Should I minor in another language, or minor in a possible specialization? Thread poster: savannahgoyette
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Hello! If I'm posting this in the wrong forum, I apologize profusely.
Right now I am in my first year of a BA in French with a minor in Japanese. I was wondering if it is better to minor in another language, or if I should instead minor in something I'd like to specialize in (like, I don't know, Women's Studies, for instance)? Any help would be appreciated!
| | | | S_Angel (X) 
Italy
Local time: 04:24
German to Italian
+ ...
| Specialization | Sep 25, 2008 |
Hi violenticecream, welcome to the forum!
My advice is to minor in a possible specialization: both teachers and professional translators are always telling us that it is essential to have a specialization in order to be a successful translator, and in order to that, you need to really know the field. The impression I got is that studying just foreign languages and/or translation is not enough, studying a specifical subject you want to specialize in is something you'll have to do sooner or... See more Hi violenticecream, welcome to the forum!
My advice is to minor in a possible specialization: both teachers and professional translators are always telling us that it is essential to have a specialization in order to be a successful translator, and in order to that, you need to really know the field. The impression I got is that studying just foreign languages and/or translation is not enough, studying a specifical subject you want to specialize in is something you'll have to do sooner or later, so I thnk it would be good to start during your BA.
That said, Japanese can be a competitive language, if you have the chance and time to learn it thouroughly! So the other choice would be reasonable too
Let us know what you decide!
[Modificato alle 2008-09-25 11:07] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Re: Specialization | Sep 26, 2008 |
Thank you for answering! I posted this question at translatorscafe.com and no one answered.
What are the best fields to specialize in?
| | | | | A field you feel comfortable with | Sep 26, 2008 |
What are the best fields to specialize in?
Hi Violenticecream,
Welcome in the StudentZ Community
There aren't really "best fields" - it's actually more your "own best field", meaning a field you know and are interested in. There are thousands of possible fields to specialize in... There are of course the main ones - medical, technical, financial, tourism, law, etc. but within those "big" fields there are a lot of even more specialized one as sewll as other ones. For example, if you play music and love it, you can specialize in musicology. Or if you're really interested in fashion and beauty and know a bit about that, you could specialize in cosmetics/beauty/fashion...
There's an awful lot of possibilities out there and enough work for everybody - it's your call !
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| Re: a field you feel comfortable with | Sep 27, 2008 |
Thanks for your input, Anne! I would love to work in the fields of pop culture and/or beauty/cometics, but I worried that it was maybe not practical. This makes me feel a little better
| | | | | Time will tell | Oct 1, 2008 |
Hi violenticecream!
I just wanted to give you my small contribution to the topic.
I totally agree with the opinions of S_Angel and Anne, but I would suggest you focus first on learning how to translate correctly and deepen your knowledge of language and culture while you are still at uni.
Because according to my experience you can't predict at this stage what fields are going to be your goldmines and safeheavens for your future.
It is good to start having a look ar... See more Hi violenticecream!
I just wanted to give you my small contribution to the topic.
I totally agree with the opinions of S_Angel and Anne, but I would suggest you focus first on learning how to translate correctly and deepen your knowledge of language and culture while you are still at uni.
Because according to my experience you can't predict at this stage what fields are going to be your goldmines and safeheavens for your future.
It is good to start having a look around and think about specialisations you would be confortable with, but be open to different possibilities... when you will start working professionaly, good and bad experiences will adjust the direction of your work and you will find your *vocation* =)
and once you start working, you won't have the same amount of free time to dedicate to personal improvements. Just an idea, of course.
Good luck! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Re: Time will tell | Oct 2, 2008 |
Hi Frank! Thanks for your input. I will keep it in mind.
| | | | | Maybe pick a few specializations? | Oct 2, 2008 |
Hi Violenticecream,
It may be worth it for you to pick several specializations, perhaps something enjoyable and marketable, and then something else you love and enjoy? For example, I used to study music- I was an aspiring lyric soprano- so I know more than enough about music theory, music history, musical forms, you name it. It would be stupid to throw knowledge away, so it is one of my areas of expertise, as is art history (I had two main interests in and after university!). My... See more Hi Violenticecream,
It may be worth it for you to pick several specializations, perhaps something enjoyable and marketable, and then something else you love and enjoy? For example, I used to study music- I was an aspiring lyric soprano- so I know more than enough about music theory, music history, musical forms, you name it. It would be stupid to throw knowledge away, so it is one of my areas of expertise, as is art history (I had two main interests in and after university!). My most marketable area is law, though, and I actually really enjoy reading laws ans such, though contracts are the best! So I'm sure you can find things that really interest you and build a direction from there. Remember: do what you love! Life is too short to be wasted on the wrong specialty.
I see you want to learn another language. My advice is to do it as well, multitask it if necessary but if you really have a great like for a particular language, it will be easier for you to learn, and the sooner you start even the basics of it, the sooner that the fundamentals of the new language will be in your head, and will just start to grow and seem natural to you. If it's something you think you'll end up doing eventually, start sooner than later, even if it is on your own time and not officially in a course. As an example, I'm learning Norwegian because I love it, and so it sticks in my head, and I'm not doing it officially, since you can't study Norwegian in South Korea though I will get a tutor (I live near the Norwegian embassy here in Seoul) once I finish my masters, so I can have a better pronunciation.
Good luck!! ▲ Collapse
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