Introduction to Interpreting Summer School (in person)

Course description

This course has been designed for complete beginners who are interested in learning about interpreting as a professional activity and as a discipline, and in applying their knowledge of English and another language from Arabic, French, German, Greek, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, or Spanish to developing interpreting skills.

Participants will be able to choose:

- Weekend course over three days from Friday to Sunday (18 hours)

- 5 day course (30 hours).

Over the course of these 3 to 5 days, participants will:

 Familiarise themselves with the history, evolution, and modes of interpreting used in different settings, and with the features of on-site and online interpreting.

 Develop memory, active listening, and synthesis skills for consecutive interpreting.

 Learn how to synthesise a speech, reformulate ideas, and improve their public speaking skills through guided practice.

 Discuss quality criteria in consecutive and simultaneous interpreting, and learn strategies to give and receive feedback.

 Familiarise themselves with assignment preparation and different types of self and group practice.

 Learn note-taking for consecutive interpreting and apply it through guided practice.

 Practise consecutive interpreting into English with short speeches and longer speeches. Learn about the specific features of simultaneous interpreting as a mode, booth manners (on-site and online), Remote Simultaneous Interpreting platforms and remote interpreting practice

 Practise early simultaneous interpreting through pre-simultaneous activities and beginner level speeches.

Students will develop consecutive and early simultaneous interpreting skills through online live sessions in the morning and in the afternoon. Sessions will be interactive and led by experienced interpreter trainers who will guide students, provide feedback, cover topics related to professional practice and the interpreting market, and facilitate discussions and collaboration among participants.

Course languages and participant profiles

This course is aimed at participants with no or very basic knowledge of interpreting who are fluent in English and one other language from Arabic, French, German, Greek, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, or Spanish. Practice will include English-English exercises for skill development and Ar/Fr/Ge/Gr/It/Ch/Sp into English practice. This includes graduates from languages degrees, translators, students enrolled in languages degrees, or other participants interested in interpreting who meet the language and language learning background requirements.

Proficiency in English and one other language from Arabic, French, German, Greek, Italian, Mandarin Chinese or Spanish is required. As part of the application process, candidates will have to demonstrate their English level by uploading a short video recording in which they tell us a little bit about themselves and their motivation to take the course in English, and about their language learning background in one of the other languages listed above.

*This course is not suitable for experienced interpreters or recent interpreting graduates. Experienced interpreters or recent graduates who master consecutive and simultaneous interpreting looking to work on their English retour should consider applying for our English Retour Interpreting Summer School.

*A minimum of 2 participants per language combination will be required. If you speak English and a language other than the ones listed above, we will consider adding your language combination if there were at least 2 participants with that language combination.

If you have any questions about entry requirements, course content or delivery, or you are unsure whether this course is for you, please contact us at [email protected]

Academic Coordinator: Fanny Chouc

Accommodation:

Accommodation on campus is available at a discounted rate.

Option 1: Guest house

£50 Single occupancy per night, £65 double occupancy per night.

Option 2: Courtyard by Marriott (situated on campus, 5 minutes' walk from the Summer School venue):

£89.00 Bed & Breakfast single occupancy per night, £99.00 Bed & Breakfast double occupancy per night. Please email your chosen option and number of nights to [email protected]

Cancellation policy:

The course fees will be fully refunded if:

- you cannot travel due to Covid or Covid-related restrictions.

- you apply for a visa, and your application is not successful.

For more details and information, see our LINCS CPD page: https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/schools/social-sciences/languages-intercultural/languages-cpd.htm

Draft Timetable (subject to minor changes affecting the timing of sessions but not course content)

Friday

9.00 – 11.00 Welcome and Introduction to Interpreting: History, settings, modes, skillset, and current practices

11.00 – 11.30 Break

11.30 – 13.00 Consecutive Interpreting Skills: Active listening, memory, and analysis

13.00 – 14.30 Lunch Break

14:30 – 16:00 Consecutive Interpreting Skills: Analysis and reformulation

16:00 – 16:15 Break

16:15 – 17:30 Language Enhancement Practice in English

Saturday

9.00 – 11.00 Consecutive Interpreting Skills: Presentation and public speaking

11.00 – 11.30 Break

11.30 – 13.00 Consecutive Interpreting Skills: Note-taking 1

13.00 – 14.30 Lunch Break

14:30 – 16:00 Consecutive Interpreting Skills: Note-taking 2

16:00 – 16:15 Break

16:15 – 17:30 Self and peer assessment

Sunday

9.00 – 11.00 Consecutive Interpreting Practice: Mock conference

11.00 – 11.30 Break

11.30 – 13.00 Introduction to Simultaneous Interpreting

13.00 – 14.30 Lunch Break

14:30 – 16:00 Early simultaneous exercises

16:00 – 16:15 Comfort Break

16:15 – 17:30 Close

Take-away learning and resources for further practice

Monday

9.00 – 11.00 Advanced Note-taking

11.00 – 11.30 Coffee Break

11.30 – 13.30 Preparing for an interpreting assignments: strategies, resources and best practices

13.30 – 14.30 Lunch Break

14:30 – 16:00 Mock multilingual event – consecutive and Sim interpreting practice (part 1)

16:00 – 16:15 Comfort Break

16:15 – 17:30 Mock multilingual event – consecutive and Sim interpreting practice (part 2)

Tuesday

9.00 – 11.00 Preparation for mock multilingual event

11.00 – 11.30 Coffee Break

11.30 – 13.30 Mock multilingual event – consecutive and simultaneous (Part 1)

13.30 – 14.30 Lunch Break

14:30 – 16:00 Mock multilingual event – consecutive and simultaneous (Part 2)

16:00 – 16:15 Comfort Break

16:15 – 17:15 Mock multilingual event – consecutive and simultaneous (Part 3)

17.15-17.30 Close

Teaching team: (team members list to be updated depending on the language profile of the participants)

Eloisa Monteoliva, English, Spanish

Eilidh Johnstone, Chinese, English (native), German

Fanny Chouc, French, English

Isabel Liu, English, Chinese

Juliette Rutherford: English (native), Chinese, Spanish

Katerina Strani, English, Greek, Russian

Khadidja Merakchi, Arabic, English, French

Lina Fadel, Arabic, English

Maggie Surgent, English (native), German

Michelle Min-Hsiu Liao (English, Chinese)

Ruth Humphreys, English (native)

Tania Aitken: French, Spanish, English (native)

Host or Publisher Heriot-Watt Languages & Intercultural Studies Department