collageIf you have been going through the internet endlessly for the latest information on how to become a community interpreter, then you have stumbled upon the right article. You need not search any further as all you’ve got to do is read on to know more.
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Community interpreters work in community-based environments, providing vital language interpretation one-on-one or in group settings. Community interpreters often are needed at parentteacher conferences, community events, business and public meetings, social and government agencies, new-home purchases, and many other work and community settings..
What Is Community Interpreting?
Interpreting is the act of facilitating spoken language communication between two or more parties who do not share a common language by delivering, as faithfully as possible, the original message from source into target language. This is the foundation. Community interpreting involves much more.
Service users encounter the full range of challenging life situations that can face any of us. In addition, some have fled violence, suffer trauma and carry serious psychological burdens. Many feel unsafe, confused and vulnerable. All will initially experience barriers of language, culture and powerlessness.
Community interpreters make it possible for service users to have a voice. They address isolation, frustration and misunderstanding and support effective diagnoses, treatment and prevention. In emergencies this can be life-saving and avert a condition becoming immediately life-threatening. Such vital services need to be offered widely. We deliver 24 hour services, every day of the year, and work with all Sussex NHS Trusts.
We promote respect, equality and human rights. We work with all communities and individuals needing interpreting support. We will help, whether people are part of an established community, an isolated individual or a member of a newly arrived group with little knowledge of UK systems and few resources.
Community interpreting is demanding and emotionally challenging. The community interpreting role requires particular interpersonal attributes, alongside linguistic and cultural competence. Trustworthiness, integrity and empathy are essential. Skills, values and professionalism are developed through careful recruitment, induction, training, accreditation and briefing. Professional codes provide an operational framework. A culture of continuous improvement is nurtured to assure quality.
It is therefore essential to also support and give a voice to those who give a voice:
How to become a certified interpreter
The requirements to apply for national certification as a healthcare interpreter through CCHI are:
Be at least 18 years old
Have at least a U.S. high school diploma (or GED) or its equivalent from another country
Complete a minimum of 40 hours of medical interpreting training (academic or non-academic program)
Possess linguistic proficiency in English and the primary language for which you are seeking certification
There are many ways in which you can show proof of your language proficiency; please consult CCHI’s candidate’s Examination Handbook for more detailed information.
To become a healthcare interpreter through CCHI, you must first take and pass the CoreCHI exam. This is a computer-based exam with 100 multiple-choice questions covering the basics of healthcare interpreting. If your target language is Arabic, Mandarin, or Spanish, you will also take an oral examination in English and your target language.
The National Board for Certified Medical Interpreters
To be eligible to take the examination for a medical interpreter certification through The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters, you must:
Be the minimum age of 18 years old.
Proof of at least a U.S. high school diploma (or GED).
Successful completion of at least 40 hours of medical interpreting training.
Demonstrate oral proficiency in English with any of the following: high school, diploma, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, Ph.D., or any other higher education degree awarded in a .U.S. university or any other English-speaking country. They also accept a passing score in any of the following tests: TOEFL, ELPT, MELAB, ECPE, FCE, CAE, CPE, IELTS.
To show linguistic proficiency in the primary language for which you are seeking certification, you should have one of the following: bachelor’s, master’s, Ph.D., or any other degree from an institution of higher education where the language is spoken. They also accept a high school diploma from the country where the target language is spoken, 24+ semester college credit hours of the target language, and ACTFL Oral Exams (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages): Advanced Mid-Level.
The only languages that the National Board certifies are Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, and Vietnamese. If you speak a different language, you should take a look at the Core Certification that CCHI offers to interpreters of languages of lesser diffusion after passing their written exam.
Community Interpreting
Britain is now a multilingual society, but there are still members of some communities who have a limited grasp of spoken English. Many members of British society are able to function in more than one language. This qualification allows learners to develop their considerable skills to help others to overcome linguistic barriers in everyday situations, such as accessing education, health services, housing, justice, and other public services. Ascentis has developed a suite of qualifications which recognise and build on learners’ linguistic ability and help them to develop the complex skills needed to act as an interpreter.
Who are these qualifications for?
These qualifications are aimed at learners who have an interest in learning about the role of an interpreter and working with different linguistic groups in the community. They are also for learners who wish to acquire qualifications to enable them to work towards becoming a Community Interpreter.
There are no formal entry requirements for these qualifications and guidance can be found in each specification.
Where to Get Training?
Once you’ve met the basic language requirements, you should find a reputable 40-hour program for your medical interpreter training. This training program will teach you the ins and outs of medical interpreting, helping you to understand what your role and responsibilities will be as a medical interpreter. After you have taken your medical interpreter training class, you will be ready for the credentialing exams. The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters offers one credential and requires you to take both an oral and a written exam and pass both.
For more information on the requirements to become a Certified Medical Interpreter (CMI) visit their website. (link above) or download the NBCMI Candidate handbook.
Obtaining your certification as a medical interpreter is a rigorous process, but it leads to a rewarding career. If you have all of the basic prerequisites and a passion for interpreting and helping people with their health care needs, we encourage you to enroll in one of our 40-hour programs for Spanish interpreters today. For interpreters of other languages, we offer you the Non-Language-Specific course.
Renewal of Your Certification
Like in many other careers, you will have to renew your certification after a certain period of time. If you chose to get certified by CCHI, you would have to comply with 16 hours of continuing education every two years, a total of 32 hours every four years. You can find detailed information about the criteria you have to meet for those hours on CCHI’s website. On the other hand, if you decide to get certified by the National Board, you will have to comply with 30 hours of training every five years. The courses you take have to meet certain criteria to be accepted. We provide you with more information about continuing education on this link: CEUs for Medical Interpreters.
