Utah Valley University’s Spanish translation and interpreting program helps students to build professional language skills, business savvy, cultural awareness, and connections with the language sector so they can successfully pursue interpreting, translation, and localization careers.
Spanish-English Translation, Certificate of Proficiency
Healthcare Interpreting Spanish-English, Certificate of Proficiency
Spanish-English Translation and Interpreting, Minor
| Jobs in the Lang. Industry | Internships in the Lang. Industry |
Learn the basics of interpreting, with a focus on the healthcare and social service settings. Most time is spent on dialogue interpreting, but you will also learn simultaneous interpreting and sight translation. Learn the basics of translating naturally and effectively, breaking free of tendencies to mimic the source language too much when translating.
See course catalog
Up your translation skills with more difficult text types (medical and legal documents, international business marketing materials, a touch of literary texts, etc.). Conduct a service learning project translating for an organization of your choice, and finish the semester off with an authentic class project where you'll be translating for a real-world client.
See course catalog
An excellent continuation of SPAN 3310 (Spanish for Healthcare Professionals), this course explores all the essential knowledge and skills for a healthcare interpreter: interpreter ethics, standards of practice, and protocols; modes of interpreting; cultural competence; medical terminology; and government regulations relating to the US healthcare system.
Upon finishing this course, students will have completed requirements to work as a qualified medical interpreter in the state of Utah and will have completed one of the pre-requisites for either of the two national certification exams for medical interpreters.
See course catalog
This course is crucial for anyone who wants to work in the language services industry, whether as a translator, localization engineer, project manager, or if they're working in administration or HR for a language services company. This course is much more than just technology; it's also all about the business of the languages services industry and the career paths within it.
Learn the ins and outs of CAT tools (computer aided translation) using industry-standard software, and understand the technology behind machine translation from a non-technical point of view.
See course catalog
My internship with U.S. Translation Company was very profitable for my professional career.
I am studying international business and languages and I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect opportunity to immerse myself in an experience that compiled both specialties.
During my internship I worked as an interpreting project coordinator, so I helped organize interpreting for events that were provided in 10+ languages.
After taking some time off, I came back to UVU to finish my degree. I took UVU's introductory interpreting course (SPAN 4110) and due to taking that class, I did an internship for a medical interpreting company, learned I really love interpreting, and now work as a medical interpreter.
I really appreciate how this program has helped me discover what I really want to do with my life and taught me the necessary skills I need in order to succeed in my chosen career path.
I started working with the Utah Translation and Analysis Center in May of 2022. Having completed Dr. Gilbert’s introductory course to Spanish interpreting/translation beforehand helped me have the skillset I needed to make it through the difficult hiring process; the translation skill that I started developing in that course is what landed me such a unique, challenging, and rewarding opportunity.
You truly get out of these classes the work and practice that you put in. I would recommend that anyone interested try out the program because translation and interpreting can be great career paths on their own, and are also highly useful tools in almost any field.
The Spanish Translation and Interpreting program improved my Spanish more than I realized it had. After being in the program for about 6 months, my mother-in-law, who lives in South America, said something along the lines of "Hannah, your Spanish has improved so much in the past 6 months. How did you do it?"
That is where I began to realize how much the program was teaching me. I had already been volunteering as a medical interpreter and working as a bilingual representative at a call center. However, this was when people like my mother-in-law really noticed improvement in my abilities.
I am currently working at an insurance brokerage as a translator and account coordinator and still do translation services for my previous employer at a law firm. I owe all of these translation and interpretation capabilities to the program at UVU and the tactics they taught me to improve not only my Spanish, but also my interpreting and translating methods.
I had two semesters left at UVU and had no idea what I would do after graduation. Then, Dr. Gilbert came to UVU and offered courses in translation and interpretation. His teaching and the course content completely changed my Spanish skills and abilities. Span 4110 and 4120 enabled me to express complex subjects in my L2 and to switch back and forth between languages with ease.
I graduated UVU in May of 2022 and interned at The Consulate of Spain in Los Angeles, California. Upon meeting my Spanish coworkers, they were stunned at my level of Spanish when they discovered it is not my native language and that I have never lived in a Hispanic country. The interpreting and translating skills produced from Dr. Gilbert's courses allowed me to thrive in an all-Peninsular Spanish workplace environment that once seemed so daunting.
