According to the United States Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook for 2010-11, "Interpreters and translators can expect much faster than average employment employment growth...over the 2008-18 decade," and "interpreters and translators of Spanish should have good job opportunities because of expected increases in the Hispanic population in the United States."

But specialized training in how to do the work is needed. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn basic interpreting skills. This workshop will include 24 hours of training in community interpreting for individuals fluent in English and Spanish, covering the following topics:

• The roles and responsibilities of an interpreter in social service, medical, and legal settings
• How to achieve accurate and complete interpretation from a source language to a target language using consecutive interpretation
• Sight translation of documents from social service, medical, and legal settings
• Interpreters’ codes of ethics
  
• Cultural barriers and how the interpreter can deal with them

The training will afford ample opportunity for practice with supervision and practical tips from a highly experienced trainer.

The workshop will include six sessions:

Wednesday, August 24 (6:00 to 8:00 p.m.)
Saturday, August 27 all day (9:00 - 5:30)
Wednesday, August 31 (6:00 to 8:00 p.m.)
Saturday, September 3 all day (8:30 - 5:00)
Wednesday, September 7 (6:00 to 8:00 p.m.)
Saturday, September 10, morning only (9:00 - 12:00)

You must pass a language assessment in English and Spanish to be eligible to attend. Contact the Instructor, Esther Diaz, for information.

Participants who complete the 24-hour workshop will earn a certificate of participation.
Those who are ATA-certified will earn 10 continuing education points.

About the instructor:  

Mary Esther Diaz, M.Ed., is a self-employed translator and interpreter trainer, ATA-certified for Spanish to English and English to Spanish translation. Esther learned Spanish while living and studying in Mexico for ten years. She co-founded and currently serves as Director of Professional Development for the Austin Area Translators and Interpreters Association. She is a former Medical Division Administrator for the American Translators Association and has served in a variety of capacities with the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care since 2001.  She created the seven-course Translation and Interpretation Certificate Program at Austin Community College where she is an adjunct faculty member. Esther has also taught interpreter workshops for the Florida Department of Health and for refugee resettlement agencies throughout Texas.

Registration deadline: August 23, 2011

Space is limited – Register today!