Sign Language Interpreter Preparation
Help Someone Interpret the World
As a Sign Language Interpreter or Transliterator, you can create a bridge of understanding between Deaf or hard of hearing individuals and hearing individuals. With the knowledge you gain of Deaf culture, you’ll be able to truly make a difference by providing a voice for the Deaf and hard of hearing.
Sign Language/Spoken English interpreters work with Deaf and hearing individuals who do not share a common language. If you love working with people and want a career with great variety and flexibility, then you might choose Sign Language Interpretation. You will serve as the communication link between Deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals, and hearing individuals. You must listen to spoken English, paying attention to the words, inflection and intent of the speaker, and convey that information to a visual language of signs. You must also be able to understand the signs, inflections, and intent of a Deaf individual and speak that information into articulate English. Confidence, poise and patience, along with highly effective communication skills, will put you in demand in this fascinating and diverse career field. Want to find out if this career is for you? Check it out on the web at http://www.acinet.org/, and select Occupation Information.
Program Description
Pikes Peak Community College offers a two-year Associate of Applied Science degree in Sign Language Interpreter Preparation. Your instruction in American Sign Language (ASL) will include vocabulary and expressive nuances, oral and physical translation skills, cross-cultural communications, slang and colloquialisms, and technical interpretation. Additional time, outside of class, will need to be spent in the sign language lab and out in the community conversing with Deaf people to acquire true fluency in the language.
Pikes Peak Community College has an outstanding Interpreter Preparation faculty and boasts one of only two specialized computerized Interpreter Learning Labs in the State of Colorado. The faculty provides intensive individual and group instruction to prepare future interpreting professionals for a variety of career opportunities. To be accepted into the Interpreter Preparation Program, you must apply for program admission and demonstrate proficiency in American Sign Language.
Career Path Notes
Upon completion of the AAS degree program, you will qualify to take the written portion of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) national certification test and become a candidate for certification. Your continuing growth and skill development through workshops, working with mentors, and continued practice will give you the experience you need to earn your full certification.
Program Information
Click here for program specific information.
For More Information
Call the Division of Communications, Humanities, and Technical Studies at 719-502-3200.
Employment Opportunities
Sign Language/Spoken English Interpreters work in a variety of settings, including educational, medical, legal, religious, mental health, rehabilitation, performing arts and business. There are full-time, part-time, and freelance positions available for qualified interpreters in the Colorado Springs area, and there is high demand for male Interpreters. There is a high demand for qualified interpreters in this area and many other parts of the state and country. Advancement in this career field is generally the result of additional experience and certifications
Earnings Outlook
In Colorado, the median hourly salary in 2005 for Interpreters and Translators was $25.19, with a salary range of $15.19 - 49.09. From 2004 to 2014, there are expected to be an average of 70 job openings per year statewide. Sign Language Interpreters/ Transliterators are often employed on a contract or freelance basis, especially in educational settings. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Financial Aid
Advising
Apply
Find Out More About Your Future Career
Contact Career Planning and Advising at (719) 502-3232
www.ppcc.edu/Advising
Associate of Applied Science Degree
1st Semester - Fall
ANT 101 Cultural Anthropology
ASL 123 American Sign Language III
IPP 121 Aspects of Interpreting I
IPP 131 Text Analysis
IPP 145 Deaf People in Society
Semester 1 Credit Hours 16
2nd Semester - Spring
ASL 221 American Sign Language IV
IPP 122 Aspect of Interpreting II
IPP 125 Oral Transliterating
IPP 132 Interpretation Analysis
IPP 147 Survey of Deaf Culture
IPP 205 Educational Interpreting
Semester 2 Credit Hours 18
3rd Semester - Summer
CIS 118 Introduction to PC Applications
or
CSC 105 Computer Literacy
COM 115 Public Speaking
MAT 107 Career Mathematics (or higher)
Semester 3 Credit Hours 9
4th Semester - Fall
ASL 215 ASL Literature
ASL 222 American Sign language V
ENG 121 English Composition I
IPP 225 English to ASL Interpreting
IPP 227 ASL to English Interpreting
IPP 229 Transliterating
Semester 4 Credit Hours 18
5th Semester - Spring
IPP 207 Specialized and Technical Communication
IPP 235 Advanced Interpreting
IPP 279 Interpreter Seminar
IPP 281 Interpreter Internship
Semester 5 Credit Hours 14
Total Credit Hours 75
Certificate
Basic ASL Communication Skills