Rangjung Yeshe Institute is pleased to announce another round of its intensive Translator Training Program. The program is designed to allow students to become oral translators in 12 months, capable of serving as an interpreter for a Tibetan teacher giving basic Buddhist teachings.  The program will be offered at a Beginning Level, with no prior knowledge of Tibetan required, and at an Intermediate Level, which assumes a year of prior training in both Colloquial and Classical Tibetan language.

As the program is offered to fill a need for oral interpreters in the Tibetan Buddhist world community, graduates of the program commit to spending a minimum of one year following graduation serving as an interpreter for a Tibetan Buddhist teacher or community.

The training offered consists of three educational elements:

1. Rigorous Tibetan language training
2. Practical translation workshops, and
3. Full immersion in a Tibetan living environment

Classes are taught in both English and Tibetan, and students are expected to translate into English.

Time and Venue
The program is located at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery in Boudhanath, Nepal, and runs from 21 June 2010 to 10 June 2011.

Course Overview
Classes in the program are a combination of regular RYI language classes and individual translator training classes specifically designed for the Translator Program. Approximate class hours per week are 20-25. The yearly schedule of classes is as follows:

 

Dates	Courses Taken	Weekly Hrs.
21 June—13 August	Beginning Summer Course	20
	Introduction to Classical Tibetan	3
23 August –3 September	Introduction to Classical Tibetan	5
6 September—10 December (Exams 13-17 December)	Classical Tibetan 3	3
	Colloquial Tibetan 3	5
	Tibetan Philosophical Discourse 1	5
	Dharma Conversation	5
	Reading Practice	5
20-24 December	Translation Seminar	10
25 December—9 January	Holiday – no classes
10-14 January 2011	Translation Seminar	10
17 January—22 April 2011 (Exams 25-29 April)	Classical Tibetan 4	3
	Colloquial Tibetan 4	5
	Tibetan Philosophical Discourse 2	5
	Dharma Conversation	5
	Translation Practice	5
30 April—8 May	Holiday – no classes
9-27 May	Translation Training	10
30 May-10 June	Translation Practicum	10

 

Instructors and Staff
The teaching faculty consists of experienced international translators, Tibetan monastic teachers, Tibetan laypeople, and international language instructors. In addition, a Translation Program Manager bears overall responsibility for the program and oversees the progress and well-being of the students.

Entry requirements
The Translator Training Program is intensive and demanding and so only outstanding and highly qualified students will be admitted. At a minimum, students applying to the program should have the following prerequisites:

1. High School diploma
2. Excellent Proficiency in English
3. Solid grounding in Buddhist philosophy
4. Excellent language skills, documented by past achievements
5. Excellent academic potential
6. Diligence and eagerness to learn

In addition, the applicant must:

1. Be a practicing Buddhist
2. Be willing to work for at least one year following graduation as an interpreter for the recommending teacher or for RYI
3. Be willing to live with a Tibetan family for the duration of the program

As the beginning level of the program assumes no prior study of Tibetan, it is not considered an advantage in the application process to have prior knowledge of Tibetan. Experience with living in South Asia is, however, considered advantageous.

Due to the intensive nature of the program, a maximum of four students per level for program year 2010-2011 will be accepted.   Applicants for the intermediate level, and those applying for the beginning level who have some Tibetan language experience should clearly describe their Tibetan language background in their application.

Tibetan Family
During the program students live with a Tibetan family. RYI will place students with responsible families committed to creating an environment conducive for learning and for assimilating Tibetan.

Agreement of Service
Following successful completion of the program, for a minimum of one year, students will either return to their sangha to fill a full-time position as an interpreter or continue at RYI as an interpreter.

For students who choose to return to their sangha to serve as an interpreter, the sangha must provide documentation at the time of application of a willingness and ability to financially support the interpreter and a resident Tibetan teacher for a minimum of one year.

Students who elect to serve at RYI for a year following graduation will be offered one of two ways to further their training:

1. Serving as an oral interpreter or teacher at RYI and continue the training to become a translator of written Tibetan
2. Serving as an oral interpreter at one of the international dharma centers of Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery

Decisions regarding these two options will be made by RYI, in close consultation with the student, towards the completion of the program. Students continuing their training at RYI will be given a one-year contract and compensated for their translation or teaching work. RYI does, however, reserve the right not to offer this additional year of training. In such cases RYI will support the student in securing an interpreter position elsewhere to the best of its ability.

Tuition

The Translator Training Program is intended as a service to the Buddhist community through increasing the number of skilled interpreters for Buddhist teachers from the Tibetan tradition. Reflecting the intensive and comprehensive nature of the program, tuition has been set at a level that, while somewhat higher than other courses, continues to reflect the real costs of running the program. 

Unique features of the program include:

1. Course-intake limited to four students to ensure rapid progress
2. 10 to 15 hours of one-on-one instruction per week
3. A full-time Translator Program Manager to support students and monitor progress

Please note that scholarships may be available to students requiring financial support.

Application

Applications for the 2010-2011 RYI Translator Training Program are closed. Applications will be accepted from 1st November 2010 and closes on 15 February 2011. Students will be informed by 1st March 2011 whether their application has been accepted.