There is a growing demand[1] for interpreting as the population who speak a language other than English has also been surging. In Australia, Mandarin Chinese is in high demand for interpreters with the growing economic bonds between Australia and China. At GBCA, we offer practical training for prospective interpreters through the Diploma of Interpreting (Mandarin-English) and the Advanced Diploma of Interpreting (Mandarin-English). This blog will look into the overview of the diploma and advanced diploma courses, including course objectives, structure and content, course delivery, and future career paths.
The Diploma of Interpreting (Mandarin-English)
The Diploma of Interpreting (Mandarin-English) reflects the role of interpreters, typically in the community and business domains. Our experienced NAATI[2] qualified trainers will organise a range of interpreting exercises and help you develop skills such as:
- Notes-taking skills for interpreting purposes
- Short-term memory retention skills
- Make sense of the briefing and quickly set up your mindset in the dialogue context
- Pick up idioms/collocations and relay in the other language correctly in the blink of an eye.
- Build a comprehensive knowledge of Australian community services, and collocations/glossary in both English and Mandarin.
What does the curriculum cover?
The Diploma of Interpreting (Mandarin-English) spans a total of 12 units, which consists of 5 core units and 7 electives. This course curriculum takes students through various interpreting tasks such as interpreting in general dialogue and monologue settings, using routine health, legal, and subject area terminologies in two languages, and demonstrating routine language proficiency in different subjects and cultural contexts.
Various assessment methods are incorporated to examine students’ understanding throughout the course, such as observation of students performing a practical interpreting task/s, role play, and written response.
The Advanced Diploma of Interpreting (Mandarin-English)
Students who have completed a Diploma of Interpreting may want to advance their skills and obtain higher qualifications and licenses. The Advanced Diploma of Interpreting (Mandarin-English) aims to cultivate students’ skills and knowledge to interpret from a source language to a target language in complex dialogue and monologue settings. This course provides students training to interpret content that may not easily be predicted, and that may require a high level of subject knowledge or intense assignment-specific preparation.
Students completing this course could work in the community, business, and diplomatic domains such as health and welfare, policing and courts, government and international relations, and professional sectors including law, technology, and science.
What does the curriculum cover?
The Advanced Diploma of Interpreting (Mandarin-English) spans 16 units, including 9 core units and 7 electives. The course curriculum takes students through a range of interpreting roles, such as interpreting in complex dialogue and monologue settings, using notetaking to recall and reproduce source messages, sight translating, and interpreting through communication media.
There are a variety of assessment methods incorporated, such as observation of students performing a practical interpreting task/s, role play, and written response.
Global Business College of Australia offers both Diploma of Interpreting and Advanced Diploma of Interpreting courses. The course is delivered in a hybrid mode between face-to-face and online learning. The course duration is 26 weeks.
Graduates from GBCA’s Diploma of Interpreting courses are eligible to apply for NAATI certification. Initially, passing the generalist interpreting test at the entry-level qualifies one as a Certified Provisional Interpreter. Further study of the Advanced Diploma of Interpreting and passing a more advanced level of the generalist interpreting test elevates one to a Certified Interpreter status. Holding this certification opens up various career opportunities, allowing individuals to pursue work as freelancers, contractors to language service agencies, or positions within both public and private sectors, including hospitals, courts, commercial enterprises, and government departments. For international students, NAATI certification as an interpreter allows one to gain Credentialed Community Language points which is benefited to people who plan to apply for a points-based skilled migration visa in Australia.
The Diploma of Interpreting (Mandarin-English) and the Advanced Diploma of Interpreting (Mandarin-English) are great ways to kickstart your interpreting career and broaden the range of opportunities. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at enquiries@gbca.edu.au for any further inquiries.
Recommended reads:
Why Study a Diploma of Interpreting in Australia? Transforming Language Skills into a Career
[1] Overview of the Translating & Interpreting Sector – NAATI