Legal Interpretation and Translation Certificate Program (English/Spanish)

Summary

This certificate program helps to train bilingual students for the profession of certified court interpreter, a profession much in demand given the linguistic diversity of the state of California. Cal State L.A.'s unique program can also prepare qualified students for a career as a certified translator or interpreter for any industry that needs to serve individuals with limited English skills, including government agencies, corporations, hospitals and telecoms.



Finally, bilingual persons already employed in another capacity can increase their skills and their remuneration with formal interpreting certification from an accredited university.

Work Prospects

There is currently a shortage of certified interpreters in California, particularly for Spanish. Nationally, Department of Labor projections anticipate increases in the need for both interpreters and translators at a rate 'much faster than average'. Bureau of Labor Statistics - http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos175.htm. The starting salary for Certified Court Interpreters employed directly by the Courts is about $70,000, plus benefits. A majority of interpreters and translators work as free-lancers and thus earn varying amounts. See the summary of an extensive 2007 study of compensation by the American Translators Association (http://www.atanet.org/docs/compensation_survey_2007.pdf). For more information specific to California Court Interpreters, see the http://www.courts.ca.gov/2683.htm.

Gainful Employment Disclosure

About the Program

Court interpreters provide accurate interpretation and translation for witnesses and parties in courtrooms and other legal proceedings where legal terminology is used and knowledge of legal procedures and processes is essential. The program teaches students to interpret consecutively as well as simultaneously, and to 'sight translate' legal, business and medical documents. The instruction covers a variety of court and administrative procedures and practices. While this Extension certificate program can train students to take county, state, and even federal examinations that certify the competency of interpreters and translators for employment in non-legal contexts, the program focus is on the special knowledge and training needed to work as a court interpreter and meet the standards of the Judicial Council of California
(see www.courtinfo.ca.gov/interpreters).
The final course consists of intensive preparation and mock exams simulating the written and oral examinations given at the State and Federal levels for certification as an interpreter for the courts.

Who Can Enroll?

Prospective students must successfully pass a screening test of Spanish and English (monolingual and bi-lingual knowledge of vocabulary, grammar, word usage and reading comprehension. A formal college degree is not required. A pass in the screening test qualifies you to register for the first class, ML790A. During that first quarter - not before it - you complete a a formal admission process, by submitting an application form and either: official college transcripts indicating 54 quarter (36 semester) units of coursework; or else, 2 letters of recommendation indicating practical bilingual experience in the workplace.

Click here for Spring 2013 Schedule

Program Courses:

The program consists of seven, 4-unit, quarterly courses (28 non-degree credit units in all). The specific content and sequence of the required courses are as follows:

NO.	Course Title	Units
ML 790A	Contrastive Grammatical Analysis of English and Spanish	4 units
ML 790B	Translation and Interpreting: Elements and Methods	4 units
ML 791A	Translation and Interpreting for Criminal Law Proceedings	4 units
ML 791 B	Translation and Interpreting for Criminal Law Proceedings (Advanced)	4 units
ML 792A	Translation and Interpreting for Civil Matters	4 units
ML 792 B	Translation and Interpreting for Civil Matters (Advanced)	4 units
ML 793	Lab Practicum for Legal Interpreting Exams	4 units

 

Program Cost:

The cost for each 11-week class is $600, making the total program cost $ 4,200 spread over time. A discount of $50 per class for 'early bird' enrollment can reduce the total cost to $3,850. Textbooks are extra and average about $40 per quarter. The fee for the bilingual screening test is $20.

Course Schedule:

Courses are scheduled quarterly, including summer quarter, on dates corresponding to the regular CSULA term schedule. None of the courses can be taken concurrently except the last two. Courses meet on weekends to accommodate working students. Classes meet in regular university classrooms on the campus of CSULA.

Instructors:

All courses are taught by adjunct faculty and special lecturers who are bilingual language professionals and represent a range of the interpreting and translation certifications of greatest interest to students, such as CCI (California Court Interpreter), FI (Federal Court Interpreter), CAHI (California Adminstrative Hearings Interpreter) and CT (Certified Translator, American Translators Association).

ORIENTATION Come learn about Court Interpreter training in general and about the CSULA program at a free orientation session. Upcoming date(s): Summer 2013 Students May 11, 2013, 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Fall 2013 Students July 27, 2013, 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. August 24, 2013, 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Location: Salazar Hall - C-162 To attend, you must reserve - see 'RSVP' below. RSVP: To attend, please call (323) 343-4922 and leave your name, number and email address by 12:00 p.m. on the Friday before the date or email LIT_RSVP@calstatela.edu. Directions: View Larger Map For the building, see "15A" on the south side of campus in this Campus map. Parking: Use Parking Structure "A" - (blue diamond on Campus map.) - buy a ticket ($1/hour) at the yellow machine.

SCREENING TEST You must take this test of your bilingual skills before you start classes Test date for Spring 2013 quarter:  - March 16, 2013 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m Test date for Summer 2013 quarter:  - June 1, 2013 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.   Location: Salazar Hall - C162 Registration: To take the test, you must register in advance- call (323) 343-4900 to pay the $20.00 reg fee by credit card, or come to campus on a weekday(8-6 Mon-Th., 8-5 Fri) and go to the CESIP registration office(USU 105, in the Student Union building). Directions: See map and links provided above for "ORIENTATION".

MEDICAL INTERPRETING

http://www.calstatela.edu/translate