University of Arizona Offers Summer Translation Course

The University of Arizona, along with the Translation Studies Programme run by Pima Community College, is running a class in interpretation over the summer for a limited number of students.

To qualify, applicants must already be bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish. Only 25 students were selected out of 80 applicants for the first year of the course.

The course comprises various different elements, including a certain amount of work experience. A deal has been made with Pima County’s Juvenile Court whereby students can shadow court interpreters as they go about their job, learning what it entails as well as the ethics of interpreting.

The students are paid a stipend while studying, which is typically between $75 and $125 a week. This is partly to pay for meals, but is also considered a partial substitute for earnings they may have made in a summer job, had they not been studying.

One student, Carlos Guerrero, had given up a summer job for the opportunity. He said:

“I want to go to the University of Arizona after I graduate high school. My goal, though, is to work as an interpreter for criminal investigations.”

Arizona has a strong need for professional interpreters as a third of residents do not speak English as their first language. This can cause huge problems, particularly in legal situations and it is hoped that the course will go some way towards addressing these issues.