Community Interpretation in Spanish:
An Entry Level Training Opportunity

George Gage

A Community Interpretation in Spanish program has existed at Riverside Community College in Southern California for some nine years. The program curriculum was written by Dr. Lisa Conyers, Dean of Instruction at the Moreno Valley campus. Although not an interpreter herself, Conyers, whose expertise is in Spanish and comparative literature, saw the need in the community for trained interpreters. She developed the curriculum in consultation with working interpreters and interpreter trainers. In the summer of 2000, I was hired as the first full-time faculty member in the program. We continue to benefit from the experience of two certified interpreters who are adjunct instructors.

Courses Offered

The program is composed of three introductory level courses: community interpretation for the medical professions, community interpretation for the legal professions and community interpretation for business. Currently, the prerequisite for entry into the courses is self-declared fluency in Spanish and English. Each course lasts sixteen weeks and the sequence may be taken in any order. In each course, students receive instruction in both interpreting theory and practice. Additionally, students perform 54 hours of field observation.

Materials

Materials used in the judiciary and medical interpreting courses are by Holly Mikkelson, The Interpreter’s Edge and The Interpreter’s Rx. Students in the course on court interpreting are also encouraged to use Mikkelson’s The Interpreter’s Companion. Since no text exists expressly for interpreting in business settings, I am currently compiling and developing materials. To date, useful sources have included economics texts published in the U.S. and Mexico, business Spanish texts, video recordings, television, radio and Internet broadcasts, in addition to home-made recordings.

Field Observation Component

The field observation component provides students the opportunity to observe working interpreters and be exposed to additional content in the subject matter. Students may choose from activities recommended by instructors or may propose others. Field observation differs significantly for each of the three courses, with new activities being considered and developed.

Students of interpreting in medical settings may observe full-time medical interpreters at the Riverside County Regional Medical Center. They accompany interpreters to patient visits and sessions with the public, and may also attend lectures by health care professionals who frequently work with interpreters. These include role-play activities in which students practice interpreting. Presenters have included medical social workers, organ procurement specialists and hospice workers.

Students of interpreting in judiciary settings may choose among a variety of activities. The most accessible opportunity is to observe in-court proceedings, either with or without interpreters. Students have also accompanied police and border patrols. Advanced students may volunteer services as apprentice level interpreters. Two opportunities currently being developed are with the public defenders in Riverside County and the Inland Empire Latino Lawyers Association. In order to maintain an element of observation in these activities, the possibility of sending students in pairs is being considered. Not only will students learn from each other, but lawyers may get used the idea of interpreters working in pairs.

Observation is a greater challenge in the business arena. Currently, students participate in seminars on international business through a cooperative arrangement with the Center for International Trade Development in Riverside. Students also receive field observation credit by attending educational workshops and seminars given by local and national translator and interpreter associations. Given our location near a major urban area, we are fortunate to be able to offer a variety of activities. In the future, I would like to develop opportunities for students to observe working conference interpreters. I encourage any interested conference interpreters working in southern California to contact me regarding this possibility.

Finally, students may fulfill a limited portion of the observation requirement through written assignments. Students have read and reported on articles in publications such as the ATA Chronicle and Proteus. They have reported on Internet sites related to translation and interpretation and have done translations of newspaper articles from sources such as El País Digital and La Jornada. While these activities do not constitute observation in the strictest sense of the word, they give students a window into the profession and familiarize them with the available resources.

Conclusion

One of the strengths of our curriculum design is that it encourages students to observe working interpreters. Anyone who has had the opportunity to observe a colleague’s work will undoubtedly attest to the value of having done so. Contact with non-interpreter practitioners in the field of specialization is also useful because it familiarizes students with the language of the profession. Although these activities must be complemented by rigorous instruction, field observation is a useful component of successful interpreter training both at introductory and advanced levels.

[George Gage is a Spanish interpreter certified in California, New Mexico and the federal courts. ]