Practicums Help Interpreters Land Jobs In L.A.'s Justice System
By 2022, more than 29,000 additional interpreters and translators nationwide will have already secured employment, projects the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This marks a thumping 46 percent increase in the number of workers in 2012 that were converting information from one language to another. Los Angeles' justice system continues to provide job opportunities, with those engaged in practicum programs maintaining a competitive edge.
"A practicum is designed to allow students to shadow a state-certified legal interpreter for a full day at work, providing them with an opportunity to observe first-hand what the work of a legal interpreter is," said Fernando Becerra, Jr., an instructor at UCLA Extension. "The classroom portion provides a background of the different litigation areas, including criminal, family law, civil and mental health, and operational areas of the court."
What type of practicum have you created?
"I have tried to design a course that presents a realistic portrayal of the highly demanding and rewarding legal interpreting profession. I want every student to succeed, because the judicial system needs highly motivated individuals."
How does this program help a student's marketability?
"Combined with what they have learned in their other courses, the practicum provides a self-assessment gauge for students as to where their skill levels are prior to sitting for the state certification exam. Many students have told me the practicum was invaluable, because they could see and hear for themselves the high level of competence required for the profession."
How do you expect your practicum to further develop?
"I would like for qualified students to get their feet wet by actually doing some out-of-courtroom interpreting, while being monitored by a state-certified legal interpreter acting as a mentor."
How does one enter UCLA Extension's practicum program?
"Students must complete all course work with the appropriate grade point average."
What is your message to students involved in a practicum setting?
"I encourage them to soak up everything they see and hear, and ask lots of questions. If there is an opportunity to become involved and engaged, do it. They will realize that there are many professionals interested in their success."
Sharon Raiford Bush is an award-winning journalist who covers topics of social interest in greater Los Angeles. Some news articles she has authored have been archived by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Sharon also contributes to Examiner.com.