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Language Interpreter Training

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Program Overview

The Language Interpreter Training online certificate program is intended to provide bilingual learners who wish to work as community language interpreters in the legal, healthcare, and social service areas with the skills and knowledge necessary to deliver effective interpreter services.

The program was developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration; Ministry of the Attorney General; and health and social service agencies.

This 180-hour program (six 30-hour credit courses) will provide you with training in standards of practice and ethical principles which underlie interpreting services. These focus on the skills necessary to provide interpretation in various forms, primarily focusing upon consecutive and simultaneous interpreting, sight translation, note taking, telephone protocol and their application in various settings.

By exposing you to relevant situations, you will have the opportunity to apply your skills and consolidate your knowledge, thereby demonstrating your abilities to effectively provide introductory level interpreting services.

All courses offered will be taught online using live sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm EST.

Admission Requirements

Fully bilingual in English and another language.

Additional Information

Students in the Language Interpreter Training Certificate (LITC) program must take and pass all six courses in order to graduate. If students wish to become certified interpreters with the Ontario Council on Community Interpreting (OCCI) upon graduation, they must meet the OCCI accreditation requirements, including the successful completion of the Interpreter Language and Skills Assessment Tool (ILSAT), Community Interpreter Language and Interpreting Skills Assessment Tool (CILISAT), or Court Interpreter Certification Exam (CTTIC/OTTIAQ/MAG).

Three courses are offered each semester with each running for six hours a week (two evenings) for five weeks. This allows students to complete the certificate in two semesters. Students can take courses in any order, except for LITC 106 which is recommended to be the final class students complete. 

If you are an interpreter working in the field, you may be able to apply your work experience and training towards the LITC certificate through Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR). Please email cplliberalarts@humber.ca for more information on this process. 

Graduates of the MCIS Language Solutions program need to complete LITC 104 and LITC 106 in order to receive the certificate. To learn more about the PLAR process for exemption from LITC 101, 102, 103 and 105, please email cplliberalarts@humber.ca. 

The LITC program continues to enhance student learning by bringing in guests from various sectors of the interpreting industries. LITC has welcomed individuals from Access Alliance, Sick Kids Hospital, University Health Network (UHN), Humber College’s Career and Advancement Services, Global Translations, Exacta Interpreting, LITC Alumni, Ministry of Attorney General (MAG), MCIS, Multi-Languages Corporation, APLI & ATIO, Student Court Interpreting Observations, and more. 

Note: These courses do not qualify for General Education courses.

Curriculum

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Course Name 2025/2026 Academic Year 2026/2027 Academic Year
Compulsory Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May
LITC 101: Introduction to Spoken Language Interpreting
LITC 102: Consecutive Interpreting
LITC 103: Sight Translation
LITC 104: Simultaneous Interpreting
LITC 105: Setting Specific Interpreting
LITC 106: Capstone Course Skills Integration

Compulsory Courses

LITC 101 Introduction to Spoken Language Interpreting
  Start Date: May 2025  
This course presents the fundamentals of providing spoken language interpreting services in various settings. Participants will consider the role and responsibilities of the interpreter and discuss professional standards of practice and ethical principles to guide an interpreter's performance. The course also provides an introduction to various skills required for successful interpreting, including note taking, active listening, memory retention, mental transposition and verbalization in the target language.

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LITC 102 Consecutive Interpreting
  Start Date: June 2025  
Following a brief overview of the theoretical framework underlying the process of consecutive interpreting, the course concentrates on the development of skills essential to the task of effective interpreting including: memory and comprehension, note taking, vocabulary building, and handling linguistic and ethical challenges assertively. Consecutive interpreting exercises are incorporated throughout the course with a view to analyzing and improving practice.

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LITC 103 Sight Translation
  Start Date: March 2025, July 2025  
Sight translation, sometimes referred to as sight interpretation, is a hybrid of interpreting and translation. Using documents related to a number of different settings, the course will instruct participants in the fundamentals of sight translation and assist in the development of related skills, such as reading comprehension, scanning for main ideas, fast reading, analysis of language, vocabulary enrichment and comprehension verification through paraphrasing. The course will also equip participants with the tools to manage ethical and performance challenges encountered in sight translation.

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LITC 104 Simultaneous Interpreting
  Start Date: May 2025  
Simultaneous interpreting provides an immediate interpretation of speeches and dialogues. Through simulations, role plays and audio or visual exercises participants will develop skills in simultaneous interpreting without the use of electronic equipment. Subsequent to the theory overview, participants will practice: active listening, shadowing, retelling, paraphrasing, note taking, memory exercises and self-evaluation. Based on exposure to exercises and simulations, participants will develop and practice entry-level skills and techniques used in simultaneous interpreting in various settings and contexts.

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LITC 105 Setting Specific Interpreting
  Start Date: June 2025  
The course concentrates on the acquisition of knowledge and the enhancement of skills introduced in courses one to four in preparation for interpreting in different settings. Four interpreting settings are introduced and explored: court interpreting, interpreting with child victims or witnesses, health-care interpreting and interpreting in the violence against women sector. Protocols, procedures and techniques necessary for functioning effectively as an interpreter are reviewed and discussed, forming the basis for problem solving exercises. A variety of articles with accompanying activities and research and field observation assignments provide context and add to the richness of course content. Skill and knowledge development and assessment are supported by role play and case scenario analysis in theoretical situations.

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LITC 106 Capstone Course Skills Integration
  Start Date: July 2025  
This course begins with a brief review of the main interpreting competencies covered in the previous five courses. Following a recap of the ethical principles and standards of practice, the skills of consecutive interpreting and note taking, sight translation and simultaneous interpreting are practiced in preparation for the course's major component – the integration of interpreter skills and competencies through the Comprehensive Case Studies method. The final module deals with professional comportment issues and some of the financial management skills required for the interpreter who works as an independent contractor.

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Contact Us

Humber Continuous Professional Learning Liberal Arts & Sciences
cplliberalarts@humber.ca
416.675.6622 ext. 4554

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