Introduction to Interpreting

Who is the course aimed at?

The aim of this Introduction to Interpreting Course is to familiarise advanced level language students and translators with the world of interpreting and to equip them with some basic interpreting skills between English and Spanish. As well as examining the role of an interpreter in both the private sector and in the European Union, the course will consist of practical interpreting exercises and workshops in class to give greater confidence when interpreting in public.

Course participants will need to have either Spanish or English as their mother tongue and have excellent control of the other language.

Course contents

The ten sessions of the course will focus on the following skills:

• Mental agility – Memory development; Summary techniques; Sight translation of written texts; Overcoming difficult interpreting situations.

• Language control – Boosting vocabulary and use of synonyms in both English and Spanish; Interpreting formal and informal registers.

• Voice control – Breathing techniques; Diction; Image and speaking in public.

• Interpreting Workshops – Consecutive Interpreting (development of note-taking techniques), Liaison and "Whispering" Interpreting (for business meetings, press conferences, etc.), Introduction to Simultaneous Interpreting.

The tutor, Keith Armstrong (Dip Conference Interpreting Techniques), currently Director of International House Tarragona, trained and worked as a conference interpreter (French/German/Spanish>English) in London between 1997 and 2001. He also worked at the University of Westminster as personal assistant to the coordinator of the European Masters in Conference Interpreting, liaising with European Union institutions.

Course	Dates	Price
Intensive (25 hours) Mon-Fri 9.00-14.30 (Includes 30 minutes break)	15-19 September 2008	€275
Extensive (25 hours) Fri 16.00-18.30	9 Jan - 20 March 2009	€275