ObjectivesThe Postgraduate Diploma course was founded in 1963 by a former Chief Interpreter at UNESCO. Since 1998, the University has offered the Conference Interpreting MA. It is now the leading course of its kind in the UK and is the only British course recommended by AIIC. The campus is located in the heart of London, possesses first class interpreting facilities, and is within easy reach of the city's many cultural facilities and attractions. There are two types of conference interpreting: consecutive and simultaneous. In consecutive interpreting the interpreter listens to the speaker, takes notes and renders the speech in the target language once the speaker has finished. In simultaneous interpreting the interpreter sits in a booth overlooking the meeting room. The speeches given are interpreted simultaneously and relayed to delegates by means of the sound equipment.
Entry requirementsYou must have a university degree, a thorough understanding of two or three passive (C) languages and an excellent command of your mother tongue (or A language). We also consider applications from those with a second active (B) language, with or without a C. Aspiring interpreters should also have a broad general education, analytical skills and an interest in current affairs, along with flexibility, stamina and the ability to work under pressure.
Both types of interpreting are taught.
The curriculum covers: memory exercises, sight translation, note-taking techniques, mock conferences, glossaries for technical meetings, booth etiquette, voice coaching classes, presentational skills (students are recorded on video), and guest speakers.
Students normally work in small groups, but participants meet three times a week for whole group sessions. During some of these sessions, students take it in turn to make 15-20 minute presentations in their active language which are interpreted by other students. The majority of course tutors are practising interpreters and members of AIIC. The course has excellent contacts with the professional world.
The MA Conference Interpreting constitutes an extension of the Postgraduate Diploma course in Conference Interpreting and allows students to undertake a research project in conference interpreting. MA students follow the same curriculum as Diploma students and have to pass the Diploma examinations in consecutive and simultaneous interpreting. In addition, MA students take the following two modules:
-The European Union: Procedures and Perspectives (term 1).
-The Theory and Practice of Interpretation (term 2).
Language combinations of up to six mother tongue (A Language) groups form part of the course each year. Language combinations change in line with market demand. In addition to EU languages, the course now offers Chinese. For a list of combinations currently offered, please contact the Regent Campus Admissions and Marketing Office on 020 7911 5088.