Certificate in Trilingual Interpreting (Non-Credit)

The Certificate in Trilingual Interpreting (CITRI) is dedicated to advancing the professional development of interpreters working in American Sign Language (ASL), English, and Spanish or Chinese. Our program is designed to:

• Enhance Interpreting Skills: Provide hands-on practice and targeted feedback to strengthen proficiency in bilingual and trilingual interpretation across ASL, English, and Spanish, with optional content for interpreters fluent in Cantonese or Mandarin.
• Expand Professional Knowledge: Deepen understanding of interpreting theory, techniques, and specialized vocabulary needed to excel in diverse trilingual settings, from educational to medical and community-based environments.
• Promote Cultural Competence: Cultivate awareness of the cultural nuances among Deaf, Latinx, and other language communities, fostering more inclusive and effective interpretation.
• Encourage Ethical Practice: Guide interpreters in developing a strong ethical framework, emphasizing professionalism, respect, and the interpreter’s role in bridging communication.
• Provide Continued Professional Development: Offer up to 15 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) that help interpreters meet ongoing certification and licensure requirements, supporting long-term career growth and recognition.
• Foster Community and Networking: Build connections among peers and mentors, fostering a collaborative learning environment and a supportive network of trilingual interpreting professionals.
• Incorporate Technology: Utilize an online, blended format that integrates multimedia resources and virtual practice opportunities, ensuring accessibility and engagement throughout the program.

Through these goals, CITRI empowers interpreters to meet the demands of an increasingly diverse and interconnected world, enhancing their impact within the communities they serve.

For Spanish Speaking Interpreters

After completing this program the interpreter will be able to:

1. Describe at least three predominant attitudes hearing people have towards Deaf students in Spanish-speaking countries and the United States.
2. Describe a general knowledge of basic services provided in Latin America and the Caribbean and contrast them from those provided in the U.S.
3. Explain the main differences in communication styles between Mexican, Central American, South American, and Caribbean Spanish.
4. Define their personal cultural values, beliefs, and perceptions.
5. Understand and apply cultural values when interpreting for Latinx consumers and their families.
6. Articulate how oppression, perceived and real, affects the interpreting process and intended outcomes.
7. Demonstrate how to identify a Spanish-speaking hearing consumer’s country of origin and language use (regionalisms, form of address, etc.) to determine a target language.
8. Describe types of oppression and how they manifest in Latinx communities.
9. Understand that competency in one language pair does not automatically transfer to a different language pair.
10. Identify professional organizations and other resources that support trilingual interpreters and bilingual spoken language interpreters.
11. Demonstrate the ability to render a sight translation, and recognize how to do so, between Spanish and ASL, and English and Spanish.
12. Demonstrate the ability to interpret consecutively, and recognize how to do so, between ASL, English, and Spanish.
13. Demonstrate the ability to interpret simultaneously, and recognize how to do so, between ASL, English, and Spanish.
14. Demonstrate creativity in adapting training resources designed for bilingual interpreters to aid and improve trilingual interpreting skills.
15. Mobilize themselves and others to strengthen and foster growth in the specialty area of trilingual interpreting.

For Chinese Speaking Interpreters

After completing this program the interpreter will be able to:

1. Describe at least three differences in social or cultural characteristics across the Chinese diaspora population.
2. Describe at least three predominant attitudes hearing people in Chinese communities have towards deaf people.
3. Identify at least three common Chinese dialects used in the U.S.
4. Explain Chinese regional variations in mainland China, Taiwan, Macau, and Hong Kong.
5. Understand and apply cultural values when interpreting for Chinese consumers and their families.
6. Articulate how oppression and audism against deaf people in Chinese communities impact the interpreting process and intended outcomes.
7. Describe ways to identify and mitigate imbalanced power dynamics between deaf and hearing consumers in a Chinese-speaking trilingual interpreting setting.
8. Demonstrate how to identify a Chinese-speaking hearing consumer’s country of origin and language use to determine a target language.
9. Identify at least three resources or tools for trilingual interpreters to improve their Chinese language skills.
10. Demonstrate the ability to interpret consecutively, and recognize how to do so, between ASL, English, and a Chinese language.
11. Demonstrate the ability to interpret simultaneously, and recognize how to do so, between ASL, English, and a Chinese language.
12. Describe at least three settings Chinese-speaking trilingual interpreters encounter and explain the unique considerations for each setting.