Interpretation: English/Spanish—Spanish/English Certificate

Program Overview

La Salle University's Interpretation Certificate prepares students for careers as interpreters in legal, healthcare, and business settings. The program emphasizes ethical practice, cultural sensitivity, and professional development, equipping graduates with the skills and knowledge to succeed in the field. Graduates can pursue professional certification exams and have a projected job growth of 20% from 2021 to 2031.

Program Outline

Interpretation: English/Spanish—Spanish/English Certificate - La Salle University

Degree Overview:

• What you'll learn: The program focuses on preparing students for interpreting in three key environments: legal, healthcare, and business.
Students will learn governing principles applicable to all language environments and receive specialized training in each area.
• Curriculum goals:
• Develop strong interpreting skills for each of the three key environments.
• Understand the procedures and language specific to legal, healthcare, and business settings.
• Apply ethical codes and professional standards of conduct in interpreting situations.
• Hone written and verbal communication skills for professional settings.
• Career prospects: Graduates can pursue careers as interpreters in various settings, including courtrooms, hospitals, businesses, conferences, and educational institutions.
The program prepares students for professional certification exams.

Outline:

Highlighted Courses:

• BLS 614 – Legal Interpretation: Introduces legal procedures, terminology, ethics, and courtroom interpreting skills.
• BLS 615 – Health-care Interpretation: Covers the US healthcare system, medical terminology, ethics, and interpreting in healthcare scenarios.
• BLS 616 – Business Interpretation: Focuses on simultaneous interpreting with text, conference preparation, and ethics for conference interpreters.
• BLS 617: Technology in Translation and Interpretation: Explores technology tools like CAT and voice recognition to enhance translation and interpreting processes.

Program Structure:

• The program consists of four core courses, each focusing on a specific interpreting environment (legal, healthcare, business, and general principles).
• Courses include lectures, discussions, simulations, and practical exercises to develop interpreting skills.
• Students can complete the program in one academic year (two semesters).

Assessment:

• Assessment methods: Continuous assessment through classroom participation, assignments, presentations, exams, and a final project.
• Assessment criteria: Accuracy, fluency, clarity, completeness, cultural awareness, and adherence to ethical guidelines.

Teaching:

• Teaching methods: Interactive lectures, discussions, case studies, role-playing exercises, simulations, and individual feedback.
• Faculty: Experienced and qualified instructors with expertise in interpreting, translation, and the relevant subject areas (law, healthcare, business).
• Unique approach: Emphasizes ethical practice, cultural sensitivity, and professional development for successful interpreting careers.

Careers:

• Career opportunities: Court interpreter, medical interpreter, business interpreter, conference interpreter, educational interpreter, translation agency, government agencies, non-profit organizations.
• Median salary: $49,110 per year (as of May 2021).
• Projected job growth: 20% from 2021 to 2031 (much faster than average).

Other:

• The program is offered by the Hispanic Institute at La Salle University, established in 2005 to provide bilingual and bicultural education.
• The program is designed to address the growing need for interpreters in the US, particularly in healthcare and legal settings.
• Graduates can pursue professional certification exams offered by organizations like the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (NBCMI) and the American Translators Association (ATA).