Professional Development Classes
INTERMEDIATE SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETING
LANGUAGE NEUTRAL - ALL SPOKEN LANGUAGES ARE WELCOME!
This course is offered by the New Mexico Center for Language Access in partnership with the Consortium for Language Access in the Courts.
This course is available to non-certified court interpreter candidates who wish to prepare themselves for the Consortium exam*.
If you are interested in obtaining continuing education credits, please contact your state court interpreter program manager.
Note: This is not a beginner course. If you do not have any --or very little-- simultaneous interpreting experience, this course will be too challenging.
(If you are a beginner you may want to consider enrolling in NMCLA's Justice System Interpreting Certificate Program.)
Training is conducted in a language-neutral format. As such, the course provides a guided program of self-directed study and practice in the
techniques of vocabulary acquisition, fluency development, listening skills, dual-tasking, and other components of simultaneous interpreting.
In order to benefit from this course, participants must be self-motivated and committed to spending dedicated time on the exercises each week.
*Participation in this course does not guarantee that candidates will pass the Consortium's examinations.
LEARNING STRATEGIES
- Participants will perform exercises in components of simultaneous interpreting, such as fluency development, vocabulary building, shadowing.
- Participants will do exercises in simultaneous interpreting using real or realistic courtroom audio and video.
- Participants will learn and perform methods of self-evaluation of the above exercises, with instructor guidance in a non-language-specific manner.
- Participants will research and format their own language-specific glossaries using a prescribed set of required terms, and will test, adjust and expand these glossaries.
- Participants will practice the use of the acquired terms in their respective languages.
- Participants will receive instructor feedback on their assignments, which they can use to improve and evaluate their subsequent performance.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course, students who actively participate in these learning strategies, devote a minimum of
five hours per week to the course and integrate instructor feedback into their practice can expect to:
- Have a better understanding of the following range of cognitive skills needed to accurately and completely perform Simultaneous Interpreting in court:
- Comprehension and analysis of the incoming message
- Transfer of the message to the target language
- Expression of the source language message in target language
- Monitoring of the outgoing message for accuracy
- Improve their skills for simultaneously managing a variety of processes (dual-tasking/multi-tasking).
- Learn and practice ways to improve memory to reduce fatigue while interpreting simultaneously.
- Improve their accuracy rate as the WPM (words per minute) increases during SI.
- Have an arsenal of self-evaluation techniques.
- Know how to research words and to build their own glossaries.
- Apply test-taking strategies and anxiety reduction techniques.
PREPARING YOURSELF FOR THIS COURSE
While the online environment offers great flexibility, it is not for everybody. You are not required to have special computer
skills, but some computer literacy is needed. Because most of our students have not taken online training before, we strive to
make our courses user-friendly. However, as an online course, you may be challenged to use and develop new computer skills, you
will not receive immediate feedback and your learning will be dependent upon the time you invest in the exercises and assignments.
Before you register, make certain that you are committed to both the work required and to making the online learning environment work for you.
ABOUT ONLINE LEARNING
- Upon registration, participants receive a welcome message from the instructor and log into the class with a username and password.
Participants also receive a student packet with the syllabus and information on the course.
- There is no fixed schedule - participants do not have to be logged in at a specific time--, but they are required to complete their
assignments within the deadlines set forth by the instructors.
- While the course's schedule is very flexible, participants are expected to commit a minimum of five hours a week to complete their
assignments. Consistent and continuous practice is key to the successful completion of the course. For this purpose, homework is
assigned twice a week and must be submitted by the established deadlines.
- Participants will practice extensively in the simultaneous mode of interpreting using realistic courtroom audio using the acquired terms
in their respective languages. Participants record and submit their assignments for feedback, using NMCLA's proprietary audio recording software.
- Activities include readings, quizzes, forums, videos, interpreting practice and glossary-building exercises.
COURSE OUTLINE
- WEEK 1 Basic principles and precursor exercises of simultaneous interpreting; team interpreting; overcoming terminology gaps; moving
passive vocabulary to active vocabulary; methods of terminology research; methods of self-evaluation.
- WEEK 2 Federal courts and jurisdictions; improving verbal fluency and speed. Legal terminology research - resources and exercises.
- WEEK 3 Criminal and civil courts and jurisdictions; effects and remedies of fatigue; additional terminology research; improving
simultaneous speed and diction.
- WEEK 4Mental and physical preparation for interpreting; improving simultaneous speed and accuracy; dealing with courtroom situations -
acoustics, background noise, disruptions; final review.
INSTRUCTORS
Yuliya Fedasenka, M.A., is certified as a Court Interpreter by the States of Colorado and Washington and is certified as a Medical Interpreter
by Washington State. Ms. Fedasenka has extensive experience as an interpreter trainer. She is a trainer and Justice System Interpreting Internship
Coordinator for the NM Center for Language Access.
William Burrell, M.A., is a Federally Certified Court Interpreter, who is also certified as a Court Interpreter by the State of New York.
Mr. Burrell is a staff interpreter for the Unified Court System of the State of New York. Mr. Burrell has extensive experience as an interpreter
trainer. He is a trainer and Justice System Interpreting Curriculum Coordinator for the NM Center for Language Access.
EQUIPMENT, HARDARE & SOFTWARE NEEDED
Be sure to have this equipment ready before the first day of the course. You will need:
- A headset that can plug into your computer, built in or external microphone, and high-speed internet connection.
