Graduate Certificate in Translation

This course is a study of phonetics, phonology, and grammar necessary to implement a Bible translation project. It includes the study of phonetics and phonology needed to develop a writing system. The course also includes the study of morphology and syntax for understanding how the language communicates meaning through grammatical structures.

This course addresses the process of language analysis with a view to enhancing the student’s ability to learn field languages. Students will learn a framework for understanding and identifying the sound systems and grammatical structures of different languages, recognizing language as a context-dependent social phenomenon driven by cultural attitudes, expectations, behaviors, and contexts which affect the use of language. Emphasizing multilingual communities, this course includes principles for socio-linguistic survey.

This course equips the student to maximize cross-cultural literature engagement by examining factors influencing them and highlighting the significance of community involvement. Topics include the appropriateness of publication and distribution, transformational community and people context involvement, digital distribution, modeling the literature use, oral storying, and audio recording.

This course is designed to equip the student to identify key terms and to analyze and translate the meaning of words, phrases, sentences, and discourses from one language to another.

This course covers models and methods applicable to meaning-based translation and issues commonly arising in translating the biblical text. Topics include accuracy, clarity, naturalness, the source—meaning—receptor translation model, cultural factors in translation model, cultural factors in translation, and the relevance theory of communication.

In this course, students examine the process of translating the Bible, including considerations of acceptability and style. This includes collaboration and partnerships, sociolinguistics surveying, orthography development, drafting, exegetical check, comprehension testing, consultant checking, publication, and distribution concerns. It also includes translation approaches such as oral drafting, cluster projects, and adaptations. The course introduces software commonly used by translators for language data collection, management, and analysis, as well as written translation, oral drafting, and adaptation.

This course prepares students for the process of language and cultural acquisition while acquainting them with tools for developing insight into the worldviews of people groups. Students learn to identify and apply their own language and culture learning styles, manage language data, and use appropriate learning techniques while working with a native language speaker.

Missionary Formation
Missionary Formation addresses issues involved in personal and familial growth in spirituality while engaged and immersed in the pressures and dynamics of a cross-cultural ministry. The course develops strategies and continuing practices required to satisfy the needs of both children and parents under the stress of working in a context that demands high levels of change in family, social integration, and cultural isolation. Issues of conflict resolution and relationship building among team and family members are also addressed as a beginning to cross-cultural worker care.

Dynamics of Cross-Cultural Growth
This course addresses issues involved in personal and familial growth while engaged and immersed in the pressures and dynamics of living and working cross-culturally. This course develops strategies and continuing practices required to satisfy the needs of both children and parents under the stress of working in a context that demands high levels of change in family, social integration, and cultural isolation. Issues of conflict resolution and relationship building among team and family members are also addressed as a beginning to cross-cultural worker care.