Knowing Before Learning: Ten Concepts Students Should Understand Prior to Enrolling in a University Translation or Interpretation Class

This paper aims to assist instructors in informing students of various aspects involved with learning translation and interpretation in a university setting. Because such courses rarely last beyond one or two semesters, many students enroll in such classes with erroneous assumptions about course content and unrealistic expectations about what they can accomplish. The author presents ten concepts that ideally should be presented to and understood by students prior to their enrolling in a university translation or interpretation class so that they may be both realistic and productive in their learning goals.