Summary
When your thesis is in English but your sources—and sometimes the best terminology—aren’t, you must integrate foreign-language material with care. Use quotation marks (not italics) for direct quotations; supply accurate translations (yours or cited) immediately after or in notes; and italicize short, non-quoted foreign words only when they are not naturalized loanwords. For biological names, italicize genus and species (Thymus vulgaris). Choose a single romanization/transliteration system, keep diacritics, and follow your style guide’s rules for capitalization, punctuation, and bibliography.
Key moves: (1) Decide whether you need the original, a translation, or both. (2) For single words/short phrases used as terms, italicize and gloss on first use; for long passages, use a block quotation and give a translation. (3) Credit all translations (even your own). (4) Never “re-translate” into English from a translation—quote the original source language or its official English edition. (5) Standardize romanization, non-Latin scripts, and quotation punctuation; use [sic] and brackets sparingly and transparently.
Bottom line: signal foreignness clearly, aid comprehension immediately, and stay consistent. The framework and templates below let you add Latin, Greek, Arabic, Chinese, French, and more—without confusing readers or examiners.
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How To Integrate Words from Foreign Languages into Your Thesis or Dissertation
A practical, style-safe guide for quotations, translations, transliteration, and terminology
Writing a thesis or dissertation in English often means walking a line between faithfulness to foreign-language sources and readability for an English-speaking audience. Done well, foreign words clarify nuance, demonstrate philological care, and connect readers to primary evidence. Done clumsily, they confuse, distract, or breach style conventions. This guide outlines the decisions you need to make—and how to apply them consistently—so your work remains precise, transparent, and publication-ready.
1) Direct quotations in a foreign language (short & long)
Short quotations (run-in): Use standard English quotation marks; do not italicize purely because the words are foreign. Integrate the quote grammatically.
Augustine confessed that as a student he had a mind that “delectabat ludere,” and his later prose shows the same delight in wordplay.
- Italicization: For quotations, most guides advise roman (upright) type; if your edition prints the foreign in italics, you may still set it in roman in your prose. Reserve italics for emphasis you add (and mark it: “emphasis added”).
- Punctuation: Follow English punctuation and spacing; retain diacritics faithfully (e.g., piété, niñez).
Block quotations (long): For passages above your guide’s threshold (e.g., >40 words APA; >3 lines Chicago), indent as a block, no quotation marks. Provide a translation nearby.
“ὁ ἄνθρωπος φύσει πολιτικὸν ζῷον.”
Translation immediately after (recommended): “By nature, the human being is a political animal.”
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Line breaks: Preserve meaningful lineation for poetry/drama; note omissions with ellipses in brackets
[…]if you remove material. -
[sic]and brackets: Use[sic]sparingly to signal errors in the source; use square brackets for your interpolations or clarifications inside the quote.
2) Providing translations (and documenting them)
- Running translation: After the quote, supply the translation in parentheses: “delectabat ludere (was delighted to play).” Keep it concise in-text; reserve commentary for notes.
- Footnote/endnote translation: For readability, move long translations or alternative renderings to a note, especially when you must preserve original word order in the body.
- Attribution: If you use a published translation, cite it explicitly and include the work in your references. If you translate, say so once early (“Unless otherwise noted, translations are mine”). If you later quote a published translation verbatim, credit that specific line in-text or note.
- No “back-translation”: Never translate an English work from a foreign translation back into English. Quote the authoritative English edition or the source language directly.
3) Using foreign terms (not quotations)
When you use an isolated non-English term as a term of art rather than quoting someone, signal its foreignness and help the reader.
- Italicize on first mention and gloss: “The Japanese concept amae (dependence born of indulgent love) appears throughout the interviews.” After first mention, many guides allow roman type if the term recurs frequently; choose and be consistent.
- Loanwords and naturalized terms: Words widely naturalized in English typically stay in roman type: status quo, per se, ad hoc, ceteris paribus, deja vu (often “déjà vu” with diacritics). Check your style manual’s list or your journal’s practice.
- Scientific names: Italicize genus and species (Thymus vulgaris), capitalizing the genus only; higher taxonomic ranks (Lamiaceae) are roman.
- Pluralization and capitalization: Pluralize English phrases normally (“two rasikas”), unless you adopt the source language plural for a disciplinary reason (explain at first use). Follow source-language capitalization for proper names; otherwise follow English sentence case.
4) Transliteration, romanization, and diacritics
For non-Latin scripts (Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Hebrew, Cyrillic, etc.), pick one romanization system and document it in your style note. Examples:
- Arabic: ISO 233; DMG; ALA-LC. Decide on hamza/ʿayn marks and macrons; e.g., taʿlīm, ʿulamāʾ.
- Chinese: Hanyu Pinyin (primary); include tone marks if critical for meaning (Mǎ vs Ma), or tone numbers in linguistic contexts.
