April 30, 2019
In the United States, Spanish is the most common non-English language spoken in homes, yet limited-English proficient Spanish speakers hit communication barriers in most major industries, such as business, healthcare, legal, government and education.
California State University, Northridge’s Department of Modern & Classical Languages and Literatures is attempting to bridge these language barriers with the implementation of advanced Spanish translation service-learning courses on the legal and business communities.
“There is a great need for qualified translators and interpreters, and more so in Southern California,” said Svetlana V. Tyutina, the Spanish graduate program coordinator for the department and director of student service-learning at CSUN. “Next year, we’ll begin offering advanced translation and interpreting classes SPAN 462 and SPAN 472 that will include hands-on experience vital for this field.”
The courses will include internship opportunities through service-learning projects. One of the projects, piloted last fall, will focus on establishing a partnership with the Los Angeles Superior Court. Student participants will interpret for Spanish-speaking clients during the pro-bono mediation event Settle-O-Rama in family law court. Article continues on CSUN Today