Frequent Asked Questions
Q&A SECTION

This is information you may wish to know about our course.
If there is anything else you wish to know please contact us by
email or telephone and we will do our best to answer your query
and possibly add it to this Q&A listing.

Q: Can I obtain a student visa if I take the course?

A: Yes, if you enrol on the full time day class for 2 terms or more.
The UK Home Office, which is responsible for awarding student visas,
requires students applying for visas to study a minimum 15 hours per
week in a daytime class on a course lasting at least 15 weeks.
We are registered on the Department for Education & Skills (DfES)
'Register of Providers' which means that the Home Office is able to
consider student applications for visas wishing to take our course.
You can find more information on the DfES website at the following:
DfES website


Q: If I cannot obtain a student visa am I still able to take the course?

A: Yes, as long as you have the right to remain in the UK.


Q: What are my prospects of obtaining translation or interpreting work
if I take the course?

A: This depends on each student's skill and motivation. We make the
course as practical and vocational as possible. So our aim is that
students can go on to become professional interpreters or translators,
either freelance (when they have their own clients) or in-house (when
they are employed by a company on a full or part time basis). We also
try to give the best students work experience through our OJT (On the
Job Training) scheme.


Q: You will be trained by what type of teachers and lecturers?

A: We use professional interpreters and translators as teachers to
enable their practical experience to be transferred to students during
classes.


Q: What type of material is used in classroom teaching
and do I need to purchase any course textbooks?

A: As this is a practical, vocational course, teaching materials are
designed to be close to what might be found in a professional
environment. Therefore material is taken from recent publications,
broadcasts, interviews and other contemporary sources.
Content includes a variety of interesting topics including environment,
current affairs, economics, etc.
Difficulty varies according to the class level. We do not therefore work
from set textbooks. Students should equip themselves
with a dictionary, either in book form or the new range of electronic
dictionaries.


Q: What qualifications do I need to enter the course?

A: No specific qualification is required to enter the course though of
course the higher your language skills in both your native and other
language the greater your chances of progress. That said, native
Japanese speakers should preferably have English language skills to
enable them to pass the Cambridge Exam First Certificate, or equivalent
qualification level. Native English speakers should also have an
equivalent skill in the Japanese language. We hold an Evaluation Test
for new interpreting students before the start of each term. This is to
ensure students enter the class most suitable for their ability levels
and allows us to monitor their strengths and weaknesses
while they take the course.
New students applying for the advanced translation class are also
required to take a written test. Language qualifications on their own do
not necessarily indicate an aptitude for interpreting or
translation skills, which is why we do not require any specific qualification.


Q: Will I receive a grading or certificate at the end of the course?

A: A grading report for each piece of completed work and final grading
certificate is awarded to each student at the end of term. Grading
levels are based around those used in Japanese interpreting and
translation schools and universally recognised by potential employers
and agencies. We will issue professional certificates to students who
achieve an excellent grading level and become professional following
OJT (on-the-job training).