Interpreting & Translation Services

Interpreter Training Program

Beyond-the-Basics Interpreter Terminology and Skills (BITS)

Who is this program for:
- practicing interpreters who want to brush up on their terminology and improve their consecutive and sight translation skills
- beginner interpreters for whom English is not their native language
- interpreters for refugees
- bilinguals who are often asked to interpret outside their field of expertise

What is the purpose of BITS:
This course is developed to address the needs arising from the current reality of the interpreting profession:

many bilinguals enter interpreting field without any linguistic or professional training;
many bilinguals practicing interpreting have insufficient command of the English language and lack understanding of the U.S.-specific terminology;
many interpreters, especially of languages of lesser diffusion, work in all interpreting settings – medical, legal, social services, etc.;
many interpreters, especially of languages of lesser diffusion, have other full- or part-time jobs;
many bilinguals cannot afford to invest time or money to complete a college-level interpreting course, but are practicing interpreters;
novice interpreters who are bilinguals from the new populations in the U.S. (e.g. refugees from Burma, Bhutan) have few learning opportunities;
many existing learning opportunities for novice interpreters are either limited in scope or do not take into account their insufficient command of English.

What are this program's learning objectives:

to learn U.S. terminology in the corresponding fields utilizing ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) methods;
to improve skills of consecutive interpreting and sight translation;
to learn about the role and responsibilities of the interpreter in different settings;
to be able to recognize violations of the interpreter's code of ethics in different settings;
to learn self-study techniques for improving simultaneous interpreting skills
to utilize self-assessment as a tool for improving interpreting skills

BITS Course Structure

Part I – BITS for Health Care – consists of three 2-day workshops which cover basic health care terminology topics, the role, responsibilities and Code of Ethics for interpreters in health care settings. The classes are on Fridays and Saturdays.
Part II – BITS for Social Services – consists of one 2-day workshop which covers basic terminology (see Schedule), the role, and responsibilities for interpreters in social service settings. The classes are on Thursday and Friday.
Part III – BITS for Legal Settings – consists of two 2-day workshops which cover basic legal terminology topics (see Schedule), the role, responsibilities and Code of Ethics for court interpreters. The classes are on Thursdays and Fridays.

Each part, as well as each class can be taken separately. At the end of each two-day workshop a Certificate of Attendance is issued. At the end of each Part of BITS and upon passing a written test, a Certificate of Completion is issued.

Download BITS Registration Form.

Download BITS Schedule.

For more information about the Interpreter Training Program contact:

Ms. Natalya Mytareva
Communications Programs Director
E-mail: natalya.mytareva@iiakron.org
Phone: (330) 376-5106 ext. 29; Fax: (330) 376-0133
Monday - Friday, 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. EST

International Institute of Akron, Inc.