Interpreting is much more than the simple exchange of words. Highly skilled interpreters understand the communicative process and intent of a language interaction and manage it along a cross-cultural continuum.
Rachel Herring understands this well. She is the program director of the spoken language Translation and Interpreting (TRIN) Program at Century College in White Bear Lake, MN. The program trains bilingual students to provide professional language interpreting and translation services in multiple areas, including health care, social services, education, and legal settings. It offers a diploma or certificate option and is the state’s only college-level translation and interpreting program focused on spoken languages.
Herring sees TRIN students entering the program from a variety of backgrounds and believes that combining the student’s personal experience with education and training is key to their success as interpreters. “Communication is always informed by the individual’s lived experience and their perspective on the world. Highly skilled interpreting involves drawing on this knowledge in order to facilitate communication,” Herring explains.
University Language Center is proud to partner with Century College by providing interpreting students with meaningful internship opportunities. As the demand for language services continues to grow, both education and training opportunities must keep pace. We are committed to developing and supporting current and future language service professionals.