MA Advanced Interpreting with Specialised Translation
(Chinese-English)

Are you interested in mastering the technologies and professional strategies required to become a fully-fledged Chinese-English translator and interpreter for the business industry? Our MA introduces you to techniques and technologies that significantly develop your language skills so you can deliver professional translation and interpretation.
Our hands-on training familiarises you with the latest technologies used by professionals in their everyday work. You will practice all types of interpreting (consecutive, simultaneous and whisper) required in all business settings, and gain knowledge of the commercial world as well as communication and negotiation skills. You also learn business operations, essential for a freelance professional translator.
You study topics including:
- simultaneous interpreting
- business interpreting
- specialised translation
- translation technologies
We are 1st in UK for research impact in modern languages and linguistics (Grade Point Average, Research Excellence Framework 2021). We are top 25 in the UK for linguistics in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024.
If you want a global outlook, are interested in human communication, and want to study for a degree with real-world practical value in an established department, welcome to Essex.
- We are 1st in UK for research impact in modern languages and linguistics (Grade Point Average, Research Excellence Framework 2021).
- Our state-of-the-art interpreting lab gives you the tools to master interpreting.
- You benefit from rich interpreting and translation activities, internships and events.
Our expert staff
Our staff work on highly technical translation and interpreting projects. Your lecturers teach you the skills you need for professional practices, and provide demonstrations and hands-on guidance as well as support. We maintain excellent student-staff ratios with capped language-specific seminars.
Specialist facilities
- Our state-of-the-art interpreting lab provides 10 booths to interpret conferences of up to 20 people, and we also have a lecture theatre with five interpreting booths to interpret lectures of up to 350 people – we are the only university in the East of England 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
- Weekly multilingual interpreting conferences, field trips and workshops led by internationally renowned experts from the industry
- Our Languages for All programme offers you the opportunity to study an additional language alongside your course at no extra cost
Your future
Many interpreters and translators are working in business industries in mega-cities around the world. There is high demand both in China and in the international market for highly qualified translators and interpreters to work for the commercial industries. Our training gives you all the tools you need to succeed as a Chinese-English translator and interpreter, oriented toward business sectors.
We work with the University's Employability and Careers Centre to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.
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.
At Essex we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.
The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include, but are not limited to: strikes, other industrial action, staff illness, severe weather, fire, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack (whether declared or not), natural disaster, restrictions imposed by government or public authorities, epidemic or pandemic disease, failure of public utilities or transport systems or the withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications. The University would inform and engage with you if your course was to be discontinued, and would provide you with options, where appropriate, in line with our Compensation and Refund Policy.
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