Critical Languages and International Studies BA French Global Studies BA Modern Languages BA Arabic Chinese French German Korean Russian Spanish Spanish for Global Competence BA Spanish Translation & Interpreting BA

Students pursuing the Minor in Localization and Translation (French) study the processes of localization and develop specialized skills in translation for future employment in the language services industry. Localization adapts language, texts, products, software and websites to the locale for which they are intended. By using specialized computer-assisted translation workflow software and simulating a collaborative work environment, students become conversant with the tools and procedures required for twenty-first century localization and translation work. Extensive practice in translating a variety of oral and written documents in the target language provides the skills to work in business, non-profit, and academic contexts.

In the five-course Certificate in Localization and Translation (French), students study the processes of localization and develop specialized skills in translation for future employment in the language services industry. Localization adapts language, texts, products, software and websites to the locale for which they are intended. By using specialized computer-assisted translation workflow software and simulating a collaborative work environment, students become conversant with the tools and procedures required for twenty-first century localization and translation work. Extensive practice in translating a variety of oral and written documents in the target language provides the skills to work in business, non-profit, and academic situations. 

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern Languages (French) with a concentration in Localization and Translation combines language, culture, and technology to prepare students for work in the language services industry. Localization translates and adapts language, texts, products, software, and websites to a target culture. Students work with an international software partner to build machine translation (MT) engines and test their engines against international translation products. Students learn in a collaborative work environment with hands-on training in computer-assisted translation, focusing on concepts of "big language data" collection and processing, as well as MT engine tuning across multiple languages and domains. Students also build AI models using these same language data for natural language understanding. The substantive program provides training in key skills for future employment tasks, for ultimate career preparedness.

The Bachelor of Arts in French Global Studies provides foundational academic and professional preparation for students to develop linguistic and intercultural competence through the study of the French language and the cultures of the French-speaking world. The curriculum is designed to maximize the success of both language learners and native/heritage speakers of French. Through experiential learning in language classes, as well as in more advanced courses in literature, culture, linguistics, and French for the professions, students are trained to be multilingual and intercultural. In addition to linguistic and cultural competence, students gain valuable skills in critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving. Our substantive program prepares students for success in an increasingly interconnected world, in fields such as the language services industry—interpreting, localization, and translation; education; research; writing, publishing, and the media; health, legal, and social services; business; government; international relations; the cultural heritage sector—museums, libraries, and archives.