Undergraduate courses in Translation and Interpreting

Assessor Training will equip you with the necessary skills to conduct outcomes-based assessment. This training is ideal for all teachers, lecturers, trainers, HR and HRD practitioners, supervisors and anyone responsible for conducting assessments in the workplace.

We cover the principles, methods, processes and practices of outcomes-based assessment, the NQF system and the Skills Development Act, recognition of prior learning, evidence gathering and how to develop and assess a portfolio of evidence.

The course runs over three days followed by a portfolio building workshop a month later. Course materials are included.

This programme is aligned to the following Unit Standard:
115753 – Conduct Outcomes Based Assessments (NQF Level 5, 15 credits).

Moderator Training will equip you with the necessary skills to conduct moderation of outcomes-based assessment against unit standards and qualifications within your field of expertise. Moderation is the cornerstone of quality assurance procedures and we teach the quality assurance procedures and moderation instruments to ensure that assessment is fair and valid, and free of all bias and discrimination.

The course runs over three days followed by a portfolio building workshop a month later. Course materials are included.

This programme is aligned to the following Unit Standard:
115759 – Conduct Moderation Outcomes Based Assessments (NQF Level 6, 10 credits).

This course is offered at first year level (NQF level 5) and aims to equip students with no prior formal interpreting training with basic liaison interpreting skills, as well as to enhance linguistic and cultural knowledge and improve their ability to reflect on the process of interpreting in the South African context. Contexts covered may include include tourism and hospitality, interpreting in retail contexts, health care, general social interpreting for interpreters who accompany guests and VIPs, as well as policing contexts.

This course is offered at first year level (NQF level 5) to participants who have passed Introduction to Interpreting Skills or equivalent or to practitioners who have some experience in interpreting. Topics covered include conversational interaction and strategies, turn-taking and power relations, stress management, emotional intelligence, conflict management, powerful communication (leading and pacing) and managing interaction with clients in at least two contexts, which may include business/ health-care/ education/ legal interpreting.

The purpose of this course is to equip practitioners who have some experience in interpreting with legal interpreting skills, as well as to enhance their linguistic and cultural knowledge as well as their knowledge of law theory as it relates to the South African legal context. . Legal interpreting is a complex process that requires specialized training in interpreting techniques, litigation tactics, legal language and the legal system.

The purpose of this short course, offered at NQF level 5, is to provide students with a conceptual framework within which to understand human communication in multicultural settings – with a particular focus on the mass media and/or the workplace. Participants learn to come to terms with diversity in South Africa, reducing intercultural misunderstandings by developing ways of ‘translating’/ negotiating communication difficulties across cultures. Mentorship skills are also taught.

This short course, offered at NQF level 5, aims to introduce students to the principles and practice of transcription, including transcription technology. Practical written language skills are reinforced by reflection on decision-making as to what constitutes appropriate vocabulary, punctuation, register and tone in different communicative contexts as well as by problem-solving involving written and oral text organization and re-organisation. Practical auditory skills are enhanced by an understanding of different accents, pronunciation and dialects.

In this course, offered at third year level (NQF level 7), students are introduced to the theory and practice of translation for a variety of text types, ranging from the technical to the creative. Practical translation skills are reinforced by critical reflection on translation problems and the selection of appropriate strategies. The methodology component covers an introduction to the translation profession, translation-oriented text analysis, translation problems/ strategies, and ethics and professional practice. Students who receive a Certificate of Competence may receive credit for the third year module TRAN3006.

In this course, offered at NQF level 7, students are introduced to the principles of systematic and recognised editing procedures governing grammatical, structural and stylistic correctness in a variety of professional text types.

The short courses forming part of the Translation and Interpreting programme are at different levels, as specified. For all courses except Transcription Skills, Editing for Professionals and Professional Language Enhancement, Transcription and Report Writing (where proficiency in one language is required), participants need to be proficient in at least two languages, one of which must be English. Admission is granted to participants who satisfy the entry requirements (or possess sufficient practical experience to satisfy RPL requirements) and pass a pre-course assessment test.

Subject to demand (minimum 15 participants per course). Courses are held part-time according to a modular/ block-release system, with contact sessions of at least 8 days of 6 teaching hours (not including initial selection and assessment) as well as a distance learning component which includes assignments. The contact sessions may be held as follows:

Option 1: 3 contact sessions
Sessions 1 and 2: 3 days/ contact teaching
Session 3: 2 days’ contact teaching plus a practical examination.

Option 2: Distance component plus 1 9-day contact session
This option is appropriate specifically for the professional conference interpreting courses. There is an online distance component of 5-6 weeks followed by an intensive 8-day contact session and 1 day of practical examinations. 

Contact teaching hours are spread out so as to allow sufficient time for the practice and assimilation of interpreting and translation skills.

In this course, offered at NQF level 7, students are introduced to the principles of systematic and recognised editing procedures governing grammatical, structural and stylistic correctness in a variety of professional text types.