Toronto Interpreters Practice

Who are we?

Toronto Interpreters Practice (TIP) is a peer-driven monthly practice group for conference interpreters and interpreters-to-be in their second year of training.

Inspired by the original IBPG in Brussels, TIP started in 2016 in the interpretation lab of the Glendon MCI program at York University. Created by then recently-minted MCI graduates (who are still admins) who missed the support system of school, the group aspires to maintain a regular cadence of practice in a spirit of collegiality.

TIP aims to create a safe and inclusive space for professional interpreters to sharpen their skills and not be afraid to try and fail. Whether you want to practice in an unusual language combination, dust off your consecutive skills, practice speech-making, be heard on relay, get back into interpreting after a break, ramp up to cruising altitude right after graduation, or just connect with a group of like-minded colleagues and friends, TIP welcomes you with our signature Canadian hospitality.

Five years on, TIP has gone online with the rest of the world and built a free speech repository of over 150 high-quality, high-production value practice speeches in seven languages. It remains small, tight-knit, fun but rigorous, staying true to our desire for community.

All interpreting nerds, practice aficionados and growth addicts welcome!

Who can join us?

No formal requirements.

If you use Facebook, request to join our private Facebook group and answer a few questions introducing yourself.

If you don’t use Facebook, please send an email to torontointerpreters@gmail.com.

Participation is free; a donation of C$ 10/session is welcomed but not mandatory.

What languages do we offer?

Chiefly, the EU’s “big five”: English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian.

We also offer other languages upon request (ad-hoc sessions), and in the past have offered Dutch, Polish and Portuguese.