MCS fulfills a critical need in the Washington DC area by training oral interpreters in the field of language interpretation.  About 7% of Washington DC's population speaks English less than "very well" and require interpretation services to participate meaningfully in their communities.  Without effective interpretation, these community members struggle with isolation and the inability to easily complete daily activities, from participating in their children's school to obtaining quality medical care.

The MCS' Community Interpreter Training (CIT) responds to this communication gap by providing bilingual members of the community professional training as community oral interpreters. Many bilingual members of the community provide interpretation services when they see a need, as a civic courtesy.  The CIT offers these members the opportunity to polish their linguistic talent, bilingual competency, and concern for social justice issues related to cultural segregation and information access.

For inquiries regarding the 2015 Interpreter Training (Date: TBD), please contact Alkindi Kadir (LSPcoordinator@mcsdc.org)

2012 Similtaneous Interpreter Training (SIT) Program

MCS offered Simultaneous Interpreter Training (SIT) in partnership with the Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs (OLA) from June 4 to June 8, 2012 in Washibngton, D.C.  Sixteen interpreters participated in this program that included:

• Preparatory component: distance learning readings and exercises to be done by students at their own pace prior to the start of the classroom training
• Contact component: 40 hours of classroom training: one week of training of 8 hours each day; dates and times to be announced
  
• Practicum: 10 practicum hours

Training topics included:

Topics addressed will include:

1. Speaking;

2. Preparation / Anticipating The Speaker;

3. Complex Syntax / Compression;

4. Word Order / Clusters;

5. General Adverbial Clauses;

6. Untranslatability;

7. Figures Of Speech;

8. Argumentation;

9. Diction / Register;

10. Formal Style;

11. The Lengthy Policy Address;

12. Quotations / Allusions / Transposition;

13. Political Discourse;

14. Economic Discourse;

15. Humor;

16. Latinisms;

17. Numbers;

18. Note-Taking. 

Special thanks to the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and Miller & Chevalier for their support of this program.

MCS’ Simultaneous Interpreter Training (SIT) was taught by James Nolan.

James Nolan received his Juris Doctor degree with distinction (Woodrow Wilson Award for Proficiency in Constitutional Law) from New York Law School and is a graduate of the School of Translation and Interpretation of the University of Geneva (Peter Price Translation Award).  He has worked as a linguist for several major New York firms, including Davis Polk & Wardwell and The Garden City Group, (the leading US class action administration firm), as Head of Linguistic Services of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, as UN Senior Interpreter, as Deputy Director of the UN Interpretation, Meetings and Publications Division, and as Chief of the UN Verbatim Reporting Service.  Dr. Nolan has taught in the United Nations interpreter training program and the interpreter training programs of Marymount Manhattan College and New York University, and regularly conducts seminars on conference and court interpreting. He is a Court Interpreter Examiner for the Consortium for State Court Interpreter Certification and a consultant to the Canadian Forces Language School and the Canadian Language Industries Association (AILIA).  Dr. Nolan's textbook Interpretation Techniques and Exercises is used for interpreter training at European and American universities and by the European Parliament and the OECD Mission in Kosovo, and is cited as a study reference for the United Nations Interpreters' Examination.  His English-Spanish/Spanish-English Pocket Legal Dictionary, part of a series of bilingual legal dictionaries for which Dr. Nolan serves as consultant, was published by Hippocrene in 2008

This fact sheet also describes information about the program.

To have your name placed on a list to be notified when the next Similtaneous Interpreter Training will take place, please email rcarrillo@mcsdc.org

Community Interpreter Training

Course Description

• 60 hours of intensive classes in community interpretation
• 40 hours of intensive classes in simultaneous interpretations
• 10 hours of required assigned internship to build learned skills under the guidance of a Master Interpreter
• Certificate of Completion for 70 hours of training in Community Consecutive Interpreting
• Certificate of Completion for 40 hours of training in Simultaneous Interpretation

• Techniques of Oral Interpretation
• National Code of Ethics
• Preparing for an Oral Interpretation Session
• Disclosure
• Accuracy and Completeness
• Communication Registry
• Intervention
• Clarification of Meaning
• Closing an Oral Interpretation Session
• Reporting and Skills Development
• Impact of Culture on Meaning
• Body Language and Meaning
• Types of Equipment including Portable Equipment and the Interpreter's Booth

To be contacted the next time the Community Interpreter Training program is being offered, please email your resume to rcarrillo@mcsdc.org or LSPcoordinator@mcsdc.org. 

This fact sheet describes more about the CIT Training.

Interested in Community Interpreter Training?  Read about the May-June 2011 Course

In June of 2011, a new class of Community Interpreters completed the 60 hour classroom training.  In the following months, students will be busy completing their ten hour practicum where they observe master interpreters at work.  In Phases II and III of the practicum, they will put their skills to the test as they begin providing interpretation services under the guidance of highly polished MCS interpreters.

For four weeks, 20 students met in the evenings at the Reeves Center on 14th and U street, NW in a space hosted by the DC Mayor's Office on Latino Affairs.  The ages and backgrounds of the students ranged from college graduates to retired college professors.  Of the 20 students, 19 were from different Spanish speaking countries including Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Peru.  One student was from Ethiopia and speaks Amharic. 

As in the past, the classroom portion of the CIT training was provided by select instructors who brought their professional experience and perspective to the classroom.  The following is an overview of the curriculum:

Introduction to Community Interpreting and Code of Ethics

Through role playing, students learned about the importance of respecting the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice for the Community Interpreting sector.  Trainers shared their personal experiences about interpreting between clients and providers, which demonstrated the diverse experiences community interpreters may face.

The students were given the opportunity to practice how they would handle potentially tough situations, where mediation may be necessary.  For example, an interpreter may be required to assert themeselves and become an advocate if a client and a doctor do not understand each other because of a cultural barrier.

Lastly, the students were provided with an understanding of the unique customs and practices of the various settings where interpretation may be needed, such as places of education, health care, and other social services.

Introduction to Legal Interpretation Training

Community interpreting is a broad field that encompasses "legal interpreting", which takes place outside of the courtroom with a lawyer and a client.  As a result of increased requests for community legal interpreting services this year, MCS increased its focus on courtroom ethics.  Legal interpretation takes place typically in a courtroom setting and has the strictest code of ethics of all interpretation fields, eliminating room for advocacy on the part of the interpreter.  While community legal interpreting occurs in a non-courtroom setting, interpreters must follow a similar set of ethics as that of legal interpreters.

Diversity Training/Communication Skills

Students reflected on how their identities could and will affect their ability to perform as unbiased interpreters.  The trainer described the rich social history of Washington, DC.  An important responsibility of community interpreters is awareness of their own cultural bias in order to consciously maintain a neutral relationship with all the involved parties.  Students reflected on their own knowledge and interactions with members of the various cultures represented in DC.

Note Taking for Interpretation

During this portion of the training, students learned about the importance of note taking in the consecutive and simultaneous modes of interpretation.  Students were shown samples of note taking techniques for quickly writing down information such as dates, times, and names while interpreting.  The presenter encouraged students to create symbols and methods for themselves to write shortened notes of what is being said to ensure accurate and complete interpretation.