Hi all,

I am currently a MPhil student in English Linguistics and Language Acquisition in Europe. I hold a BA in Translation with first class honor from Hong Kong. This is my first year in Mphil and I am doing really bad. I had very little relevant knowledge before I started this degree. The courses in theoretical approach in science are really difficult for me whereas courses such as grammars are relatively easy and I had no problems in getting A. I am planning to write my thesis on Translation (it's a sub-field in the department so I am allowed to) as I would like to do a PhD in Translation. My questions are:

1) How badly will my grades for taught courses affect my PhD application?
2) Is it true that the panel will mostly take my PhD proposal into consideration?
3) I would try my best but there's a possibility that I cannot get an A for my thesis as there is only one teacher in the department that actually knows the stuff from Translation.. I cannot even imagine how clueless the examiners are going to be. Also, as I mentioned I had little knowledge for what I am studying now (almost none and suddenly master level..), will the panel take these into consideration too?
4) Should I apply for PhD before finishing MPhil thesis or wait for another year so that I could submit my thesis as well?
5) Is it possible for me to apply PhD in Translation with my BA instead of using the MPhil I am doing now?

It doesn't matter if you are not in the same field as I, any suggestion, advice, or experience sharing will be appreciated!