This course is designed for students with a decent level of Arabic proficiency who want to develop as translators, with the focus placed on building translation skills rather than completing the translation of a single book.
The course runs across four live sessions followed by four weeks of ongoing supported practice:
Session 1, Scoping the Work and Tools of the Trade, covers how to gauge whether a text falls within your scope and ability, an introduction to key Arabic dictionaries and lexicons and how to access them, how to use AI tools effectively including structuring prompts, common errors to watch for when relying on AI, and how to resolve difficult words or phrases using multiple sources.
Session 2, Style, Consistency and Tone, covers how to follow a style guide, correct and consistent use of diacritics, and maintaining consistency in wording, format, and tone across a longer piece of work, with a comparison of inconsistent versus consistent translation excerpts.
Session 3, Editing, Drafting and Word Skills, covers how to edit and review your own translated work, how to remain consistent across a longer project, how to actually get started with the translation process, and how to use Microsoft Word functions such as track changes, comments, find and replace, and styles to support editing.
Session 4, Guided Live Translation Practice, involves the group translating some short passages together in real time, with the instructor offering live correction and guidance, building student confidence ahead of independent practice.
Following the four sessions, students will take part in four weeks of ongoing support delivered via a WhatsApp group or Google Classroom, where they will be assigned short portions to translate on a rolling basis and receive personalised feedback on their submissions.
Students will be required to submit a translated passage as their entry acceptance assignment, which will serve to assess their proficiency in the Arabic language. To express your interest in joining, you must complete and submit the Google Form linked here. Once submitted, your application will be reviewed, and we will get back to you with the next steps, in shāʾ Allāh.
The fee for the complete course is £25, payable upon confirmation of entry requirements. Due to the nature of the course, seats are limited and will be offered on a first-come first-serve basis.
