Preparation for the English Interpeter Program Exam in Boston

Cynthia's Success Story

 

Preparation for English Interpreter entry exam BostonStudent Profile:

Cynthia arrived in Boston a few years ago and quickly gained a high level of English fluency through everyday interactions at work and in the community. 

 

Cynthia's Challenge:

After living in Boston for a few years, Cynthia realized that she wanted to pursue a career as a Spanish to English interpeter. In order to have the career that she aspired to, she needed to pass the entrance exam for the Boston University Interpreter Program. She was ready to take on the challenge but she knew that it wouldn't be easy to pass and she needed support and a customized curriculum to prepare for the exam.

 

The Solution:

Cynthia took a private English course with Lindsay, at English and Culture, for the two months leading up to the exam. Her 90-minute class was held twice per week in the evenings.  Here are some of the ways that we helped Cynthia prepare for the exam:

  • We implemented a regular and flexible lesson schedule based on her availability
  • Cynthia was assigned homework to prepare for each class
  • We used parallel texts, You Tube videos, and live conversation in Spanish. Cynthia was asked to listen to the Spanish and repeat what she heard in English. Her English mistakes were immediately corrected and recorded for review at the end of the class.
  • To prepare for the written section of the exam, Cynthia translated one article from Spanish into English before each class. We corrected her grammar and vocabulary in class.
  • Grammar exercises were prepared specifically based on her mistakes, such as conditional exercises and exercises about how to use the past perfect and present perfect grammar forms.
  • We used flashcards to review the meanings of phrasal verbs and expressions that Cynthia learned during each class.
  • Cynthia's corrections were recorded, reviewed, and emailed to her after each class
  • Cynthia gained confidence in her English ability because the lessons were rooted in a conversation-based method. The goal of each activity was communication. This helped her to feel more relaxed and more comfortable during the exam.

 

Why Was English and Culture Right For Cynthia?

Cynthia had a very specific goal of preparing for the English interpreter exam and she only had two months to achieve it. She knew that she needed a teacher who would take her goal seriously and who would remain dedicated to her specific needs throughout the course. Lindsay, at English and Culture, was able to provide three crucial things that helped Cynthia pass the test:

 

#1: Accountability: Homework had to be completed before each class and Cynthia needed to practice between classes. In addition, letting someone else know that she was reaching for this goal meant that she had a greater sense of accountability and responsibility to prepare for the exam.

 

#2: Positive Encouragment and Support: As Cynthia was reaching for a tough goal, she needed to be supported in the process. There were times when she doubted her ability to reach her goal and at those times, Lindsay's encouragement was crucial.

 

#3: Targeted Curriculum: Cynthia needed a curriculum that was geared toward her specific goal. Lindsay was able to prepare each class based on exactly what Cynthia needed to work on. This allowed Cynthia to get the maximum return on her investment of time and money in the private English course.

 

 

Cynthia's Thoughts on the Lessons

"To achieve my goal of getting into the Interpreters Program at BU, I chose English and Culture lessons to prepare for my test. After two months of personalized, comfortable, and flexible scheduled meetings I was accepted and it has much to do with Lindsay’s help, who’s very professional and positive"

"I moved to Boston two years ago with the clear objective of improving my English and applying for a degree. I contacted Lindsay from English and Culture and she did for me in two months what the other English schools didn’t do in over a year: corrected my grammatical issues and improved my pronunciation."

"After two months of taking one to one lessons 3 times per week, I took the test for the Interpreters Program at BU and I was accepted. I’m achieving my goal and feel more fluent and confident about my English."

 

-Cynthia, Mexico

 

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