Here in Toronto, it’s the Labour Day weekend. That means the summer holidays are behind us, and the start of classes is just around the corner. It’s an exciting time!
We are about to welcome our fourth cohort of students into Year One of the program. And our third cohort will soon begin Year Two. I’m sure that everyone is going to have a tough but ultimately rewarding academic year. This year, like the others before it, is going to be great.
How can I be so sure? Why do I seem to think that the Glendon MCI is so special?
I could answer by saying that we have an innovative training program. In the first year, students take all their classes online and learn to interpret remotely. They also learn to interpret in three different settings — court, healthcare, and conference. In the second year, students benefit from onsite classes in Toronto, and they intensify their focus on conference interpreting.
I could tell you that we have the best instructors. Our part-time teachers come to us from all over the world. They interpret for some of the world’s leading international organizations — the European Commission, the European Parliament, the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the US State Department, and so on. They are also avant-garde trainers who — when they are not teaching for us — give professional development courses all over the world. Oh, and the full-time faculty — Emma, Qjinti and I — are no slouches when it comes to interpreting and teaching, if I do say so myself.
I could tell you about the special opportunities we provide students. They learn to use cutting-edge tools, whether it’s the latest web-based platforms for delivering interpreting services from afar, or our state-of-the-art interpreting lab at Glendon. They benefit from experiential learning, like our fantastic Virtual Healthcare Interpreting Practicum, an average of 15 days of actual conference work on campus, and site visits to some of the institutions mentioned above.
But none of these is the reason I believe our program is really special. Instead, I think that the MCI is a challenging, yet fostering place to learn and grow because of our students. To show you what I mean, let me cite a few examples.
1. Our students have a thirst to learn about one another
Our students come from all over the globe: Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South America, Central America — heck, some of them are even from Canada! Consequently, they come to the program with different customs, different traditions, and different ways of learning. But what’s really interesting is to watch how they learn from one another.
We’re interpreters, so the most obvious point of exchange is language. Everyone seems to wind up incorporating at least some Chinese characters into their consecutive note-taking. The Mandarin speakers test out their French on their francophone peers. The Portuguese speakers all seem to absorb Spanish out of thin air. Also, this word of encouragement in Ukrainian, удачі (good luck), stayed up on a whiteboard in the interpreting lab for several weeks as students took Exit Exams and re-takes this summer. Our students create an incredible environment. It fosters support, learning, and exchange. It’s breathtaking to watch.
2. Our students are always thinking of one another
I’m always impressed by the ways in which our students go out of their way for one another. I remember when one of our Year One students moved to Toronto from China. Her classes were online, so — strictly speaking — she did not need to be here. But she felt it was better for her English to be in an Anglophone environment. Shortly after her arrival, she “showed up” to a virtual class from a new location, one that I knew I recognized but could not immediately place. Turns out, the Chinese student was in Quebec City! One of her French-speaking classmates felt she should see that part of Canada, and so she invited our new arrival into her home for a short stay.
But the sense of community can be felt in other ways. Each year, the “new Year Twos” get help apartment hunting in Toronto from the “old Year Twos”. It seems like they are always celebrating one another’s birthdays, housewarmings, new jobs, and other milestones. When the going gets rough, it’s moving to see how they lend one another a hand. Then there is the fact that our interpreting lab always seems to be stocked with dark chocolate, as if by magic!
3. Our students are creative and kind
It’s no secret that I’m a bit of a workaholic. I work hard to meet the needs of the students, in large part because I see them working so hard. But most of this work happens outside the classroom, where it is largely invisible to students. Or so I thought.
Recently, I received the most remarkable gift from Doris, one of our Year One students. She reworked the lyrics of Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise”, calling it “Glendon Paradise (A Day in the Life of Andrew Clifford)”.
I think she pretty faithfully captured my nerdy side. But she also picked up on the commitment of time and energy that it takes to make the MCI a success.
When I have taught elsewhere in the past, my students have normally been caught up in what’s going on in their immediate bubble. This is to be expected. University is a heady time. It’s filled with new experiences and new challenges. Students are called upon to make big adjustments, and they’re not always sure they’re up to the task.
This is doubly true in the MCI. Interpreting is hard. Our students have to dedicate themselves to their practice if they want to succeed. The process isn’t always kind. It can really upset your sense of self at times. So to think that my students could be going through all of that, and yet still spare a thought for what’s going on in the lives of their teachers… Well, it touched me in a profound way.
Thank you, Doris, for your humour, for your creativity, and — above all — for your kindness.
4. Our students constantly remind us of the true meaning of the MCI
The MCI is a professional program. On the surface, we’re all about training people to go out there in the world and do a particular job. So we focus on “market-readiness”, we talk about the standards expected by employers, and we constantly assess where students are in their progress. It’s all very focused on the task at hand.
It’s easy to forget that there’s something else underneath the surface. Yes, we are training people for a specific profession. But more generally, we are also helping them to challenge themselves, face longstanding fears, and — above all — grow.
Actually, it’s not right to say that I forget what’s below the surface. In fact, I’m very aware of it, but usually only when it comes to what my students teach me. Thanks to my students, I also get to face challenges and fears. Thanks to them, I have become a better teacher. Thanks to them, I get better at working effectively with diverse groups of people. Thanks to them, I grow. It’s an intensely personal and humbling process
I sometimes wonder if, like me, are thinking about the bigger picture. I say “sometimes” because our outgoing Year Twos made it abundantly clear that they are!
Beyond interpreting, we are helping our students to grow as people.
When Exit Exams were over this year, the Year Twos organized a celebration — a night of karaoke, of all things. It was an evening of fun and laughter. But at one point, the students interrupted their hijinks to strike a more serious note. They paid a touching tribute to each of the on-campus team members, Emma, Qjinti, Aurélien (our amazing technical assistant) and me. Then they gave each of us our own personalized copy of a group photo. Every time I read the inscriptions, I get us a little misty-eyed. I think it's because it reminds me of the true meaning of what we do together.
To recap, then, what makes the MCI special is our students. I have taught at other universities and in other programs. But I have never had the privilege of working with students like the ones we have in the MCI. They are whip smart, dedicated, hard working, high achieving, and going places.
It’s often said that interpreters get a front-row seat to watch history unfold. Well, I’m an interpreter trainer, and I get to watch history in the making, too. It’s a different kind of history, but one that is of the utmost importance.