Continuing education courses for Estonian court interpreters at the university of Tartu

Mall Tamm, University of Tartu

Andrei Muršak, Civil Court of the County of Harjumaa, Tallinn

In the years of regained independence the very first continuing education courses for Estonian court interpreters were organized by the University of Tartu in 2006-2008. The course of 30 hours provided an overview of general issues of the standards of conduct, the role of court interpreters, the Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibilities with respective canons. Consecutive interpreting with note-taking and simultaneous interpreting together with public speaking skills occupied the major part of the course. Speeches for interpretation were prepared by the teachers and the participants whose speeches closely reflected their work situations in criminal, civil, administrative and circuit courts. At the end of the course a simulated court session was carried out allowing each participant to play the role of a judge, a prosecutor, etc. and act as an interpreter.

File: 

Continuing education courses for Estonian court interpreters.pdf