licence fondamentale

English translation: bachelor's degree

16:42 Oct 29, 2019

French to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Education / Pedagogy / Transcript

French term or phrase: licence fondamentale

Hi,

I have this as the student's degree/diploma as part of an academic transcript from Tunisia. I found these explanations of the term:

" La licence fondamentale ou la Licence d’Etudes Fondamentales (LEF) est un diplôme national de premier cycle de l'Enseignement Supérieur validant 3 années d’études après le baccalauréat. L’obtention de de ce diplôme permet la poursuite d’études universitaires en master ou l’insertion dans la vie professionnelle. "
https://www.etudiant.ma/type_de_diplome/licence-fondamentale

" La Licence Fondamentale vise essentiellement à habiliter les étudiants qui en sont titulaires, à rejoindre le marché de l’emploi, soit directement, soit après avoir reçu une formation spécialisée en la matière. Elle permet également aux meilleurs diplômés de s’inscrire, dans la limite de la capacité d’accueil, au master recherche ou au master professionnel. "
http://www.ihet.ens.tn/licences-fondamentales.html

How would you translate it?

Thanks in advance!

Desirée Morales Ruiz (X) KudoZ activity Questions: 7 (1 open) (3 without valid answers) Answers: 0 Puerto Rico
Local time: 01:55

English translation:bachelor's degree

Explanation:
Tunisia seems to distinguish between "licence fondamentale" and "licence appliquée," with the former being more academic and leading (if desired) to graduate school, and the latter more job-oriented.

https://www.tuniscope.com/article/2296/vie/etude/licence-app...

So a licence fondamentale is just a normal bachelor's degree, while a licence appliquée would be an applied bachelor's degree.

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Note added at 1 day 1 hr (2019-10-30 17:45:07 GMT)
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PS: IMHO there is no reason to leave something this simple and universal (most countries have 3-year bachelor's degrees) in FR.

We leave terms in their original language, with an explanation, when the terms are specific to that culture or country and have no equivalent in the target language.

But that's not the situation here. A 3-year bachelor's degree that can be followed by a master's degree is nearly universal. For some 20 years now, literally every EU country has followed essentially the same higher education model (called "LMD" in France, as well as in Tunisia, Morocco, etc., for "licence-maîtrise-doctorat"), with as its foundation a three-year bachelor's degree.

And the translation of "licence" is "bachelor's degree." Tunisia has normal licences, which can be followed by master's degrees; that's what a "licence fondamentale" is. Hence, "bachelor's degree." Apparently Tunisia also has another type of licence ("appliquée"), which may merit a slightly different translation... but that's not the term we're trying to translate.

Selected response from:

Eliza Hall
United States
Local time: 01:55

Grading comment

First validated answer (validated by peer agreement)

Summary of answers provided

4 +2

bachelor's degree

Eliza Hall

5 -1

Bachelor's Degree in Fundamenal Studies

Yassine Idouhamouch

Fundamental Licence

SafeTex

Summary of reference entries provided

See this for an explanation. It may help.

Jennifer White

On the non-translatability of academic credentials

Yolanda Broad

Answers

7 hrs confidence:

Fundamental Licence

Explanation:
Hello

I noted Yolanda's idea to just leave it but then wondered if a literal translation might be better - which gives almost the same result bearing in mind the similarities here between French and English;

I then checked and saw that this solution is used on a number of Arabic sites in English.

At best, you could add short translator's notes explaining what it is.

Reference: http://www.iseahs.rnu.tn/index.php/en/lf-ang-eng/
Reference: http://www.umlt.ens.tn/fr/fundamental-licence/

SafeTex
France
Local time: 07:55
Meets criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 12

17 hrs confidence:

Bachelor's Degree in Fundamenal Studies

Explanation:
/////////

Yassine Idouhamouch
Morocco
Does not meet criteria
Native speaker of:

Arabic

4 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

bachelor's degree

Eliza Hall
United States
Local time: 01:55
Does not meet criteria
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 10

Grading comment

First validated answer (validated by peer agreement)

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

disagree

Yolanda Broad (meets criteria): Should be left in French, with, possibly, a footnote explaining the term. Please see my reference entry, below.

1 hr

-> There's no reason to leave something this simple and universal (almost all countries have 3-year bachelor's degrees) in FR.

agree

katsy (meets criteria): left in French, with an explanation, possibly - cf the two references below, which tend to favour leaving in French with an explanation, this answer is right in my opinion

15 hrs

-> Thanks for the agree. I don't think something this widespread/nearly universal should be left in FR, though -- see PS above for why.

agree

Zeineb Nalouti: exact!

19 hrs

-> Merci !

agree

Yvonne Gallagher (meets criteria)

42 days

Reference comments

2 hrs

Reference: See this for an explanation. It may help.

Reference information:
https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/licence-appliquée-fo...

Jennifer White
United Kingdom
Does not meet criteria
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 12

5 hrs peer agreement (net) from those meeting criteria: +1

Reference: On the non-translatability of academic credentials

Reference information:
See my reference entry here:

https://www.proz.com/kudoz/french-to-english/education-pedag...

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Note added at 1 day 6 hrs (2019-10-30 23:17:24 GMT)
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Reference information:
I am posting below my standard explanation about academic credentials. I have posted the same explanation in a number of KudoZ over the years.

In the case of an academic credential, there is no "translation" - The short explanation is: translators are not in a position to determine degree or diploma equivalencies, a complex task that can only be performed by qualified officials at degree-awarding institutions. I speak from experience not only as a translator but as a retired academic: I sat for years on a university committee that developed the standards for admission, transfer and graduation from that institution. Once those standards were developed and approved by the university community and its officials, they became part of the tools with which the university registrar could work. Registrars are the *only* officials at an institution of higher learning who can evaluate degree equivalencies. And they can only do so in terms of their own institution's standards. Not even they are in a position to "re-award" a degree or credits earned elsewhere! In like manner, boards of education/state departments of education (in the US) are the only ones qualified to determine what is required to satisfy requirements for graduation. In France, it is the Ministère de l'éducation.

For a tool that registrars use, you might want to look at Eurydice, which has done a mammoth job of developing equivalencies (no doubt relieving assorted academic administrators of many headaches). Here is the URL:

http://www.eurydice.org/

However, just because an equivalency appears "ready-made" in Eurydice does not suddenly convert translators into surrogate registrars.

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Note added at 2863 days (2018-06-05 23:14:44 GMT) Post-grading
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Please note: http://www.eurydice.org/ is no longer a Website dedicated to developing credential equivalencies.

Yolanda Broad
United States
Meets criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 28

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English translation: bachelor's degree

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