March 2009 M.A. san Ateangaireacht Chomhdhála seolta in Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh

(View in English) Rinne Seán Ó Neachtain, Feisire Eorpach, an cúrsa nua M.A. (Ateangaireacht Chomhdhála) – an chéad chúrsa dá chineál in Éirinn nó san Eoraip – a sheoladh go hoifigiúil Dé hAoine seo caite. Ag labhairt dó ag an seoladh, dúirt an Feisire Ó Neachtain: "Tá géarghá anois le daoine a bhfuil cáilíochtaí gairmiúla acu san ateangaireacht chomhdhála. Daoine óga as Éirinn a bhainfeas cáilíocht ateangaireachta sa nGaeilge agus sa mBéarla, beidh dhá oiread na seansanna fostaíochta acu agus iad ag iarraidh post a fháil san Aontas Eorpach. Níl mórán deiseanna chomh maith leis sin ann ar an aimsir seo." Mhínigh Eoin Ó Droighneáin, Ceannasaí an Aonaid Aistriúcháin agus Ateangaireachta, Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh: "In 2007, ní raibh aon saor-ateangaire cáilithe le Gaeilge ar fáil le tabhairt faoi na dualgais nua ateangaireachta a bhain leis an teanga in institiúidí an Aontais Eorpaigh. Ar feadh dhá bhliain, mic léinn a bhí ag iarraidh an oiliúint chuí ateangaireachta a fháil, b'éigean dóibh dul chomh fada le hOllscoil sa mBreatain Mhór – Ollscoil Westminster i Londain. Sa dá bhliain sin, níor cháiligh ach cúigear mar ateangairí agus tá siad sin ag obair anois mar shaor-ateangairí. Ach tá i bhfad níos mó ateangairí cáilithe ag teastáil sa margadh fostaíochta." Ó tharla bearna mhór a bheith sa margadh fostaíochta, is tráthúil anois go bhfuil an cúrsa nua M.A. san Ateangaireacht Chomhdhála á chur ar fáil ag Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge. Tá siollabas an chláir bunaithe ar an gCéim Mháistreachta Eorpach in Ateangaireacht Chomhdhála (EMCI) agus de thoradh an cúrsa seo a bheith ar siúl anois ag Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh, ní gá do mhic léinn dul thar sáile chun cáilíocht aitheanta san ateangaireacht a bhaint amach. Dúblófar, in imeacht bliain amháin den chúrsa nua seo, an líon ateangairí cáilithe le Gaeilge a bheidh ar fáil d'institiúidí an Aontais Eorpaigh. Tríd an gclár máistreachta seo, tugtar an deis do na mic léinn súil ghéar a choinneáil ar chúrsaí reatha agus ar chúrsaí na hEorpa go háirithe. Tá tacaíocht láidir faighte ag an gcúrsa ó thosaigh sé ó institiúidí an Aontais Eorpaigh; ina measc sin tá an Ard-Stiúrthóireacht Ateangaireachta sa Choimisiún Eorpach – an tseirbhís ateangaireachta is mó ar domhan. Ní chuireann an Ard-Stiúrthóireacht féin cúrsaí oiliúna ar fáil, ach bíonn comhoibriú dlúth ar siúl idir í agus líon beag ollscoileanna lena chinntiú go gcuirtear oiliúint ghairmiúil den chaighdeán is airde ar mhic léinn ateangaireachta. Tá aíonna mór le rá ó Institiúidí an AE tar éis léachtaí a thabhairt ar an gcúrsa i mbliana; orthu sin tá Brian Fox, Ceannasaí na nAteangairí; agus David Smith, Ceannasaí Rannóg Ateangaireachta an Bhéarla agus na Gaeilge – an bheirt acu ó Ard-Stiúrthóireacht Ateangaireachta an Choimisiúin Eorpaigh. Pléitear le hábhair éagsúla sa chúrsa lánaimseartha bliana M.A. seo; orthu sin, tá cleachtaí cuimhne, scileanna um breacadh nótaí, comhdhálacha bréige, gluaiseanna le haghaidh cruinnithe teicniúla, glóroiliúint, agus béasaíocht sa bhoth ateangaireachta. Bíonn seans ag na mic léinn freisin cuairt a thabhairt ar institiúidí an AE le go bhfeicfidh siad féin ateangairí idirnáisiúnta i mbun a gcuid oibre. Dúirt Brian Fox, Ceannasaí na nAteangairí sa Choimisiún Eorpach: "Tá na deacrachtaí a bhí an AE go dtí seo ateangairí oilte le Gaeilge a earcú pléite go minic sna meáin chumarsáide sa tír seo. Le roinnt seachtainí anuas pléadh freisin sna meáin naisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta na deacrachtaí atá ann ateangairí le Béarla a earcú. Beidh deis faoi leith ag na mic léinn a thabharfas faoin M.A. san Ateangaireacht Chomhdhála in Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh – beidh an dá riachtanas teanga sin á gcomhlíonadh acu ach an cháilíocht a bhaint amach ón gcúrsa." Reáchtálann an tAonad Aistriúcháin agus Ateangaireachta in Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge cláir léinn ag leibhéal Dioplóma, Bunchéime agus Iarchéime; tá éirithe thar cionn leis an M.A. (Ateangaireacht Chomhdhála) sa chéad bhliain den chúrsa agus is beart suntasach eile é seo san fhorbairt atá an tAonad a dhéanamh ar a chuid cláir léinn. Glactar le líon teoranta iarratas don chúrsa