This course is meant to teach the basic techniques needed to translate the main Romance languages (Spanish, French and Italian) into English. It will be a "hands-on" course, with a lot of practical exercises and individual attention The instructor, an experienced translator for a leading publication and an active member and speaker at the American Translators Association, will bring into the classroom the texts and situations a translator is most likely to encounter, providing concrete examples and solutions: What to do and what not to do, when to stick to the text and when to depart from it, how to handle regional or idiomatic expressions, etc.

Using the dictionary more efficiently, handling a technical text, recognizing false cognates, knowing what anglicisms to accept and what to avoid: mastery of all this takes years of experience. The instructor will share her professional secrets with the class. Special attention will be given to how to proceed when looking for a job by encouraging joining the right professional circles and organizations, participating in meetings and conventions, and subscribing to professional publications and journals.

No previous experience is necessary but a good knowledge of English is required.