Apr 24, 2017 07:31
7 yrs ago
94 viewers *
French term
Master Arts, Lettres, Langues, mention MEEF (Métiers de l’Enseignement, de l’Edu
French to English
Other
Education / Pedagogy
Translation of qualifications
One of my son's friends has studied and worked in France and now wants his CV in English.
The question is, whether we translate the names of his qualifications or leave them in French.
Being well aware of the poor knowledge of French in the UK, would they understand if we left them in French?
Hopefully yes, in academic circles.
Anyway, some advice would be welcome.
This is his qualification:
Diplôme « Master Arts, Lettres, Langues, mention MEEF (Métiers de l’Enseignement, de l’Education et de la Formation), Second Degré, Parcours Italien »
The question is, whether we translate the names of his qualifications or leave them in French.
Being well aware of the poor knowledge of French in the UK, would they understand if we left them in French?
Hopefully yes, in academic circles.
Anyway, some advice would be welcome.
This is his qualification:
Diplôme « Master Arts, Lettres, Langues, mention MEEF (Métiers de l’Enseignement, de l’Education et de la Formation), Second Degré, Parcours Italien »
Proposed translations
(English)
References
universities proposing this type of course |
katsy
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Proposed translations
+1
12 hrs
Selected
Do not translate
1) To answer your question, you should leave the original language on the CV.
Then, by a footnote, for example, you could provide a translation. The essential point is that in your FR example, the FR university awarded a French qualification, not an EN one.
By convention, titles of diplomas, certificates and qualifications in general are not to be translated. The reasoning is that if you translate "Master" (a term now used in FR education) or "Maîtrise" (the former Masters in France) into "Masters", it is as if you are saying that the French qualification is the same as a masters in the UK, the US, etc. The fact is, that translators cannot sit in the shoes of equivalence boards/commissions whose job it is to assess the value of an overseas qualifications and try to see to what extent an equivalent level might be awarded for entrance onto another course in another country, the entitlement to exercise a particular profession in another country and so on.
To illustrate my point, the FR term "Maîtrise" was formally the level that would be awarded after 4 years of successful university study. That level is nowadays more commonly described by a "Masters 1" or "M1".
Another French example might be a "Masters" or a "Bachelors" from a private establishment in France. Some award officially recognised qualifications, other use the UK/US titles and are not officially recognised by the French state. Some of them may not be bad at all, but as they are not recognised, their value in France can be problematic. Overseas, they may be worthless.
Also, having a particular level in one country may provide access to a particular profession. In the UK, a psychologist must have a PhD; that is not the case in France, where a fully-flegded clinical psychologist can practice once he has an appropriate Master 2, a 3-year undergraduate degree in Psychoogy and a 2-year postgrad degree in Psychology. A FR psychologist cannot practice in the UK as "psychologist", although I think he/she might be able to practice as a therapist
Sorry for the boring lesson bit, but that is the long and the short of it. Mainly the long of it!
2) Solution for the CV? Leave the official FR title and indicate, perhaps by a footnote, a "translation" of the description, indicating the number of successful years of university study involved.
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Note added at 18 hrs (2017-04-25 02:28:46 GMT)
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Suggested EN (UK) version for a footnote:
"Masters degree in Humanities, Literature and Languages, specialising in Secondary-level Teaching, Education and Training ("MEEF")*, Italian language."
Comments:
- addition of the term "degree"
- "Humanities" (Arts)
- putting "secondary-level" before the list of the nouns it qualifies
- putting "MEEF" in brackets after the terms it represents.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 hrs (2017-04-25 02:30:42 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Sorry, Master of Arts could (should) be kept.
Masters degree of Arts, Literature... etc.
Then, by a footnote, for example, you could provide a translation. The essential point is that in your FR example, the FR university awarded a French qualification, not an EN one.
By convention, titles of diplomas, certificates and qualifications in general are not to be translated. The reasoning is that if you translate "Master" (a term now used in FR education) or "Maîtrise" (the former Masters in France) into "Masters", it is as if you are saying that the French qualification is the same as a masters in the UK, the US, etc. The fact is, that translators cannot sit in the shoes of equivalence boards/commissions whose job it is to assess the value of an overseas qualifications and try to see to what extent an equivalent level might be awarded for entrance onto another course in another country, the entitlement to exercise a particular profession in another country and so on.
To illustrate my point, the FR term "Maîtrise" was formally the level that would be awarded after 4 years of successful university study. That level is nowadays more commonly described by a "Masters 1" or "M1".
Another French example might be a "Masters" or a "Bachelors" from a private establishment in France. Some award officially recognised qualifications, other use the UK/US titles and are not officially recognised by the French state. Some of them may not be bad at all, but as they are not recognised, their value in France can be problematic. Overseas, they may be worthless.