Examples of headsets can be found here.
- RAM: 64 Megabytes (128 or more preferred). Hard Drive: 6 Gigabytes.
- Preferred Browsers: IE 5.5 or later, Firefox.
- Java: latest version (can be downloaded for free). If using a Windows operating system then go to the
Java website to check if you have the
latest version installed. If you're using Mac OSX 1.3 or greater then you have Java. Simply go to the "Software Updates" option under the
Apple menu to ensure that it is up-to-date.
- Adobe reader (to download and view pdf files). To download it for free, go to Adobe's website.
HOW TO APPLY
Follow NMCLA's 3-step application process below. Please note that because this is a language neutral course,
you're required to submit one essay in English only. The interview portion of the application process will also be conducted in English only.
Go to our Admissions page.
Follow NMCLA's 3-step application process:
Step I
Fill out the online application by February 6th, 2012.
Step II
Upon completion of your application, send us:
- a 250-word essay in English ONLY describing your interest in this course. Submit your essay in pdf format to:
paulacou@unm.edu
Deadline for submitting your essay is February 6th, 2012.
Step III
We will schedule an online automated interview. This interview also includes a short shadowing exercise.
Instructions for the interview will be sent to you upon completion of Steps I and II of the application process.
Deadline for completing your interview is February 10th, 2012.
Upon review of all your credentials, we will inform you of the results usually within 72 hours.
Step IV
Once you are admitted, the final step is registration..
Registration will open on February 13th and will close on February 27th, 2012.
Note: Don't wait until the last minute to register. The class is limited to 15 participants and registration will close once the
class reaches the maximum number of students. Class begins on March 5th.
HOW TO REGISTER
Tuition: $375.00
Only applicants who successfully completed the application process can register for the class.
To register:
- Go to the Admissions & Registration page on NMCLA's website and select "Click here to register." Fill out the registration form, and
our team will contact you by phone to confirm your information. Be ready to make the payment with Visa, Master Card, American Express or Discover.
- By phone: 505 662 0346, 1-800-849-5919 ext. 346, or 505 697-8037 (with Visa, Master Card, American Express or Discover).
Advanced Spanish for Language Professionals (SPAN 293 - online)
This class has been approved for 12 NM Certified Court Interpreter/Justice System Interpreter continuing education hours. This is an online 3-credit course offered through UNM Los Alamos. The course's main focus is to improve students'
advanced Spanish language oral and written skills. Topics include: advanced use of language, terminology, collocations,
prepositions, grammar, pronunciation, colloquialisms, idioms, and Hispanic culture. Heritage speakers, translators,
interpreters and advanced Spanish students are ideal candidates to this course. This is an online course. Requisite: NMCLA
admission process required. This class is offered during regular Spring & Fall semesters. Registration: www.la.unm.edu
505-661-4688
This class has been approved for 12 NM Certified Court Interpreter/Justice System Interpreter continuing education hours.
Advanced English for Language Professionals (ENGL 298 - online)
This class has been approved for 12 NM Certified Court Interpreter/Justice System Interpreter continuing education hours. This is an online 3-credit course offered through UNM Los Alamos. The course's main focus is to improve students'
advanced English language oral and written skills. Topics include: advanced use of language, terminology, collocations,
prepositions, grammar, pronunciation, colloquialisms, idioms, and American culture. Translators, interpreters and
advanced ESL students are ideal candidates to this course. This is an online course. Requisite: NMCLA admission process
required. This class is offered during regular Spring & Fall semesters. Registration: www.la.unm.edu
505-661-4688
English-Spanish Criminal & Procedure Law Terminology I (online)
This class has been approved for 12 NM Certified Court Interpreter/Justice System Interpreter continuing education hours.
This class introduces students to the most common terms of criminal and procedure law, the legal concepts behind them
and how to translate legal terms based on a model of functional equivalency. The class will greatly enhance students'
terminological knowledge and prepare them for classes in consecutive and simultaneous court interpreting. Duration: 4 weeks.
Start date: see calendar
Justice System Interpreting (online)
This class introduces students to fundamental legal concepts and terminology, and the NM and federal legal systems. The
class includes intensive practice in the three modes of interpreting with a high degree of specialization. Duration: 8 weeks.
Requisite: NMCLA admission process required. Start date: see calendar
Medical Interpreting (online)
This class introduces students to fundamental medical concepts and terminology, and basic anatomy and physiology. The
class includes intensive practice in the three modes of interpreting with a higher degree of specialization. Requisite:
NMCLA admission process required. Start date: see calendar.
Mentorship Program (face-to-face - online)
Program Includes
Face-to-face intensive training session at UNM School of Law
Practice simultaneous interpreting examination (administered under the same conditions of the consortium's examination + rating/feedback from instructor).
Court observation
Volunteer program at UNM Law Clinic
Interpreting for jurors at UNM School of Law Mock Trials
Online test preparation with instructor
Start date: see calendar. Requisites: Must have taken NM Court Interpreter Orientation in 2010 or 2011. Must have
passed the Consortium Written Examination. NMCLA admission process required.
Intensive Face-to-face Training Session
Sessions Includes
Professionalism and marketing of language services
Overview of final examinations
Intensive practice in the three modes of interpreting
Practice simultaneous examination (administered under the same conditions of the consortium's examination + rating/feedback from instructor)
Mini mock trial
Interpreting for jurors
Language-specific session
Start date: see calendar. Requisites: same as Mentorship Program.
