CAPSTONE PROJECTS FOR THE MINOR IN TRANSLATION STUDIES: INTERVIEW WITH MARINE BARJOL

The Minor in Translation Studies gives undergraduates at the University of Michigan an opportunity to explore translation from multiple perspectives, as a movement between languages, media, disciplines, and cultures. 

Students who choose the minor come from a wide range of departments, and they complete a capstone project that allows them to engage translation in various literary and professional settings, including internships, community outreach, and creative collaborations.  

In a series of interviews conducted by the Department of Comparative Literature, students describe their unique capstone projects. They explain why they are interested in translation, how they developed their interests through the capstone project, and what they learned from the experience.  

 

Marine Barjol ’18 (BA, Political Science) developed a capstone project out of her internship at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where she worked with a visiting fellow to translate his book about the Syrian conflict. Translating from French into English, she had a chance to work directly with the author to clarify questions for American readers. As an international student, she found that minoring in Translation Studies helped her become more comfortable in moving between languages. She hopes to pursue a Master’s Degree or Certificate in Translation in the future.