Translation

The specialisation in Translation at Leiden University offers a unique combination of translation theory, research and practice. If you aspire to become a translator, subtitler, terminologist, linguist, project manager or technology consultant, this is the perfect programme to launch your career!

As a student in the Translation programme, you will become familiar with all aspects of translation. The art of translation is so much more than changing words and sentences from one language to another. To master this craft, you will practice the translation of different kinds of texts – from legal contracts to young adult novels and from medical leaflets to Netflix shows – using the appropriate tools and technologies, including machine translation and LLMs. Most people don't realize just how complex the task of the translator, subtitler and interpreter really is. Recent research clearly shows that it is highly unlikely – not to mention undesirable – that human translators will become obsolete because computers and artificial intelligence provide ‘perfect’ translations, even though that is exactly what Big Tech wants us to believe. You will familiarize yourself with the latest research in Translation Studies to reflect on your own translation decisions as well as on the economic, political, technological and ethical factors that influence the translation industry.