These are the basic steps to get certified as a medical interpreter. We recommend you take a minute to browse the CCHI and NBCMI websites for more specific information. Before contacting any of these organization with questions, please dive into their respective candidates’ handbook, links above, to learn more.
What does an interpreter do?
Interpreters are responsible for facilitating communication between two parties by converting messages from one language into another. They relay messages between two parties who speak different languages as accurately as possible and in an unbiased manner. Unlike translators, who work with written communication, interpreters assist clients with spoken communication.
Some of their primary responsibilities may include:
- Acting as an interpreter between people with diverse voices, accents, speaking tempos and personalities
- Interpreting with no omissions or additions
- Providing interpretations of questions, answers, statements and explanations
- Using technology, as needed, to provide interpretation from a distant location
How to become an interpreter without a degree
One of the questions I hear the most about being a translator is whether you need a translation degree to do it professionally.
If you search online, you’ll come across a considerable number of translation-related university courses all across the UK. So it’s fair to ask: do you really need one to start a career in translation?
The plain answer is no, you do not need a degree to become a translator. But there’s a catch.
Having worked as a project manager for a number of years, I’m entirely familiar with the admission criteria most translation agencies in the UK set for their linguists. Having some sort of qualification is a typical requirement, with university degrees in translation (or related studies) being the most common.
Since nowadays agencies make up a substantial share of the translation market, the majority of linguists end up working for them one way or another. Holding a degree is likely to give you an advantage here.
But that doesn’t mean it’s an absolute must. Indeed, there are full time translators who’ve followed a different route. Most linguists who fit this description fall under one of the following two categories:
- Translators who don’t have a degree in translation, but do have one in another field (economics, law, politics, education, sociology, philosophy, etc.)
- Translators who’ve never completed any undergraduate programme, but have sought alternative ways to specialise in translation (including other types of qualification or courses outside university.)
Is it more difficult to make it without a degree in translation?
Generally speaking, yes, it does tend to be tougher without a degree in translation.
If we are to rank the 4 main routes to becoming a professional translator from the easiest less difficult to the hardest, this how it will look like:
- Degree in translation studies (potentially less difficult)
- No degree, but with some sort of level 7 qualification in translation
- Degree in a field of studies unrelated to translation or linguistics
- No university degree or alternative qualification at all (typically the most difficult route)
But there are other factors to take into account, so this is not always set in stone. The exact level of difficulty will also depend on things such as:
- Your language combination(s): the rarer they are, the fewer competitors you’ll have (with or without a degree). Your unique position on the market is likely to work to your advantage.
- Your fields of expertise: specialising in highly technical fields will also work to your advantage.
Knowing how to go about is normally the main challenge people face… so I’ve decided to give you a hand.
This post will cover a number of ways you can increase your chances of becoming a professional freelance translator without ever taking a degree in linguistic/translation related studies.
Types Of Interpreters
There are many different methods of interpretation, and there are even more categories of interpreter based on which industries they serve.
If you’re wondering how to become an interpreter, you might have to start by considering the method of interpretation you’d be best at, or that you’d be required to perform, as well as the field you want to go into. Often, becoming an interpreter requires you to have specific skills and knowledge sets tailored to the exact kinds of situations you’ll be confronted with. For instance, a knowledge of foreign affairs is necessary if you’re working in international relations, whereas you might need medical jargon if you’re working in doctors’ offices.
Consecutive interpreting is when the interpreter waits for a person to finish a sentence before translating what they just said. While this is a slower way of going about it, it’s handy in group situations where there needs to be a consensus understanding. Often, the interpreter takes notes while people are speaking.
Simultaneous interpreting is when interpreters speak over the person they’re translating in real time (you’ve probably heard this on the news). This tends to work best in situations where a secondary audience is trying to follow along with what’s being said. This is almost always the type of interpretation used in sign language interpreting.
Whisper interpreting is basically simultaneous interpreting, but quieter, so it’s less distracting. This is usually done for a single person.
Over-the-phone interpreting is, well, any interpreting done over the phone. This is actually the type used by the United Nations to allow communication across many languages at once.
You might have to favor one method over another depending on the industry you’re working in. Here are just a couple examples of where you could go in this field.
Travel interpreters accompany anyone ranging from journalists and ambassadors to rich tourists on international trips.
Diplomatic interpreters (including the kind you’ll find at the United Nations) accompany ambassadors and politicians during important summits and talks. There are multiple interpreters present at UN meetings to provide simultaneous interpretation for the official UN languages, but all speaking into headsets.
Medical interpreters facilitate communication between doctors and patients, ensuring patients can accurately explain their medical histories to doctors. They also need an understanding of the doctor’s diagnoses and treatment options. They must have a solid grasp of medical terminology (in both languages), as well as various privacy laws.
Mental health interpreters are a type of medical interpreter, except they accompany patients to therapy and psychiatry visits. Though they also need to be familiar with healthcare settings, their jobs require a special set of skills to accurately convey difficult emotional experiences that are deeply personal.
Legal interpreters use both their foreign language knowledge and their handle on legal vocabulary — sometimes even a law background — to facilitate communication in courtrooms.
Conference interpreters go to conferences where different languages are being spoken. Often, there will be multiple interpreters present to serve various linguistic needs.
Community interpreters perform translation services during town halls, for NGOs and social organizations, during press conferences and more.
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