The Rome Seminar - Seeking synergies in interpreter training

This year’s Rome Training of Trainers will look at synergies in interpreter training. In most countries, different types of interpreters are trained separately, for more or less obvious reasons. Conference interpreters are often trained at the master’s level and begin their training program with their languages already acquired. Sign language interpreters, for their part, are often trained at the undergraduate level, and continue to learn their languages while also learning to interpret. As for public service interpreters, although they typically also master their languages beforehand, access to training varies: in some countries training programs are offered outside universities, but in much of the world, PSI training programs simply do not exist.

In this workshop, Elisabet Tiselius of Stockholm University will showcase interpreter training in Sweden. The interpreter education at Stockholm university has three different programs in different streams (conference interpreting, sign language interpreting and public service interpreting), and Sweden also has a non-university program for public service interpreters. Dr Tiselius will discuss how to make use of different programs to expose the different interpreting professions to each other, and find synergies where possible. Participants will be encouraged to reflect upon different student populations and what it takes to become an interpreter, both generally and more specifically for the different professions, including what skills and knowledge students need to master, and how different interpreting programs can be adapted and enhanced to best teach and learn those skills. Dr Tiselius will touch upon pedagogical approaches in interpreter education, and highlight the differences between, but also and more importantly the similarities of, interpreter education programs, interpreting students and interpreting professions as a whole.

Sponsorship

ATPD will sponsor up to four interpreter trainers to attend this seminar. The sponsorship grant will cover an economy return airfare (upon presentation of a valid ticket) up to a maximum of CHF 1000. It does not cover the cost of registration.

Applicants for the 2023 sponsorship grant should have their professional address outside Europe and/or have Ukrainian as a working language and should be able to demonstrate that they are practising conference interpreters who regularly teach conference interpreting. Attendance at, or organisation of, interpreting-related training events will also be considered in the review of applications. AIIC members and non-members may apply.

Applications must be submitted to ATPD (training-group@aiic.org) by 1 April 2023. The results of the selection procedure will be announced as soon as possible after this date.

Trainers applying for sponsorship who intend to attend the course with or without sponsorship should also register for the course at the link above. Trainers whose participation depends on the award of sponsorships need only apply for the sponsorship.