- Russian: ALA-LC or scientific transliteration: Černyševskij vs Chernyshevsky—choose once and stay consistent.
- Greek: Either transliterate (logos) or provide Greek (λόγος); if both appear, state your rule.
Diacritics: Retain them in body text and references. If your keyboard or font strips them, fix the encoding; never silently drop diacritics that distinguish words.
5) Placement options for translations: side-by-side, in-text, or note
| Use case | Best placement | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short phrases central to argument | In-text parentheses | Immediate clarity | Can clutter a dense sentence |
| Long passages needing close reading | Block quote + translation directly after | Reader sees original and English together | Takes vertical space |
| Specialist editions or many languages | Parallel block or footnote translation | Keeps main narrative smooth | Readers must navigate notes |
6) Quotation marks, punctuation, and typography
- Quotation marks: Use English quotation style for the main text; within foreign quotes, retain the source’s quotation marks as needed. For nested quotes, alternate single/double per your style.
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Punctuation inside/outside quotes: Follow your style guide (US vs UK rules differ); keep bracketed material and
[sic]inside the quotation if they comment on the quoted text. - Ellipses: Use ellipsis points for omissions; if you omit across sentences in block quotations, ensure clarity and avoid altering meaning.
- Typography: Use a Unicode-capable font that supports the scripts you need; check PDF output so diacritics, right-to-left scripts (Arabic, Hebrew), and line breaks render correctly.
7) Citing sources in multiple languages
- References list: Cite works in the original language. Optionally provide an English translation of the title in brackets after the original, per Chicago/APA preferences: Die protestantische Ethik und der Geist des Kapitalismus [The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism].
- Author names: Preserve original order and diacritics; do not anglicize given names unless the author does so in publications.
- Edition cited: If you quote a translation, cite the translator and edition; if you quote the original, cite that edition—even if you also consulted a translation.
8) Common pitfalls (and fast fixes)
| Pitfall | Problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Italics for every foreign quotation | Misleading: italics suggest emphasis | Use roman type for quotes; italicize only non-quoted terms of art or species names |
| Uncredited translations | Opaque sourcing; academic integrity issue | Credit published translations; declare “translations are mine” otherwise |
| Back-translation into English | Inaccuracy and ethics risk | Quote the original language or an official English edition |
| Mixed romanization systems | Inconsistency; index headaches | Choose one system; add a one-line note on method |
| Dropping diacritics | Alters meaning; hurts searchability | Use Unicode; retain diacritics in text and references |
9) Templates you can copy
Run-in with translation: “Comme l’écrit Bourdieu, ‘l’habitus’ (the system of durable, transposable dispositions) structure practices.”
Block quote + translation:
إنما الأعمال بالنيات
“Actions are judged by intentions.”1
Translator note: “Unless otherwise indicated, translations are my own; Arabic transliteration follows ALA-LC.”
Scientific name: “Essential oil yield was highest in Thymus vulgaris.”
10) Accessibility, readability, and digital considerations
- Screen readers: Provide English translations close to the foreign text; avoid images of text for non-Latin scripts.
- Searchability: Include both original and translated terms for key concepts at least once so readers can find them via index/search.
- Right-to-left scripts: Use proper directionality markers (most word processors handle this); verify alignment and punctuation in PDF.
11) Mini style sheet (copy/paste at the start of your project)
Quotations: Foreign quotations in roman type; English quotation marks; block format for >40 words.
Translations: In parentheses after short quotes; directly after block quotes; note “translations are mine” unless cited.
Terms of art: Italicize on first use and gloss; roman thereafter if frequent.
Species names: Italicize genus + species; roman for higher taxa.
Romanization: ALA-LC for Arabic; Hanyu Pinyin for Chinese; retain diacritics.
References: Original titles with optional English in brackets; preserve diacritics; cite translators where applicable.
12) Worked examples in context
Humanities: “Hannah Arendt’s reading of Weltlosigkeit (worldlessness) reframes totalitarianism as the destruction of shared reality.”
Social sciences (interview): Respondent 7 used the Mandarin term “关系 (guānxi, personal ties)” to describe hiring practices.
STEM (etymology/term): “The Latin in vivo (‘in the living’) contrasts with in vitro (‘in glass’) experiments.”
13) Final checklist before submission
- Every foreign quotation is set in roman type with English punctuation; block quotes used where required.
- Translations are present, accurate, and attributed; “translations are mine” note included if appropriate.
- Terms of art italicized and glossed on first use; consistent thereafter.
- Romanization/diacritics consistent; system declared; non-Latin scripts render correctly in PDF.
- No back-translations; authoritative editions cited; translators credited.
- References preserve original titles; optional English translations bracketed per style guide.
1 If using a well-known translation, cite translator and edition; if yours, indicate “transl. mine.”
