Translationz was delighted to welcome students of the Interpreter Training Boost program onsite at our Brisbane office in August 20222.
A Queensland Government initiative, in partnership with TAFE SA, this is a 12-week subsidised course for interpreter training, endorsed by NAATI. Students will also be offered assistance with NAATI Certification fees.
Highlighted during the Covid-19 pandemic, the program recognises the vital work interpreters do in the community to deliver essential services, from health care through to logistical assistance in emergency situations, to people with English as a second language.
Translationz is now collaborating with individual Queensland Hospital Health Services to spearhead the industry experience component of the program with tailored training and placement opportunities.
In the first three-hour training session, students learned about various aspects of working as a professional interpreter, including:
- Challenges of interpreting assignments;
- Protocol when attending assignments;
- Professional conduct; and
- And a whole range of other information related to interpreting assignments.
Students also heard first-hand experience from one of our highly experienced interpreters and translators, Janet Lor. Janet has worked with Translationz for five years and is one of the only interpreters certified in the Hmong language in Australia.
She shared her knowledge of how the NAATI test is conducted and the difficulties she faced when taking the exam, and explained what to look out for and how to avoid mistakes. She detailed her experience interpreting in the legal and medical fields, what she found difficult in the beginning of her career and how she overcame these challenges. She also expressed the need to differentiate a language professional from someone who is bilingual and explained how new interpreters can do this.
Translationz staff then took the students through what it’s like to work for a language service provider and the expectations of interpreters.
The students gave positive feedback to the session and especially appreciated Janet’s story, and believe hearing her experiences has better prepared them for what is to come.
Translationz is next looking forward to facilitating practical industry experiences and is leading the efforts to prepare students for professional interpreting assignments.
“With these placements, we are giving them the important foundations to work as an interpreter after they have completed their course work. We appreciate that there are aspects of interpreting work that can only be learned on assignments, and we’re proud to be involved in facilitating students to be partnered with experienced interpreters and learn in practical situations,” says Karen Hodgson, CEO of Translationz.
Karen continued, “We are very excited about working with students in order for them to become fully trained, working interpreters helping the community by connecting language barriers.”
