Access Requirements
The course is open to conference interpreters who meet at least the following criteria:
- Hold a bachelor’s degree in interpreting (sign language) or a bachelor’s degree in another field, accompanied by proof of national accreditation in sign language interpreting.
- And have knowledge of International Sign (at least B1 level).
- And be proficient in at least one EU national sign language (at least B2 level).
- And have a professional command of spoken and/or written English (at least B2 level).
- Any additional language, whether signed or spoken, is an asset.
- Be a resident of the European Union, an EFTA country or an EU candidate country.
For candidates who do not hold the normally required academic qualifications, admission may be possible on the basis of experience relevant to the course. In this case, the candidate must compile a dossier to be submitted to the academic coordinator of the course. This dossier must include at least :
- a letter of motivation,
- a curriculum vitae
- proof of training and/or professional experience that the candidate wishes to have recognised, including at least 3 years of proven experience in conference interpreting.
- reference letters: from their national sign language interpreter organization, and/ or from their national deaf association. Alternatively, at least two reference letters from professionally accredited national sign language interpreters who have worked with the applicant in conference settings.
For further information: nicolas.hanquet@uclouvain.be
The number of participants in this course will be limited to 12.
How to register
Registration is not yet open.
How to apply ?
Part of the admission is an interpretation and reflection task:
1) Record in Zoom a video of yourself interpreting this speech into International Sign (IS) (note turn on captions in Zoom to see English captions)
2) Review your interpretation and write in English your reflections on your production (max. 500 words). The reflection should include :
⦁ What went well in the production of the interpretation and why ?
⦁ Which IS concepts and constructions are especially interesting?
⦁ Which aspects of the interpretation could be improved and why?
3) Complete the online application form.
You will be asked, among other things, to attach a copy of your identity document, a copy of your higher education qualification, a CV, proof of national accreditation in sign language interpreting, proof of proficiency in an EU national sign language, proof of proficiency in spoken and/or written English, and proof of residence in the EU, an EFTA country or an EU candidate country.
At the end of the form, you will be asked to upload your reflection paper (see point 2)).
4) Once you have submitted your online form, you will receive an email from UCLouvain within the next few days inviting you to submit your recorded interpretation. The submission must be made as soon as possible.
Admission procedure
The deadline for submitting applications will be set. A dedicated admissions panel will review the applications. The admissions process will be overseen by the coordinator. The panel consists of a university lecturer, a deaf expert/teacher and an experienced ACI-accredited interpreter. The panel will assess applications against the criteria mentioned above. Proficiency in International Sign (level B1) will be assessed during a follow up specific IS interview. Candidates who meet the criteria and have successfully completed the admission tack (interpretation in IS and written reflection paper in English), will be invited to the IS interview. At the end of this process, 12 participants will be selected.
In case the number of candidates meeting all the admission criteria exceeds the number of places available, a selection will be made on the basis of the following criteria:
- the highest scores obtained in the selection interviews;
- the level of experience most closely matching the interpreting context covered by the certificate;
- the degree to which the candidates’ motivations align with the objectives of the certificate.
All candidates will be informed of the outcome of their application.
Further information
• If you obtained your degree abroad, your application will be assessed by the programme’s academic staff. In all cases, non-EU nationals wishing to attend the programme in person must hold a visa or residence permit valid for the entire duration of the programme. Please note as mentioned above: You must be a resident of the European Union, an EFTA country or an EU candidate country to participate in the program. Further information.
• The steering committee reserves the right not to run the course if there are insufficient numbers.