Spanish Community Interpreting Courses

This course allows students to explore the interpreting profession, including a variety of professional pathways and specializations. Students will be introduced to the laws and regulations that govern interpreters and the provision of language access. They will learn what interpreters need to know and do to keep themselves safe. They will also begin to understand and apply the codes of ethics and standards of practice that guide interpreter decision making. Learning will be supported by students' observation of professional interpreters at clinical learning sites. This course is open to any student interested in learning more about the interpreting profession; admission to the Spanish Medical Interpreting program is only required for students pursuing the program certificate.

This course covers the basics of medical terminology in English and Spanish to support effective interpreting. Students will learn about the differences in word choices and idiomatic expressions among regional variants of Spanish. They will learn about body systems and their anatomy and physiology, as well as common diseases, symptoms, medical treatments, and diagnostic testing. Students will also learn about common abbreviations, understand medical terms based on word roots and affixes, and learn about how U.S. health systems operate. This course is open to any bilingual student. Admission to the Spanish Medical Interpreting program is only required for students pursuing the program certificate. This course can be taken concurrently with INTP 101.

Students will learn about consecutive interpreting and note-taking for interpreters. Students will learn about the role of the community interpreter and how to manage the flow of information in an interpreted encounter. They will explore their own personal culture and beliefs and understand how to support the communication goals of everyone involved in the encounter. Learning will be supported by interpreting under supervision at clinical learning sites. This course has an associated lab.

This course focuses on three important modes for community interpreters - simultaneous interpreting, sight translation, and written translation. Students will explore each mode, learning how and why each is used in community interpreting, and begin to develop their skills. Learning will be supported by interpreting at clinical learning sites. This course has an associated lab.

This advanced course in Spanish and English medical terminology for interpreters builds on the terms and concepts learned in Medical Terminology for Interpreters I. Students will learn about specialty medical treatments, procedures and diagnostics, while also learning how to research unknown terms and manage the register of medical terminology. Students will examine the impact of culture on communication, and explore methods of supporting cross-cultural communication in the interpreting encounter.

In this course, students continue to hone their skills in the consecutive interpreting mode and in note-taking for interpreters. Students will work with increasingly complex material and develop their ability to self-monitor for errors and to replicate the register and style of the speaker. They will apply the code of ethics and standards of practice to interpreting scenarios. Students will also learn about how to begin operating as a freelance interpreter in Washington State and maintain their interpreting credentials. Learning will be supported by independent interpreting at clinical learning sites. This course has an associated lab.