Also, having a particular level in one country may provide access to a particular profession. In the UK, a psychologist must have a PhD; that is not the case in France, where a fully-flegded clinical psychologist can practice once he has an appropriate Master 2, a 3-year undergraduate degree in Psychoogy and a 2-year postgrad degree in Psychology. A FR psychologist cannot practice in the UK as "psychologist", although I think he/she might be able to practice as a therapist
Sorry for the boring lesson bit, but that is the long and the short of it. Mainly the long of it!
2) Solution for the CV? Leave the official FR title and indicate, perhaps by a footnote, a "translation" of the description, indicating the number of successful years of university study involved.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 hrs (2017-04-25 02:28:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Suggested EN (UK) version for a footnote:
"Masters degree in Humanities, Literature and Languages, specialising in Secondary-level Teaching, Education and Training ("MEEF")*, Italian language."
Comments:
- addition of the term "degree"
- "Humanities" (Arts)
- putting "secondary-level" before the list of the nouns it qualifies
- putting "MEEF" in brackets after the terms it represents.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 hrs (2017-04-25 02:30:42 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Sorry, Master of Arts could (should) be kept.
Masters degree of Arts, Literature... etc.
Note from asker:
Thanks. Yes, I thought I definitely had to leave the French and offer an English translation in brackets afterwards. A footnote is not feasible as there is so much stuff on the CV! |
Peer comment(s):
agree |
katsy
: various answerers have suggested 'don't translate' of course, but I find that your suggested translation for footnote or similar is the best...
16 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks, I used your suggestion for the English translation."
36 mins
Master of Arts [etc.]
This question is so subjective but my personal reaction is that in USA the French would seem pretentious or, at best, amusingly strange and a source of a few minutes' merriment around the office at the applicant's expense.
I would like to see how it looks translated into English in the body of the CV, with the French original in a footnote concluding with the parenthetical abbreviation (MEEF), and then decide whether that approach seems less obtrusive or distracting than putting the French in the body. Or perhaps many other CVs already have dealt with this issue, if you can find them.
I would like to see how it looks translated into English in the body of the CV, with the French original in a footnote concluding with the parenthetical abbreviation (MEEF), and then decide whether that approach seems less obtrusive or distracting than putting the French in the body. Or perhaps many other CVs already have dealt with this issue, if you can find them.
Note from asker:
Thanks! |
+3
1 hr
MEEF
I suggest you leave it as it is and then put in brackets what it stands for (Master of Arts etc. and a footnote as translation of the Métiers de l'Enseignement, de l'Education et Formation).An example of where MEEF is left as is, though there are plenty more: https://www.scribd.com/document/168556699/Masters-in-Teachin...
Note from asker:
Thanks! |
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Yolanda Broad
7 hrs
|
Thank you
|
|
agree |
mrrafe
: possible
8 hrs
|
Thank you
|
|
agree |
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
: Convention requires the original to be left and an EN footnote to be provided if required.
17 hrs
|
Exactly-thank you. I sure appreciate your detailed explanation as I concentrated on what needs to be translated or not rather than on the translation of the term as I thought that particular aspect should be emphasised-far from 'boring'
|
+1
3 hrs
Master Arts in Modern Lett.& Lges, spec. in MEEF (Teaching, Education & Training Careers)
Master Arts in Modern Letters & Languages, specializing in "MEEF" (Teaching, Education & Training Careers) in Italian in upper secondary school
Note from asker:
Thanks! |
+1
6 hrs
See my suggestion
I think you need to paraphrase and say something like "Master of arts in languages and literature education, specialising in secondary-school Italian."
Note from asker:
Thanks! |
1 day 3 hrs
Leave in French
I have translated this before and I would suggest leaving it in French with a footnote explaining that it is a course on Careers in Teaching, Education & Training, specialising in Italian.
Reference comments
1 hr
Reference:
universities proposing this type of course
Sorbonne Paris 4
http://vof.paris-sorbonne.fr/fr/index/master-XB/arts-lettres...
Unfortunately the link to 'Italian' doesn't work!
This one concerns Spanish, but at least explains a bit what it is.
http://www.u-paris10.fr/offre-de-formation-/master-arts-lett...
http://vof.paris-sorbonne.fr/fr/index/master-XB/arts-lettres...
Unfortunately the link to 'Italian' doesn't work!
This one concerns Spanish, but at least explains a bit what it is.
http://www.u-paris10.fr/offre-de-formation-/master-arts-lett...
Note from asker:
Thanks! |
Discussion
https://www.insee.fr/fr/metadonnees/definition/c1084