A year and a half later, I find myself in the Spanish Graduate Program here at The Florida State University where I not only continue to use my translation abilities, but also the refranes and Argentinean lingo that was picked up from Professor Gilbert. As a grad student and aspiring government linguist, Span 4110 and 4120 really helped set my course and prepared me for a career during a time of great uncertainty in my life. I encourage everyone to take these courses because no matter what professional field you go into, the translation and interpretation skills acquired will always strengthen your candidacy.
Students in the Intro to Spanish Translation and Interpreting course (SPAN 4110) and Translation Technology course (LANG 4500) are collaborating with the Alf Engen Ski Museum in Park City, Utah, to translate exhibit QR code content into Spanish as well as the subtitles for a film the museum shows.
Students in the advanced Spanish translation course (SPAN 4120) and Intro to Spanish Translation and Interpreting (SPAN 4110) collaborated with the Utah Film Center to translate dubbing scripts for a series of educational videos on filmmaking. Dr. Gilbert’s students have also gone a step further and are crafting Spanish subtitles for the videos as well. Access to these materials in Spanish will help dual-immersion classrooms study the specialized terminology of cinematography. Julie Gale, Utah Film Center Director of Education & Family Programs, remarked:
This is INCREDIBLE! Thank you so much for engaging in this project with us, and on behalf of all the Spanish-speaking students that will use these resources for years to come, we appreciate your attention to detail!
Students in the intro course (SPAN 4110) also translated/revised a lengthy patient application form for Community Health Connect (CHC), and the students in the advanced course (SPAN 4120), aside from managing the project and serving as a liaison with this client, performed final revisions for the project. Margaret Fullmer, CHC’s Mental Health Program Manager, said:
Our application has been much improved by the work your students have done! It is much simpler to read, comprehend, and follow. For our clientele—many of whom have no formal education—this makes an enormous difference.
Students in the advanced Spanish translation course (SPAN 4120) are collaborating with the UVU Museum of Art to make the Museum's offerings more inclusive. They are localizing the Museum's webpages, translating calls for artists, and will be translating exhibition materials for the new location at Lakemount Manor so they are accessible to Spanish-speakers.
Students localized a website for the Orem startup BankHunter. Carbuyers can get banks to compete to be their lender by filling out BankHunter’s free online form. UVU students worked to craft messaging that would be professional and attractive to a wide range of Latino age groups and national origins. Additionally, they created a video to embed on the Spanish webpage and designed many social media ads targeting Latinos.
Devin Gilbert's Spanish translation students localized the highest-demand webpages from Orem City's website into Spanish in an effort to help the city increase civic engagement from Latino members of the community. Their service was recognized on Orem City's website as well as in an article from the Daily Herald.
Since the summer of 2022, Devin Gilbert's UVU students have done virtual exchanges with professor Mariana Valverde Vargas's students from the University of Costa Rica. Costa Rican students send over English writing/translation assignments for which UVU students give them feedback, and UVU students send translations they have done into Spanish so that the students from Costa Rica can critique their work.
Already looking forward to Language Services Industry Day 2025!
Date: April 03
Time: 12pm - 2:30 pm
Location: Clarke Building 101C (east end of bldg.)
Description:
Language Services Industry Day 2024 @ UVU is a career-focused event designed to expose students and educators to language professionals.
The event was fantastic! We had guests both local and international, and we hosted
students not just from UVU but from all over Utah!
Program
12:00 - Welcome and opening remarks - Devin Gilbert
12:10 - Panel of industry professionals
Date: March 22
Time: 12pm - 4pm
Location: Clarke Building Rm 510
Description:
Event publicized in MultiLingual press release
The event was a hit! Thanks to all those who came to connect with other students and representatives from language companies, non-profits, and industry organizations. Take the event feedback survey :) If you missed the panels, watch the recording below:
Thank you to memoQ for giving our students free access to their software through the memoQ Academic Program.
We would like to thank Phrase for granting us free access to their platform through Phrase Academic Edition.
We would also like to thank Lilt for giving our program free access to their platform as a Lilt University Partner.
Thank you to RWS Trados for giving our program free access to Trados Team as part of their Academic Partner Program.
$9.1b Translation Industry in US
2022 figure | ~45% growth since 2012
$7.6b Interpreting Industry in US
– figure as of 2019
$55b Global Language Industry
a market rife with opportunity
Employment of interpreters and translators is projected to grow 20 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations.
