Summer Intensive Interpreter Training

Summer Intensive Interpreter Training   •  July 3 – August 11, 2017

About the program

SIIT (Summer Intensive Interpreter Training) is a rare opportunity for you to be trained in simultaneous and consecutive interpreting! Every other summer, the University of Hawai‘i’s Center for Interpretation and Translation Studies (CITS) presents a 6-week intensive interpreter training program for speakers of English and Mandarin / Japanese /  Korean  / Spanish  and for the first time in 2017, Vietnamese.  (More languages can be added if there is enough interest. In 2015, we added French because there was enough interest and can do so again.)

Instructors:  Visiting & CITS Faculty
Days:  MTWRF  8:30am-12:00pm
Location:  Honolulu, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Dates:  July 3 – August 11, 2017
Tuition:  $2,200 (additional lab and incidental fees may be required)
More details

The University of Hawai‘i’s Center for Interpretation and Translation Studies (CITS) presents a 6-week intensive interpreter training program for speakers of Mandarin/ Japanese/Korean/Spanish/Vietnamese and English every other summer. If enough inquiries, we may be able to offer other language combinations, such as Arabic, German, Portuguese. Only ten (10) students are allowed to register per language. Due to demand, we also offered French/English in 2015. In 2017, we will offer Vietnamese for the first time.

The Summer Intensive Interpreter Training is offered to anyone interested in the field of interpreting. However, students must pass a language screening exam before they may register. The intensive nature of the program, which demands a high level of fluency in students’ A and B languages, dramatically improves students’ interpreting skills, as well as their overall  language skills in both languages, in six concentrated weeks of instruction and practice.
A wide range of practical training is covered. Consecutive interpreting provides the praxis needed for developing skills, such as public speaking skills, memorization skills, and note-taking skills using abbreviations, symbols, etc. Various topics are emphasized, using extemporaneous and prepared materials of varying lengths. Sight Translation is included in this portion of the training.
Simultaneous interpreting focuses on skills such as concentration, information processing, shadowing, and interpreting into both languages at varying lengths and speeds. Participants are also introduced to the theoretical and ethical principles that underlie all interpreting, including the “do’s and don’ts” and how to handle specific situations.
Upon completion of the course requirements, participants receive a Certification of Completion. Additionally, at the end of the six-week training program students will have the option to take a separate simultaneous and consecutive certification exam for a nominal fee. More information concerning the certification exam will be provided during registration.

To Register

The first step toward registration is filling in an application for admission. Once CITS has processed your application, we will pair you with a language-specific examiner (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Vietnamese), who will contact individual students to schedule a screening exam. Please be advised that you must pass the language screening exam before being allowed to register. To apply to take the exam, fill in an application form today!

International Students

CITS will assist International students with visas, housing, etc. after you have been accepted into the program. For general information on life in Hawaii, please visit: Outreach Summer Housing

Funding Opportunities

Students interested in attending the 2017 SIIT program and enrolled in the Workforce Investment Act through their employer (or self-employed) may be eligible for funding. This applies only to Hawaii residents. Check with your employer about your eligibility and enrollment status in WIA. For more details visit: http://dlir.state.hi.us/labor/etp/programs.cfm