CONFERENCE INTERPRETER TRAINING

Conference interpreting is taught at undergraduate and graduate levels. Although training programmes vary in terms of content and format, there are some fundamental standards for conference interpreting training that are accepted worldwide. These standards are agreed upon by institutions such as the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC), the European Union, the European Consortium of Master’s Programmes in Conference Interpreting (EMCI) and the Heads of Interpreting for International Institutions (HINTS) (see https://aiic.org/site/world/about/profession/tpd/initial-training). In 2010, TKTD adopted the Training Principles based on these standards in its Academic Committee, of which all members teaching in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes are natural members.

According to these standards, firstly, students who will receive training in this field become eligible for training by passing comprehensive examinations in which their language proficiency, general knowledge, and aptitude for interpreting are assessed.

Students who pass the entrance exams begin a demanding programme of practical interpreting courses. In addition to simultaneous interpreting, the programme includes courses in consecutive interpreting, on-sight translation, interpreting theory, and knowledge of international institutions.

Attendance is not sufficient for graduation; candidates are usually required to sit final examinations, which require simultaneous and consecutive interpreting in all working languages, and only after passing these examinations are they awarded the title of conference interpreter.

The two most important factors that determine the quality of a programme in conference interpreting are the amount of practice that students can undertake and the qualifications of the instructors teaching the courses.

To give students as much opportunity to practice as possible, institutions offering conference interpreting programmes should have a simultaneous interpreting laboratory in which students practice interpreting under the supervision of expert instructors to improve their knowledge and skills. As part of the practical training, in many programmes, students attend conferences as observers and gain field experience.

In all of the world-renowned universities with a strong reputation in the field of conference interpreting, the teaching staff consists of professional conference interpreters. This makes it possible to conduct training programmes in a realistic manner and in accordance with the standards required by the profession. The requirement that the teaching staff be professional conference interpreters is one of the main prerequisites for the approval of an educational institution by AIIC, the European Union, and EMCI, the framework programme for conference interpreting education within the European Union (see links).

In Turkey, conference interpreting training is offered at undergraduate and graduate levels at universities. At the undergraduate level, the languages offered in nearly 70 translation/translation-interpretation departments are mainly Turkish-English/German/French and to a limited extent Turkish-Russian/Arabic/Chinese. It is very important for those who wish to study in these departments to examine to what extent the department they are interested in fulfils international criteria in terms of conference interpreting to get a sound education.

At the master’s level, the Conference Interpreting master’s programmes offered at Boğaziçi and Bilkent Universities are European Union Centres of Excellence. Boğaziçi University is also a member of EMCI. Bilkent University requires applicants to be fluent in Turkish, English, and French, while Boğaziçi University requires applicants to be fluent in one of the following languages in addition to Turkish and English: French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Links:

AIIC (International Conference Interpreters’ Association) Interpreting Schools & Programmes Directory: https://aiic.org/site/dir/schools

AIIC (International Conference Interpreters’ Association) Training Principles: https://aiic.org/site/world/about/profession/tpd/initial-training

EMCI (European Masters in Conference Interpreting): https://www.emcinterpreting.org/?q=node/13