Bilingual / Bicultural Studies (M.A.)

During the academic year, each student works in placements in a field experience directly related to his or her profession in the Greater Philadelphia/New Jersey Latino community. Teachers assist in bilingual schools; police in districts in bilingual neighborhoods; and social workers in social agencies dealing with Latinos, etc.

Focusing on the ethnicity, language, and cultural and social stratification of minorities, with an emphasis on that of Latinos, this course analyzes contemporary American opportunity, family and class structures, social mobility, migration, the so-called “culture of poverty,” urbanism, and related concepts and issues. Certain psychological dimensions, such as self-concept and the self-fulfilling prophecy, are also examined.

This course provides information on the health-care system in the United States, medical terminology, code of ethics for medical interpreters, and use of interpreters in health-care situations. In consecutive interpreting, students continue to enhance their memory and note-taking skills. They work on detecting and correcting problems from the listening stage to the delivery stage. In simultaneous interpreting, students work on polishing their delivery and language register. In sight translation, students become familiar with the different forms used in hospitals and health-care centers. Peer-assessment and self-assessment are encouraged in order to bring awareness of the importance of self-monitoring in interpreting. Furthermore, this course discusses current issues in health-care interpreting and provides information for further development in the profession.