New Vancouver School Confronts Language Challenges

VANCOUVER, Feb. 4, 2013 /CNW/ - Have you ever wondered how you might feel if you ended up in court the system grinds to a halt because you speak no English or French? Or worse yet, it just goes on and on without you being able to understand the case against you?

Communication is tough enough with two official languages. But in this multi-cultural country over a hundred languages might be used - from Court, to immigration, to social services and more. Making sense of them is vital.

Filling a void that now exists in British Columbia, a new enterprise, the Vancouver School of Interpreting, is offering a six stage curriculum of progressively more advance interpreter training programs up to and beyond Court Interpreter - inviting potential students to put their language competence to work.

The school's website - vansit.com - says: "If you are fluent in English and another language, why not make your skills available to hospitals, the courts, Immigration and anywhere the need for accurate multilingual communication exists? The skills you learn at the Vancouver School of Interpreting can help you attain the accreditation and professional certification required for many interpreting jobs.

"…Well trained medical interpreters can help save lives and skilled court interpreters are required under The Canadian Charter of Rights and freedoms to ensure fairness to defendants..."

The forty-hour foundation course, Basics of Interpreting, is set to begin on February 15. Other courses are described on the site and will begin in the spring.

The school was established by 30-year linguist-translator Yolanda Salazar Hobrough. Yolanda has an extensive background in medical, court and conference interpreting plus training and curriculum development in the United States and Canada.

SOURCE: Language Bureau

Ted Hobrough - 604-263-9923