seo; daoine ar mian leor cur isteach ar áit ar an gcúrsa, ba choir dóibh teagmháil a dhéanamh le Susan Folan ag 091 869102 nó susan.folan@oegaillimh.ie le tuilleadh eolais a fháil. -críoch- (Leagan Gaeilge) Seán Ó Neachtain, MEP has officially launched NUI Galway's new Masters in Conference Interpreting (M.A. Ateangaireacht Chomhdhála) – the first if its kind in Ireland and in Europe. Speaking at the launch, Seán Ó Neachtain, said: "A demand now exists for professionals with recognised qualifications in conference interpreting. A qualification in interpretation including both the Irish and English language will double employment opportunities for young Irish people wishing to pursue a career in the European Union. Such opportunities are rare in the current climate". Eoin Ó Droighneáin, Head of the Translation and Interpreting Unit, Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, NUI Galway, explained: "In 2007 there was not one single accredited freelance interpreter with Irish, which caused considerable recruitment difficulties for those seeking high level skilled interpreters. For the following two years prospective students with Irish had to travel to the University of Westminster in the UK to train in the hope of obtaining a qualification in the field of conference interpreting. In those two years, only five successfully qualified and are working as freelance interpreters, meaning the gap in the market is still sizeable". This gap in the market coincides with the introduction of the new M.A. in Conference Interpreting offered by NUI Galway's Irish language institute, Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge. This unique programme is the first of its kind in Ireland and Europe and means that students no longer need to travel to obtain a qualification recognised by the EU. The M.A. is based on the internationally recognised European Masters in Conference Interpreting (EMCI), a curriculum of the highest standard, the same as is followed in the University of Westminster. This year alone, it will match the number of interpreters that have emerged in the years since Irish became a recognised working language of the EU. The M.A. programme gives students the opportunity to follow current and European Affairs quite closely and there has been close cooperation between European Institutions and NUI Galway, including the European Commission's interpreting service Directorate General for Interpretation (DG Interpretation), the largest interpreting service in the world. The Directorate does not itself offer training courses, but cooperates closely with a small number of international Universities to ensure professionally focused training of the highest quality. Many esteemed visitors from European Institutions have lectured on the course throughout the year, among them Mr Brian Fox, Director of Interpreters, DG Interpretation and David Smith, Head of English and Irish Interpreting Unit, DG Interpretation. This full-time one-year M.A. programme covers various subjects including memory exercises, sight translation, note-taking skills, mock conferences, glossaries for technical meetings, voice coaching, and booth etiquette. Students also have the opportunity to visit EU institutions to see at first hand the work of international interpreters. Brian Fox, Director of Interpreters in the European Commission, said: "The Irish media has long since spoken of the difficulties the EU has experienced when seeking to recruit qualified interpreters with Irish. In recent weeks, the national and international media has also spoken of the difficulties being experienced when attempting to recruit English language interpreters. Students of NUI Galway's M.A. Conference Interpreting will have a unique employment opportunity in this case because they will fill both demands successfully by obtaining a qualification in the area". Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge s Translation and Interpreting Unit runs academic programmes at Diploma, Primary Degree and Postgraduate Degree levels; the success of the new M.A. in Conference Interpreting in its first year marks another milestone in the Unit s programme development. A limited number of applicants are accepted on the programme, and students wishing to apply should contact Susan Folan at 091 869102 or susan.folan@oegaillimh.ie for further information. -ends-