Jana

I strongly recommend studying and working in Japan. If you enroll at a Japanese university -for content classes, not JSL or whatever they call it - and you get decent grades, that should be a good indicator in my opinion.

Which leads me to my second suggestion (can you tell I was trained to link ideas in a speech?): you should start to work on a specialization while you're at it. That's how you will stand out from the crowd. You mentioned the periodic table; do you like physics? Then sign up for undergrad physics at a Japanese university when you're ready!

Also, find a job, on campus or wherever you like, as long as you're surrounded with Japanese people. That kind of hands-on experience is priceless.

I know you shouldn't compare people but here goes. I said in a previous post that my one and only French classmate couldn't make it to second-year simultaneous interpretation and she had to stick to written translation. Her undergrad major was English, most of it in France with a couple semesters at a US university as an exchange student. Yours truly did all her undergrad work in the US, starting with Gen Ed at a community college while working on campus. My undergrad major was not English as I did not need ESL; I enrolled in regular classes. その結果, I aced the admission test at MIIS and I was able to benefit from the program as I was proficient enough in all my working languages.

I wouldn't worry too much about "being accepted" by Japanese colleagues. MIIS may be an exception but I was hanging out with Japanese T&I students all the time and that was never an issue for English-A folks.

Sooo... hang in there!

P.S. Don't listen to Can, Osaka ben is great! そうでしゃろ!

Hmm... That's an interesting idea, and one I haven't thought about. The problem is that I have no idea what I'd want to study. Actually I don't like physics at all (*shudder*), and the thing I'm most interested is languages, which obviously doesn't count as a specialization. I also like music and religion, but neither of those would really work. XD I definitely don't want to go with economics or business, either... I can see medicine or perhaps law being more interesting. I do like the idea of being able to help sick people without actually having to be the one to cut them open. XD But how would you study, say, medical jargon for the purpose of becoming an interpreter in undergraduate school? I really don't care to take organic chemistry for instance, which doesn't seem necessary. O_o;; What all are the fields interpreters and translators can specialize in? Medicine, law, business, economics, science, politics... Anything else?

I'm not even entirely sure I want to study medicine, anyway. I guess I should use the next several months I'll have in the states to start reading up on lots of different subjects and see what might interest me. It's really never occurred to me to go to undergrad school in Japan... Is it unusual to get two BA degrees? O_o;; (Granted, my first one, in Asian Studies, is more or less useless.) I'll have to chew on that idea for a while. I guess if I went that route, I could just go to one of those short-term interpreting schools in Japan afterwards?

As far as getting a job though, I don't think it's common for Japanese students to work while in college, because their parents usually pay for their education... It might be possible though.

But gosh, your idea certainly does sound like fun, if nothing else. XD Possibly expensive though, which could be an issue. =/

Yeah, your friend sounds kind of like me. Warning taken.

Who's Can? I guess their post was deleted? Anyway... Actually I don't think I'd want to live in Osaka because of the extreme climate there. XD I'd rather go with Tokyo or perhaps Kyushu. But I do agree that Kansai-ben is pretty cool, though I can't really speak it myself, haha. Have you lived in Osaka before, Sarah?

*sigh* I wish I had figured out sooner what I wanted to do with my life, or I wouldn't have spent those three years in Michigan getting a useless degree and this year in Taiwan teaching English. -_-;; At this rate, I think Terry can rest assured-- I'll definitely be a lot older once I finally get to be an interpreter. You live, you learn I guess.

Hi Stephen

If you're a Waseda graduate, you're probably ready for T&I.

Now, what would you like to know about MIIS? As an alumna I may be able to answer some of your questions.

Sarah

Jana,

That you write very well really jumped out at me.  I registered just so I could tell you that.  It ought to be to your advantage in producing quality English documents.

This thread is highly relevant for me too, so I would like to ask a related question, if I may

I am graduating in my degree of Japanese and Korean at SOAS, which included a one year exchange at Waseda university. I now have a number of options, but have no idea which is the best to follow. I would like to word in translation, and so would like to take translation further by studying it at a more specialised level - which gives me the choice of going to a translation school or doing a postgraduate university course - the first thing I am unsure of is which is more ideal, in terms of reputation and in terms of course content.

I would ideally like to study translation in Japan, and in doing so, continue to improve my Japanese, but I am unsure of which reputable translation schools or university translation courses there are, so if anyone can enlighten me, it would be much appreciated.

I am confident with my level of Japanese and have 1 kyuu as a qualification (although I know that this in itself does not mean one is necessarily near native, but it helps as a quantifiable marker), and I would be confident in working in a Japanese company, but would prefer studying/working in Japan for a couple more years to gain a higher level of competence and confidence in translation. My Korean is at intermediate level, although I am also fluent in French (although not as a second mother tongue) and have worked at a French company before, although I am not sure how I can incorporate this into a career.

My current plan is to work in the UK for a year or so to save money, then move to Japan to study translation while working (if possible), or study at a university on a scholarship. If anyone has any suggestions, or names of institutions, it would be hugely appreciated!

 I'm afraid I am not familiar with institution or university which may best-match your needs, but I guess you should include the option of working in Japan as an English teacher in your plan. As a native Japanese who's raised up in Japan, it should be a shame, but there're still a number of Japanese who want to pay for improving English skill especially in terms of communication, which, in most cases, may lead to a waste of money, unless they use it in daily lives. (However, as you have noticed, Japanese can lead a comfortable life without using English as long as they live and work in Japan)

 I have some friends from UK who have worked as freelance English teachers or at some English schools which welcome anyone regardless of the age, who have not spoken Japanese at all although they have lived in Japan for a couple of years. You can use your current skill as long as you may be needed. 

I think certainly working as an English teacher would be an easy option in terms of finding an initial job in the short term. Another alternative, or something alongside this, is studying at masters level in a Japanese university. I have studied at Waseda before, so that is one place I could re-apply to. Obviously a course such as translation could be suitable, but I have heard that the quality and relevance of some courses may not always be useful if one wishes to go into interpreting, so I'm still wondering where would the best place be to go, should I take that option.