Interpreter Training, University

International Developments

The history of interpreter education and interpreter professionalization in the United States can be traced back to the mid-1960s. Early developments of formalized interpreter education in the United States were due in part to the U.S. government’s focus on advancing the education of Deaf citizens. Governmental grant funding brought together the early leaders in the field, who gathered at a series of workshops culminating in two important developments: the establishment of the first professional organization of sign language interpreters in the United States—the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), in 1964 at Ball State Teacher’s College in Indiana—and the first 2-year curriculum interpreter education program, in 1966 at San Fernando Valley State College in California (now California State University, Northridge). Over the next several years, 2-year interpreter education programs in the United States grew to more than a dozen, and expectations for curricula standards and the qualifications of interpreter educators eventually led to the establishment of the Conference of Interpreter [Page 488]Trainers in 1979. Until the start of the millennium, most interpreter education programs were situated in 2-year community colleges, leading to associate’s degrees. Four-year programs, leading to bachelor’s degrees, were on the rise, and eventually RID passed a motion requiring a bachelor’s degree in order to be certified. This requirement went into effect in 2012. As a result, some 2-year programs developed into bachelor’s programs, others closed their programs completely, and many created agreements with 4-year programs allowing students to complete and then transfer from their 2-year college directly into a 4-year program. Master’s and PhD programs are limited but available in the United States. There are currently 4 postgraduate programs in the United States, 80 2-year programs, and over 40 4-year programs.

With Scandinavia at the forefront, developments of professionalization and training in Europe followed shortly after the those in the United States in the late 1960s. By the 1990s, interpreting programs were offered in various countries, but these tended to be sporadic, often constituting short-term courses ranging from a few hours’ to several months’ intensive training. Since then, many countries have started to offer longer programs, both at universities and at other educational institutions. Depending on the state of the development of the profession in a certain country, national educational systems, and individual institutional priorities, academic programs vary in length (normally from a few months to 4 years) and lead to varying kinds of qualifications, including bachelor’s and master’s degrees as well as other qualifications such as diplomas and certificates. The European Forum of Sign Language Interpreter Trainers (efslit, a subgroup of efsli, the European Forum of Sign Language Interpreters) has led recent initiatives to share best-practice models and create standards cross-nationally. It also encourages the development of training opportunities in countries where sign language interpreter education is still rudimentary or nonexistent. The European Master’s in Sign Language Interpreting (EUMASLI), offered by three European universities, is the first cross-national program in sign language interpreting, acknowledging the benefits of international collaboration.

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