The Association of Translators and Interpreters of Nova Scotia applauds Université Sainte-Anne's new interpretation course

A successful collaboration among four Nova Scotian organizations

HALIFAX, NS, May 26, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - A successful collaboration among four major language-related organizations in Nova Scotia is ready for its second edition.

Foundations in Dialogue Interpreting, a 10-week online interpretation course which came as a result of a collaboration initiated by the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Nova Scotia (ATINS) with Université Sainte-Anne, Access Language Services, and Alliance française Halifax is ending this month, reaching full enrolment in a matter of days. A summer session is starting June 14, 2021.

For aspiring 'master interpreters' from across the country who want to take the course, Université Sainte-Anne has launched a contest to win free tuition.

ATINS President, Claudine Belhomme, said, "We are thrilled with this novel interpretation course. It fills a void in interpretation education in Nova Scotia and in the Atlantic region in general. For 30 years, our Association has sought to foster high-quality intercultural communication and this course is a landmark achievement."

Bassima Jurdak-O'Brien, President of Access Language Services, stated, "Our agency is proud to be part of this unique collaboration between a distinguished French academic institution and ATINS, our provincial professional association. As a leading interpretation agency in Nova Scotia, this initiative underscores our commitment to providing our clients and culturally diverse communities with high quality in-person, phone, and video interpretation, while offering our team of interpreters continued professional development opportunities."

The course resulted in overwhelmingly enthusiastic feedback from its students.

Andre Muise, a conference interpreter based in Nova Scotia, said, "As an interpreter who learned on the job, I found this course extremely useful. The note-taking techniques allowed me to interpret increasingly longer sections of dialogue. Professor Staflund exposed us to many different contexts in community interpreting and to challenging ethical conflict scenarios, the analysis of which will certainly form the basis of my ethical reflections throughout my career."

"I learned so much more in this course than I ever expected," said Fernande Devost, a conference and court interpreter based in New Brunswick. "I particularly enjoyed honing my skills through practical exercises and being taught by a seasoned professional."

The course's designer, Jeff Staflund, is both a Doctor of Education and a federally accredited interpreter with a career spanning over 25 years. His efforts to provide students with a solid professional foundation resulted in a high-calibre curriculum.

This is the first micro-accreditation course at Université Sainte-Anne. It enables graduates to earn 'badges' that they can use toward milestone awards and potentially toward degrees. Already, the four-organization team is preparing to follow up with the creation of specialization modules such as medical interpretation and court interpretation, building on the current model.

The Association of Translators and Interpreters of Nova Scotia (ATINS)

The Association of Translators and Interpreters of Nova Scotia (ATINS) is the official body responsible for certifying translators and interpreters in the province. For thirty years, it has aimed to ensure that the public can access translation and interpretation services from a qualified and ethical body of competent professionals. ATINS is a member of the Canadian Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters Council (CTTIC).

Université Sainte-Anne

Université Sainte-Anne is the only French-language post-secondary institution in Nova Scotia and the oldest in the Maritimes. It offers excellent university and college-level courses and a French immersion program, and customized training in French as a second language through its five campuses located in Halifax, Pointe-de-l'Église, Tusket, Saint-Joseph-du-Moine, and Petit-de-Grat.

SOURCE Association of Translators and Interpreters of Nova Scotia (ATINS)

Claudine Belhomme, President, [email protected]; Souhaël Bouallagui, Director, Customized Training and French as a Second Language Division, [email protected]; Craig Meister, Project Co-ordinator, [email protected]

Related Links

https://www.atins.org/