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The Conference Interpreting MA prepares you for work as a professional conference interpreter for international organisations and the private market. Languages offered include Mandarin, French, English, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Russian and Spanish. You'll benefit from work placements, site visits and dummy booth practice at the European Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Union and United Nations (Geneva and Vienna). Our state-of-the-art interpreting suite is equipped with digital facilities for interpreting practice, virtual classes and web streaming.
The course offers a wide range of language combinations paired with English: French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. Further language combinations with English, such as Arabic, may also be available, subject to demand, staff expertise and availability of learning resources.
All simultaneous interpreting activities take place in the fully digital interpreting suite which also offers the latest multimedia facilities for virtual classes, recording of interpreting performances, as well as original speeches for student practice.
You'll be able to practice interpreting in professional situations, including guided walks around London using the mobile interpreting system. Places you'll visit can include the Bank of England, Lloyd's of London, Buckingham Palace and the Barbican Centre. As well as opportunities to practice your translation skills locally, you'll also have the possibility of translating meetings from the United Nations (Geneva), the Court of Justice at the European Commission (Brussels) and more.
The course modules are designed to prepare you to work as professional conference interpreters on the private market, for commercial organisations or large international institutions. The course also includes a strong reflective element present during interpreting performances such as the mock conferences and language specific tutorials. The dissertation offers the possibility to reflect on personal interpreting performance or research the interpreting field.
You'll also benefit from guest speakers and conference interpreting professionals who visit the course and provide additional opportunities for practice and individual and group feedback.
You'll be assessed through a variety of essays, presentations, practical interpreting performance, self and peer evaluations, a case study, a reflective portfolio and a research project or dissertation.
You will be required to have:
To study a degree at London Met, you must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. If you require a Tier 4 student visa you may need to provide the results of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. For more information about English qualifications please see our English language requirements.
If you need (or wish) to improve your English before starting your degree, the University offers a Pre-sessional Academic English course to help you build your confidence and reach the level of English you require.
Entrance aptitude test
Application forms are processed by the admissions tutor. Once you've demonstrated that you match the entry criteria, you're invited to London Metropolitan University to attend the entrance aptitude test. For international students, the test can be done remotely. The entrance aptitude test is free and generally runs on Fridays between 10am and 1pm twice a month. It includes:
The modules listed below are for the academic year 2020/21 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.
Year 1 modules include:
This module is aimed at students who wish to interpret for the European institutions and United Nations. This module will equip students with the expertise, skills and practice they need to prepare for the EU institutions and UN accreditation test for freelance interpreters.
This module includes generic sessions where lectures and workshops relating to the European institutions and United Nations will provide students with the expertise they need to understand the role and nature of such international organisations.
Students will also practice long consecutive interpreting and simultaneous interpreting in mock conferences (EU/UN context) and dedicated workshops aimed at preparing students for the EU/UN institutions entry tests for interpreters.
Students will need to gain an understanding of international multilingual and multicultural conference management, apply what they learnt and organise their own mock conferences.
This module introduces students to the main skills and strategies used by interpreters in performing their work and makes them aware of their impact on maximising consecutive interpreting performance.
This is a module dedicated to short and long consecutive interpreting. In this module, students learn the necessary techniques, skills and strategies for consecutive interpreting such as note taking skills, anticipation skills, communication skills and presentation skills which they then apply to consecutive interpreting. This is a very practical consecutive interpreting module that includes memory exercises, public speaking tasks and confidence enhancement opportunities. This module focuses on current affairs as the main content to the speeches used for the students interpreting practice.
The aim of the module is to develop consecutive interpreting skills, strategies and techniques when interpreting into English (non native language / also referred to as B language). For English native speakers with two passive languages, they will use their second passive language (also referred to a language C) to interpret into their mother tongue (English).
Interpreting into a B language requires different techniques, decisions and skills as when interpreting into a mother tongue. This module offers the opportunity for students to apply new skills, tools and techniques such as reformulation skills, efficient communication skills and adapted note taking skills to the new language combination practised. The module will include exercises that will help develop these skills such as sight translations, text analysis, reformulation techniques and English enhancement strategies. The context of speeches will relate to the topics of module Conference Interpreting 3 in the second semester so that students are prepare to engage in simultaneous interpreting into A and B within a context they are familiar with.
This module is dedicated to simultaneous interpreting with the two language combinations selected in the first semester. This module is the logical progression of Conference Interpreting 1 and Conference Interpreting 2. At this stage, students can fully engage with simultaneous interpreting. This module includes workshops to master the equipment used in the booths, split attention dedicated to simultaneous interpreting with and without text. This is a practical module that will lead to mock conferences and language specific tutorials. The mock conferences will aim to provide a sense of reality and authenticity so that students fully engage with the challenges and decisions they need to make during a multilingual and multicultural conference setting. They will experience working in pairs in the booth and what this entails at a professional level. Finally the language specific tutorials will prepare students to the mock conferences that will follow. This module includes a reflective portfolio of work that will help students practice and reflect on their work.
This module introduces students to the main interpreting models and to their impact on shaping practice. Students are also equipped with the skills needed to perform research prior to interpreting, as well as during the interpreting assignment.
The Research Project involves practical performance, theoretical reflection and and the postgraduate element of research. It offers students the opportunity to apply the acquired practical skills, theoretical understanding and knowledge of the profession in a field of specialisation and in relation to a chosen interpreting mode. This module includes two options: the research project based on an interpreting assignment and the dissertation.
This module explores different modes of interpreting, introducing students to the interpreter's professional environment and familiarising them with the legal aspects of the profession, the interpreter's code of conduct and the etiquette adopted with clients. Students will also explore the challenges of working as a self employed interpreter and develop strategies to market their skills, develop CPD opportunities and network with interpreting professional stakeholders.
This module includes a placement element made of two interpreting assignments under supervision and an interpreting assignment where students would have to shadow an interpreter at work.
"All the tutors were really dedicated, very professional and we received very constructive feedback. I feel that I have learned a lot."
Diana, graduate
"For me, this course was really important for professional development. I knew where I wanted to be and this course helped me get there. It was really useful in terms of public speaking, confidence, but also in terms of developing new that you need in the profession."
Tanya, graduate
Students who complete the course automatically fulfil the requirement to access the EU/UN interpreting accreditation test to work as conference interpreters. Graduates can continue to come to London Metropolitan University to practise conference interpreting thanks to our short courses and events (CPD).
Graduates are also fully qualified to work as conference interpreters on the private market in the UK and abroad, and to continue onto further study with a PhD.
Please note, in addition to the tuition fee there may be additional costs for things like equipment, materials, printing, textbooks, trips or professional body fees.
Additionally, there may be other activities that are not formally part of your course and not required to complete your course, but which you may find helpful (for example, optional field trips). The costs of these are additional to your tuition fee and the fees set out above and will be notified when the activity is being arranged.
Use the apply button to begin your application.
If you require a Student visa and wish to study a postgraduate course on a part-time basis, please read our how to apply information for international students to ensure you have all the details you need about the application process.
You are advised to apply as early as possible as applications will only be considered if there are places available on the course.
To find out when teaching for this degree will begin, as well as welcome week and any induction activities, view our academic term dates.
