Subject to sufficient enrollment, a simultaneous interpretation seminar will be held at the Grenville Baker Club, Locust Valley, New York, from 26 to 30 June 2006.

Working Languages

English, Spanish and French.

Instructor

James Nolan. James Nolan served as Deputy Director of the Interpretation, Meetings and Publishing Division and Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service of the United Nations, as UN Senior Interpreter and as Head of Linguistic and Conference Services of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.  Mr. Nolan is a graduate of the School of Translation and Interpretation of the University of Geneva and of New York Law School, and a member of the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC). He is the author of Interpretation Techniques and Exercises.

Proposed Schedule

Monday 26 June	9 AM - 12 Noon	ES>EN
	1 PM - 4 PM	ES>EN
Tuesday 27 June	9 AM - 12 Noon	ES>EN
	1 PM - 4 PM	ES>EN
Wednesday 28 June	9 AM - 12 Noon	EN>ES
	1 PM - 4 PM	EN>FR
Thursday 29 June	9 AM - 12 Noon	FR>EN
	1 PM - 4 PM	FR>EN
Friday 30 June	9 AM - 12 Noon	FR>EN
	1 PM - 4 PM	FR>EN

Adjustments in the above schedule may be made at the request of the participants.

Program

Sessions will comprise a brief presentation and a practicum conducted "round-table" fashion, using audio and video recordings of UN and other speeches. The topics covered will include Preparation, Segmentation, Complex Syntax/Compression, Word Order/Clusters, General Adverbial Clauses, Formal Style, Economic & Political Discourse, Humor, Latinisms, Numbers.

Required Reading

Interpretation Techniques and Exercises, by James Nolan, available from the publisher, Multilingual Matters or from internet vendors. The seminar will include reading assignments and written exercises may be assigned tailored to students' needs. It is recommended that participants obtain and begin reading the book before the seminar. Texts and recordings of speeches studied will be provided.

Description of Interpretation Techniques and Exercises

Now in its second printing, this book provides a structured syllabus and an overview of interpretation accompanied by exercises in the main aspects of the art. It can serve as a practical guide for interpreters and as a complement to interpreter training programs, particularly for students preparing for interpreting in international governmental and business settings. It is used at European and American universities and by the European Parliament and is cited as a study reference for the United Nations Interpreters' Examination.

Applications

Applicants must have substantial interpretation or translation experience in a relevant language combination. To apply, please send an e-mail to , with the following information: Your name, address, telephone number and e-mail / Brief description of translation interpretation experience / Native language, other langauges, & degree of fluency / Sessions for which you wish to enroll.

Tuition Fee

Applicants may enroll in the 5 English-Spanish sessions (USD 250), the 5 English-French sessions (USD 250), or both (USD 500). To reserve your place, payment of the tuition fee is due by check upon acceptance of application and is non-refundable.

Format of Seminar

Practice rather than theory will be emphasized. There will be ample "booth time", i.e. actual interpreting, but without physical booths. Working in isolation in a booth provides little feedback and an instructor cannot devote enough time to hearing each student's performance. We will be sitting around a conference table, each of us wearing earphones, hearing recorded speeches and sometimes seeing a video image of the speaker as well. We will go around the table taking turns interpreting segments of the speech, then discussing the difficulties, comparing notes, making suggestions, etc. I have used this format before and found that participants learn a lot from each other. The speech will then be played back for everyone so that participants can interpret the full speech and record the performance for later analysis. Copies of the audio recordings and printed texts of speeches to practice with will be provided. I will sometimes offer my own rendition of a passage or speech. I will open each session with a brief explanation (not a "lecture") of some of the interpreting techniques described in my book and we will try to apply them when we interpret the speeches. There will be "homework" (exercises from the book and recordings). If you have texts or recordings of speeches that you have found challenging, feel free to bring them along. In the middle of each session there will be a short break for refreshments.

What You Should Bring

• Blank notebooks.
• A copy of Interpretation Techniques and Exercises.
• A portable cassette recorder and 10 blank 90-minute cassettes.
• Recommended (not required): a laptop computer equipped with Real One player software.
• Earphones: New lightweight earphones or standard communications-type earphones with fresh ear pads will be provided. If you prefer, you may bring your own earphones.

Location

The venue of this seminar will be Locust Valley, on the North Shore of Long Island, New York. Sessions will take place in the Learning Room of the Grenville Baker Club, which is located next to the Locust Valley station of the Long Island Railroad. The address is 135 Forest Avenue, Locust Valley, New York 11560. (Although the Grenville Baker Club is meant for young people, it is reserved for adults during the week of the seminar.)

Hotels

If you are from out of town and wish to stay in New York City, an Orientation Guide including a list of moderately-priced accommodations in Manhattan will be mailed to you upon request. Please include this request in your Application e-mail, and specify whether you wish to receive the information in English, Spanish or French.

If you are from out of town and wish to stay in the Locust Valley area, the nearest hotel is The Tides Motor Hotel, located in the nearby beach resort of Bayville. For participants staying at The Tides, the instructor will arrange transportation to and from the seminar. Other area hotels.

For more information, please contact .