court judgments etc. They are exactly the type of texts I receive in my day to day work. Past papers are publicly av... See more I just wanted to add a little note on the texts of the state exam being “too general, comprising too many areas and tasks away from the practical work of translators”. I sat the exam some years ago in Munich.
You choose just one field of speciality rather than two. In my case it was law. The texts are taken from the specialised fields themselves, i. e. contracts, court judgments etc. They are exactly the type of texts I receive in my day to day work. Past papers are publicly available, I just don’t have the time right now to look for the link. I translated a number of them before the exam and it was useful. As to the essay – a translator’s writing skills can never be underestimated. I can hardly think of a more practical task for a translator than actually developing good writing skills and a clear line of thought. I'm sure both exams have their merit I just wanted to point out that the state exam is actually quite relevant in terms of practical work.
However, I also did the distance learning course with City Uni that you mentioned and worked through a lot of past papers for the DipTrans as well. These papers were never truly specialised, that’s why they are officially called SEMI specialised papers, not specialised papers. They often talk ABOUT the specialist field rather than being taken from a specialist genre. I remember for example one time we translated a semi specialised paper that discussed the profession of notaries in Europe.
I might take the DipTrans in the future myself. Translating past papers to get some practice is a good idea I would think. I wish you good luck with your exam! ▲ Collapse
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LegalText wrote:
I might take the DipTrans in the future myself.
If you don't already hold the DipTrans, the Chartered Institute of Linguists shouldn't be mentioned on your profile under credentials. It creates the impression you've already passed the exam.
If you've only done the preparation course (and have that certificate), this should be changed to City University, London.
[Edited at 2010-03-18 22:57 GMT]
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| Thanks for reading my profile. | Mar 19, 2010 |
I hold the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI) by the IOL (with distinctions in several individual tasks) and am perfectly entitled to click this button on Proz. The CIOL offer several exams, the DipTrans is just one of them.
I know the difference between holding qualifications and doing courses perfectly well. I don't have to list everything I did in my life in my Proz profile. Guess what, the DPSI is not the only thing I did not mention in my profile. Thanks for reading... See more I hold the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI) by the IOL (with distinctions in several individual tasks) and am perfectly entitled to click this button on Proz. The CIOL offer several exams, the DipTrans is just one of them.
I know the difference between holding qualifications and doing courses perfectly well. I don't have to list everything I did in my life in my Proz profile. Guess what, the DPSI is not the only thing I did not mention in my profile. Thanks for reading my profile anyway.
[Edited at 2010-03-19 08:19 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Clearer options for T+I diplomas please! | Mar 19, 2010 |
LegalText wrote:
I hold the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI) by the IOL (with distinctions in several individual tasks) and am perfectly entitled to click this button on Proz. The CIOL offer several exams, the DipTrans is just one of them.
Indeed the classification used in Proz.com is a bit obscure. Even if I admit that there is an immense breadth of diplomas, BA, MA, and PhD diplomas out there, Proz.com should make a clearer distinction and offer clear options when it comes to diplomas about translation and interpretation in particular, just to avoid the type of confusion that took place here.
| | | | | Glad to hear it ... | Mar 19, 2010 |
LegalText wrote:
I hold the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI) by the IOL (with distinctions in several individual tasks) and am perfectly entitled to click this button on Proz. The CIOL offer several exams, the DipTrans is just one of them.
I know the difference between holding qualifications and doing courses perfectly well. I don't have to list everything I did in my life in my Proz profile. Guess what, the DPSI is not the only thing I did not mention in my profile. Thanks for reading my profile anyway.
[Edited at 2010-03-19 08:19 GMT]
... and I apologise profusely for the misunderstanding. Consider my knuckles firmly rapped. Well done with your distinctions too. As the system stands, you were indeed entitled to click that button.
From the only available facts, there was an apparent contradiction, so thanks for clearing it up.
However, as Tomás mentions, the system needs refining and your situation is a prime example of that -- because of the current system your profile still creates the impression you've probably passed the Dip Trans, it's a reasonable assumption for anyone to make, even a twit like me.
I'm sure no-one would like to unintentionally mislead anyone, on the one hand, or have their interpreting skills overlooked on the other, so clearer options would indeed be welcome.
[Edited at 2010-03-19 08:51 GMT]
| | | | | Compulsory diploma verification | Mar 19, 2010 |
Lawyer-Linguist wrote:
However, as Tomás mentions, the system needs refining and your situation is a prime example of that -- because of the current system your profile still creates the impression you've probably passed the Dip Trans, it's a reasonable assumption for anyone to make, even a twit like me.
I'm sure no-one would like to unintentionally mislead anyone, on the one hand, or have their interpreting skills overlooked on the other, so clearer options would indeed be welcome.
I still remember the case of a person who had a letter of credit from the IOL (i.e. she had passed one of DipTrans' three papers) and she stated "Chartered Institute of Linguists" as a credential.
Hence, I would also suggest that Proz enforce a compulsory diploma verification when it comes to T+I diplomas and certifications. I don't mind about unverified diplomas about other arts and scienses, but there is a fierce competition out there and people who do hold diplomas and certificates should be the only ones allowed to publish them under the Credentials section. This requires verification by Proz.com or a third party.
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