About the Program

The B.A. "Translation: Arabic, English, German” program was established in September 2007. The program is unique in the region and even worldwide with its equal focus on three languages at the same competence level. Students usually, but not exclusively, start the program with Arabic as their native language and a good command of English.

In the first two years of their studies the students focus on consolidating their first and second language skills and acquiring German as their third language. In addition they are introduced to the basic principles of translation as well as crucial aspects of linguistics and culture studies. In the third year the students delve deeper into the world of translation while translating texts from a wide range of fields between all three languages and exploring specific challenges in translating between cultures. Like GJU students of other majors students of the Translation program spend the fourth year of their studies in Germany, studying for one semester at one of the renowned partner universities and doing an internship at a company of their choice during the second semester. The students generally experience this German year as truly life changing. It provides them with deeper insights into the German culture and the practical dimension of doing an internship abroad and, within the context of one of the most flourishing economies of the world, the internship profoundly increases their later career prospects.

Start: The first semester starts in the beginning of October but prospective Translation students have to attend an Intensive German Pre-Course that usually starts in the beginning of September.

Program Outcomes

Program graduates will be able to

use their working languages confidently and in an appropriate way on an advanced B2 level;
compose professional texts like reports, formal letters, summaries etc. as well as to do content writing in all of the three working languages;
translate various kinds of (general and specialized) texts from various fields of knowledge;
carry out translation tasks which go beyond the traditional tasks of a translator, such as website localization, subtitling etc.;
make appropriate use of new information technologies and translation tools;
interpret general conversations;
use different kinds of references properly (dictionaries, parallel texts, online information sources etc.);
communicate appropriately within their own culture as well as between different cultures;
take on responsibility and work both individually and in teams;
identify translation/interpretation problems and find ways of solving them;
work on both the national and international level;
conduct research on specific questions from the areas of translation, culture and language;
adapt easily and independently to new contexts of work, as they will do an internship in Germany.

Employment and Career Prospects

As a result of the professional upscale training and experience in the field of translation acquired in the program, skilled students are in high demand in the labour market. Since translations are needed in all fields of human communication, graduates of the Translation program work in a wide variety of fields, for example

as translation freelancers or in translation and subtitling companies;
in embassies;
in NGOs;
in German organizations in Jordan or in other Arab countries;
in theatres, museums, and tourism (cultural work);
in publishing houses, libraries, and book-stores (editorial work);
in newspapers, radio, television;
in language institutes, universities;
in any area that requires language and cultural experts who can translate, negotiate, and mediate in creative ways between different cultural contexts; this is particularly valid for companies which cooperate with the German and English speaking world.

For many graduates the extensive language skills they have acquired in the course of their studies opens up a good number of opportunities for continuing their studies in a more or less related field abroad.

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