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Wanting to learn more about ����ֱ�� State University’s M.A. in Translation program? Our team recently interviewed Professor Trask Roberts, Ph.D., who is an assistant professor of French translation here at our university. 

With an extensive background in French translation and studies, Professor Roberts is a vital resource to the MCLS department and the ����ֱ�� State community. Read on to learn more about his journey, as well as the benefits of pursuing a graduate degree with us!

1. What is your expertise in the field?

I have an M.A. and Ph.D. in French and Francophone Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.A. in French Literature from the University of Minnesota, and a B.A. in French and Economics from Dartmouth College. Additionally, I am a specialist in translation studies, 20^th and 21^st century French and Francophone literature, autobiography, and self-translation. 

Recently, I have been particularly interested in transfiction, which is fictional works representing translators and/or translation, and pseudotranslation, which is original works claiming to be translations, for which no source text exists. I am also a translator, primarily working with literary texts, but I also have an interest in translating economic theory and related texts. 

2. What courses do you teach at ����ֱ�� State?

In the three years since I have pursued a career at ����ֱ�� State, I have taught several translation courses at the undergraduate and graduate level, from theoretical approaches to translation to workshops in literary, cultural, diplomatic, commercial, and legal translation. I also teach undergraduate courses in translation theory, as well as in French language and culture. 

3. What sets ����ֱ�� State’s language programs apart from similar programs at other schools?

����ֱ�� State’s language program is special because it’s housed in one of the largest language departments in northeast Ohio. Students can select courses in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, German, Japanese, French, Spanish, American Sign Language, and Italian. 

In addition, we are home to one of the oldest translation programs in the United States. We offer degrees in translation from the undergraduate to the doctoral level. Our graduates are all over the globe working in dozens of industries. 

4. What advice would you give to students interested in pursuing a career in languages or cultural studies?

I tell my students that regardless of the future or the career they envision for themselves, learning another language will make it better and more worthwhile. Being monolingual is such a constraint, and it is only when you escape it that you realize how boxed in you truly were. 

By now, the science is settled on the cognitive benefits of being bi- or polylingual. Beyond this, learning a second language will make you a more competent speaker of your first language, as well as a better thinker. What more could you ask for from your college experience?

5. How do your courses prepare students for real-world applications of language and cultural studies?

One of the undergraduate courses I teach is called “The Francophone Experience.” This course was developed, in part, to help orient students who are planning to study abroad somewhere in the Francophone world and want to understand the history and culture of the people they will be meeting. 

We learn about the global spread of French and how it has been taken up and adapted by people in different regions. But we also discuss how day-to-day life is different (greeting with cheek kisses, for example) in various Francophone regions and how to navigate these differences.

6. What current trends or challenges do you see in the field of languages and cultural studies?

When I was learning French in high school, one of the great challenges was access to French materials, media, and speakers. This is no longer a problem! My students have a plethora of streaming capabilities for Francophone TV, films, and online content. They can connect with native speakers via various apps and websites and talk in real time. This is an incredible advantage of our period. 

The challenge in this new era is attention. Language learning is an incredibly cognitively demanding task that becomes nearly impossible in a state of constant distraction. Moreover, students often have the mistaken impression that communicating via an intermediary (Google Translate, ChatGPT, and others) is as effective as speaking the language themselves. But this severed connection will always leave you wanting.

7. Are there any research projects or initiatives you’re currently working on that students might find exciting?

Last year, I teamed up with a professor in criminology here at ����ֱ�� State, and we hosted a Francophone Crime Film Festival. We screened six recent films that all dealt with various crimes and were major hits at the French box office. People came from all over northeast Ohio. We hope to have a second iteration of the festival this upcoming fall. 

In my personal research, I am working on a project that brings together autobiography and self-translation. For this research, I am looking specifically at writers who write about themselves and then translate those writings into another language. 

I am interested in the curious parallel between the acts: autobiography is adapting one’s lived experience into a written narrative (taking life and putting it on the page), and self-translation then brings both that lived experience and written account into a second language. Both autobiography and self-translation are, therefore, ways of creating meaning from the randomness of our lives. 

Apply to Our M.A. in Translation Program

For those interested in pursuing a graduate degree in translation, apply online today or reach out to us with any questions you may have. We look forward to discussing your future with you!