The closely related fields of translation and interpreting are becoming increasingly important in today’s society. With the growing importance of Spanish, the need for qualified interpreters and translators continues to rise. The translation and interpreting program at Northwestern College has been developed to equip the student with the necessary knowledge, tools and abilities to become a competent medical and legal interpreter and translator.
Successful professional interpreters and translators have a wide range of knowledge in many subject areas. As such, a liberal arts education is key to future success in the field, and interpreting and translation students are encouraged to take additional courses in different subject areas. Furthermore, the nine specific courses in translation and interpretation are designed to give the necessary theoretical platform for successful translation and interpreting. As students advance through the program, they will learn to apply the theoretical principles as well as the knowledge acquired in other Liberal Arts courses in order to achieve superior translation and interpreting outcomes.
The translation and interpreting major is intended for incoming bilingual students (those students who are seeking to improve their knowledge of Spanish should enroll in the Spanish major) and requires a minimum of four semesters to complete. During one year the program focuses on legal interpreting, and during the other year the focus will be on medical interpreting. The overall goal of the program is to prepare students to successfully complete a medical and/or legal certification exam.
Not only is it one of a handful of programs at the baccalaureate level in the United States, the Northwestern program has also invested in the necessary training resources for its students. For the residential students participating in the program, the college has a dedicated interpreting laboratory with 13 professional interpreting booths, an interpreting booth as part of the college’s main venue for many public events, as well as portable equipment.
Program Learning Goals. Upon completion:
1. That 75% of those students who achieve a 70% or higher in the courses will successfully pass the mock legal verbal certification exams (testing their skills of sight-translation, consecutive interpreting, and simultaneous interpreting).
2. That 75% of those students who achieve a 70% or higher in the courses will successfully pass the mock medical verbal certification exams (testing their skills of sight-translation, consecutive interpreting, and simultaneous interpreting).
3. That 75% of the students will score 3 or above on the faith integration assignment(s), demonstrating that they understand how their faith and beliefs impact everything they do, including translation and interpreting.
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