– U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
See the UVU Language Services Industry Internships webpage for all steps and directions on how to apply for an internship:
UVU INTERNSHIP APPLICATION STEPS
Click or tap on each logo to read more about available internships
U.S. Translation Company is a language service provider that works with translation, localization, and conference interpreting projects. Intern with U.S. Translation Company in their downtown Salt Lake City headquarters in areas such as:
The company will provide a $500 stipend upon successful completion of the internship. See available internships on the company's Handshake profile. Request availability and apply by sending an email to [email protected] (if applying, send cover letter, resumé, and unofficial transcript).
CommGap is a language service provider that works with translation and localization projects, and they also coordinate interpreting services. Intern with CommGap at their headquarters in Cottonwood Heights in areas such as
Request availability and apply by sending an email to [email protected].
Transcend Translationis a language service provider that provides services in localization, translation, and interpretation in over 100 languages. Come intern to learn real life experience and the opportunity to earn a full or part-time position.
Transcend Translation has been recognized as the fastest organically growing translation company in the world by Slator.com and won Best of State for Languages Services in 2023 and 2024. Join an amazing company culture that loves to help organization bridge the language barriers and be global.
Transcend Translation headquarters is in Lehi, but this is a remote/virtual position so no need to travel. Positions available include:
Please email your resume, position you're interested in, and ideal internship availability to[email protected]. You can also reach them by phone at 385-955-1885.
Utah Translators and Interpreters Association (UTIA) is Utah's organization for professionals and companies working in translation, interpreting, and localization. UTIA provides networking and educational opportunities to promote the professional growth of its members, and advance the cause of Language Access in Utah. Intern remotely with UTIA..
Request more information by talking with Dr. Devin Gilbert [email protected].
MasterWord is a language services provider based out of Houston, Texas, that works with translation projects, interpreting assignments, and language access and language preservation. There are three types of internships UVU students can pursue with MasterWord:
While knowledge of Mayan languages would certainly be a plus, interns do not need to know any Mayan language, though Spanish proficiency would be required. This is a volunteer internship. Interns working on this project have two different opportunities:
Translate documents and receive feedback from other professionals who review your work. This is an unpaid internship, and there is need for the following language pairs: Spanish > English; English > Spanish.
Interpret remotely for medical, social services, and educational assignments. This is an paid internship, and interns must apply at least 1 month before the start of the semester so they can take MasterWord’s interpreting assessment. Participation in this internship is conditional upon passing this assessment. There is need for the following language pairs: Spanish-English, French-English.
Intermountain Health is Utah's largest employer of medicalinterpreters; here, interns will have the opportunity to work in close partnership with a professional medical interpreter, shadowing first and then interpreting under their supervision. Request more information by talking with Dr. Devin Gilbert [email protected].
Intern with our department working on community partnerships and career-centered events for students. For example, coordinate volunteer interpreting opportunities in local schools, find authentic translationprojects for students to work on, guide students as they revise their translations for TED Talks or other community-facing content, and help plan Language Services Industry Day. Request more information by talking with Dr. Devin Gilbert [email protected].
Request more Info on Internships
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Join the UVU Language Industry Network on LinkedIn or follow on Twitter to see jobs in the industry. |
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job opportunities.
Networking with the Utah Translators and Interpreters Association (UTIA) is a crucial first step for any student looking to start in the industry. Besides joining UTIA (student annual fee is only $20), check out their job board for local opportunities:
One great resource for the most up-to-date info on the industry is MultiLingual. For more than 30 years, MultiLingual has been serving as the world’s source of information for the language industry. Through their magazine, newsletter, website, YouTube channel, podcast, and social media platforms you will find anything you need to know about industry-related events, news, development and opportunities.
The American Translators Association (ATA) represents not just translators but interpreters as well. It's much more affordable to join as a student, and members can become ATA certified translators (students should look into the practice test, which is an affordable way to judge your readiness for certification). Also, check out their materials for those who are looking to start in the industry:
Did you know you Utah Valley University can help you receive a Business Spanish Certification from the Official Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Madrid?
Business Spanish Certification
Looking at the careers graduate students have attained after graduation can give you a great idea of what opportunities might be available to those who are interested in the language services industry (whether in translation, interpreting, localization, or more on the business side of things):
MIDDLEBURY INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: LOCALIZATION CAREERS
Wake Forest University: Interpreting and Translation Alumni Careers
MIDDLEBURY INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING CAREERS
follow links or contact info below to volunteer
With these local, national, and international organizations, there are several ways to get involved and volunteer. Get to it!
