European Masters In Translation

It goes without saying that the world of language and translation is constantly evolving. In the last few years alone the translation industry has had to adjust to many dramatic changes. The number of official EU languages has more than doubled (from eleven to twenty three). This, as well as factors such as advances in technology, globalisation and demographic movements have dramatically increased the requirement for highly skilled translators, whilst highlighting the lack of suitable translators in this market.

This is how the European Masters in Translation (EMT) came into fruition. The European Commission’s (EC) Directorate –General for Translation (DGT) reacted to the shortfall in an industry where demand exceeds supply, and where finding a way to evaluate and benchmark translators’ practices can be even more difficult.

The DGT draughted guidelines for the European Masters in translation back in 2005. These included a general description of the key competencies required to meet the needs of the industry, with the goal of developing the status and quality of the translation profession.

The importance of staying up to date with all modifications within the market is paramount. The programme also underlines the importance of focusing on new areas that have not always strictly fallen under the translation umbrella, but are just as significant in our industry; for example project management, subtitling and editing.

The EMT launched its request for Universities to apply to join the network in March 2009, and applications closed on 31st May. Members were pre-selected by an independent committee of experts from the translation and linguistic profession, and the 34 programmes deemed eligible to join was presented to the Director-General.

Members of the EMT must reapply every four years, and applicants who were unsuccessful are urged to reapply at the next call for new members to join. The next EMT conference will take place in autumn of this year, with the date for new institutions to apply to the programme to be unveiled at the end of the year.

The Translation People support this move towards a standardised method of certification and are hopeful that it will help meet the increasing demand for professional translators.