English Retour Interpreting Summer School (on-campus)

Date: 25-27 August 2023 (3 day course) or 25-29 August 2023 (5 day course)

Location: Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh Campus

Academic Co-ordinator: Dr Eloisa Monteoliva

Course Leader: Dr Katerina Strani is an Associate Professor and Head of the Cultural Studies within the Department of Languages and Intercultural Studies

If you have any questions please email lincs.cpd@hw.ac.uk. 

Book you tickets here: English Retour Interpreting Summer School (on-campus)

Course details

This course has been designed for conference interpreters or recent interpreting graduates with English as a B language who wish to concentrate on their output in English and to interpreters who wish to add English as an active language. Course participants are expected to have mastered consecutive and simultaneous interpreting techniques before joining the course. 

• Weekend course over three days from Friday to Sunday (18 hours) 
• Two additional days: Monday and Tuesday (12 additional hours)

The weekend programme (Friday to Sunday) is intensive and consists of 18 hours of live sessions, including English language enhancement workshops for interpreters and live interpreting practice workshops. In addition, students will have access to an online interpreting practice platform for self-assessment and peer-assessment activities as well as personal practice. Participants will have the opportunity to practise interpreting into English with live speeches in their A languages in mock multilingual conferences and will receive feedback from experienced interpreter trainers. 

Those staying for one or two more days will become familiar with remote interpreting platforms and practice, interpreting on the move, and will continue to hone their consecutive and simultaneous interpreting skills. 

Over the course of the week, participants will: 

• Improve their summarising and reformulation skills in English 
• Enhance their ability to express themselves clearly and confidently in English 
• Improve their ability to discuss both general and specialist topics in English 
• Practise simultaneous and consecutive interpreting with different foci under the guidance of experience trainers 
• Develop an awareness of self-assessment and peer-assessment and practise with hands-on activities 
• Improve their speech making skills and apply them to both assignment preparation and practice 
• Practise simultaneous interpreting in live mock multilingual conferences 
• Have access to practice materials and a dedicated platform for interpreting practice, self-assessment, and collaboration; and learn about resources available for further practice

Speeches will be provided in Arabic, French, German, Greek, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Polish or Spanish in interpreting practice sessions and for further practice. Feedback during language enhancement and practice sessions will focus primarily on output: precision, clarity, pronunciation, delivery, and confidence. Participants will have opportunities to collaborate and discuss their practice in a constructive and safe environment. 

Course Languages and Participants 

This course is aimed at interpreters and recent interpreting graduates with Arabic, French, German, Greek, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, or Spanish as their A language who have English B or are planning on upgrading their English C to B and wish to improve their English output. Additional languages can be requested. We will consider adding your language combination if there are at least 2 participants with those languages. 

Proof of advanced proficiency in English and one other language from Arabic, French, German, Greek, Italian, Mandarin Chinese or Spanish is required. As part of the application process, candidates will have to demonstrate advanced knowledge by uploading a short video recording in which they tell us a little bit about themselves and their motivation to take the course in English, and about their interpreting experience and background in one of the other languages listed above. 

*This course is not suitable for beginners to interpreting. Those without interpreting training or experience should consider joining our Introduction to Interpreting Summer School.  

If you have any questions about entry requirements, course content or delivery, or you are unsure whether this course is for you, please contact the academic coordinator at lincs.cpd@hw.ac.uk 

Accommodation 

Accommodation on campus is available at a discounted rate.  

Option 1: Guest house  

• £50 Single occupancy per night
• £65 double occupancy per night

Option 2: Courtyard by Marriott (situated inside the campus, a 5-minute walk from the Summer School venue):  

• £89.00 Bed & Breakfast single occupancy per night
• £99.00 Bed & Breakfast double occupancy per night

Please email your chosen option and number of nights to lincs.cpd@hw.ac.uk  

Cancellation policy 

The course fee will be fully refunded if you cannot travel due to Covid or Covid related restrictions. The course fee will be fully refunded if you apply for visa, and your application is not successful.