Language Service
Translation services at FAU
The FAU Language Service supports the internationalisation objectives of the University by ensuring that the language used to present the University to an English-speaking audience is professional and consistent.
We generally translate documents from the areas of research, study, administration and public relations from German into English.
Our online terminology service provides a glossary for all members of the University and is also a key part of standardising language used at FAU.
We also accept academic papers for proofreading and editing.
This blog post on fau.eu gives a brief overview of the work of the Language Service.
The Language Service provides certain translations free of charge, in particular those relating to FAU’s internationalisation strategy. This includes:
- Forms and templates from the University Administration
- Administrative documents relevant to students at all faculties
- General information and announcements
- Marketing material
- Press releases and research reports
- FAU website
Any requests for translations of University Administration websites must go through the Web Team. Please contact the Web Team.
Please note the following when requesting a translation from the Language Service:
- The time needed to complete a translation depends on the available resources. When requesting a translation, please be sure to let us know if you need it by a specific deadline or at short notice.
- The customer is responsible for ensuring that the content of the source text is correct.
- The preferred format is .docx or .xliff. Other formats (especially .pdf) entail additional costs or longer turnaround times; we are happy to provide further information on request.
- The file should only contain the text to be translated (without any highlights, comments etc.).
- We deliver the translation in the same format as the source text. Unfortunately, we cannot provide any additional formatting services such as creating a bilingual form.
- Unless specified otherwise, the translation will be done in British English.
Please feel free to send us preferred terminology or reference material in a separate file.
If you need any further information or you would like to request a translation, please contact us by email – ideally with the text for translation attached.
Privacy notice
When we accept a job, we save your personal data for project management purposes in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (b) EU General Data Protection Regulation. Your data is not forwarded to third parties. You are entitled to request information from us on which personal data we process. You have a legal right to change, erase or restrict processing of your data as well as a right to data portability.
Project management: Susanne Jäckle
Translators: Daniel McCosh, Deirdre Rieker, Carol Quillévéré
Administration: Beate Votteler
E-mail: sz-sprachendienst@fau.de
Phone: +49 9131 8526000
The online glossary provided by the Language Service covers FAU-specific terminology as well as general university-related terminology which we are often asked to help with (German <> English). The glossary serves as a source for looking up individual terms, as well as ensuring that terminology is used more consistently, preventing misunderstandings caused when different terms are used. Terminology is added regularly.
The glossary can be accessed from wherever you are.
We are also able to create individual glossaries which can only be accessed by authorised persons for individual areas such as working groups or chairs. Please ask us for details.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any other questions or would like to suggest a term for translation: sz-sprachendienst@fau.de.
Glossary: http://lookup.fau-sprachendienst.de
Notice
If you cannot find a term, please first check whether the search options are set correctly, and try using placeholders such as *. Please also check that the language settings are correct. Please use the online help for further information.
If you use Internet Explorer and have problems with viewing the online help, please deactivate the compatibility mode.
Like the Language Centre as a whole, the Language Service has an important role to play in FAU’s internationalisation strategy. This covers, for example:
- Removing language barriers Providing brochures, information sheets to help fill in forms, administrative information etc. in English helps guests, international students and researchers find their feet at FAU from the outset, even if they only speak English.
- Supporting international university marketing Flyers, information brochures and websites in English allow potential new members of FAU to find out in advance all about where they are going to be studying or carrying out research.
- Promoting international visibility As well as providing information in English, the Language Service also offers recommendations, advice and support regarding corporate wording and terminology management in the academic sector, helping to make research contributions easier to find and ensuring that they are associated with the correct institution.
The Language Service acts as an intermediary, cooperating closely with the departments, offices and committees within FAU which are involved in internationalisation. This is particularly true in areas such as corporate wording and terminology management.
In October 2013 the Bavarian Office for University Administrative Documents in English (BaySeV) started operations in Erlangen. BaySeV was launched as a project of the Bavarian State Ministry for Education, Culture, Science and Arts, and the FAU’s Language Service proved to be the best home for the project. The Language Service’s high level of expertise and well-built infrastructure made it stand out against other universities competing for the project.
The FAU Language Service and BaySeV are independent projects, which nevertheless utilize each other’s strengths and enjoy a lively exchange of ideas and information. The two projects pursue separate goals and serve different target groups, while both supporting the larger goal of internationalisation. The Language Service caters to the translation needs of FAU specifically. BaySeV works with publically funded universities across Bavaria to help them produce administrative documents for international students and employees. It also maintains an online glossary of university terminology (German-English). BaySeV’s services and online resources are available to university employees at state-funded universities in Bavaria. For more information or to use our website visit www.BaySeV.de. Julia Ellis-Simpson is the BaySeV project manager.