How to become a certified court interpreter | Interprepedia
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ก.ค. 2024
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In this video, I will share with you a step-by-step roadmap on how to become a certified court interpreter.
You’ll learn how to begin the process, what to expect from the written and oral tests, approximate costs, and the usual timeline to complete it.
These are important links for you:
National Center for State Courts - Language Access by State
tinyurl.com/y3fmesyt
Written Examination Overview:
tinyurl.com/yysndjsw
Oral Examination Overview:
tinyurl.com/y5qrxqo4
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
0:10 The Consortium
0:42 Application
0:54 Workshop
1:43 Written Exam
2:50 Oral Exam
3:12 Sight Translation
3:50 Consecutive Interpretation
4:12 Simultaneous Interpretation
4:44 Rating
5:11 Timeline
5:30 You can do it!
I will be sharing more videos in the future about the resources I used to pass these tests so if you’d like to find out stay tuned.
Enjoy!!! 🌹
This is a great video Rosa! Thank you for creating it.
Glad you liked it! 😊
Thank you so much Rosa! Your video is amazing and super informative!
I have only medical experience, but this will be my next step, I have been watching documentaries, movies and trials like you suggested in the comments below, like "Trial of the Chicago 7", then I will do my certification.
SALUDOS!!
Thanks, Lewis! That's awesome! I just passed the federal exam and being exposed to the judicial terminology through watching shows like that and observing court proceedings helped me greatly. Best of luck!
This is an excellent and detailed presentation that explains the process of achieving state certification. Very well done, Rosa!
Wow, thank you!
Thank you Rosa, very informative!
Thanks for sharing it
Great video! Very informative.
Thanks, Alex! I'm glad it was helpful!
Tenia la ilusion de buscar la certificacion, pero con tu video que esta muy bien explicado, se me late que estoy muy pero muy lejos de conseguirlo, :(
¡Hola, Mario! No te desanimes 🙏 Querer es poder. Yo pensaba lo mismo antes de lanzarme y todo el proceso me parecía abrumador pero poco a poco se logra y es algo muy gratificante. ¡Ánimo, tú puedes!
Hi Rosa! Loved the video! I'm thinking about going into this profession but I'm worried because I'm not a native Spanish speaker. I studied abroad in Chile for a year and a half and learned Spanish there but I don't feel confident enough. Do you recommend studying in Latin America for longer?
Hi Jessica! Thank you so much! I would say one way you can measure if your language skills are up to par is based on your scores in Spanish proficiency tests. Have you ever taken one? CCHI and NBCMI (the two institutions that certify interpreters in the healthcare field) have the minimum scores that are acceptable on their websites. Best of luck!
Hello! love your video! i am in California and wanted to start studying for the exam, do you have links to any courses you took online to help you and links to any websites you used to self study?
Hi, Evelyn! Thank you! Sure I do:
www.transinterpreting.com/ - I took the written and oral exam prep courses.
For the written exam, I also studied SAT vocabulary sets from Quizlet (the more words, the better), several glossaries from state courts (my favorite is the one from the Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento), and I also took a legal terminology course from Universal Class (online). I hope this helps and good luck!
Thanks for the video. It was very helpful! What would you recommend to do to get some experience and get familiar with legal term/idioms etc? I would love to work as a certified interpreter in the future but I have no experience whatsoever. I am bilingual and work in the health care industry. I use my bilingual skills every day because I work with Spanish as well as English speakers members but I don’t do actual translation. What would be your advice. Thank you!
Hi, Geovanna! You already have the core skills needed, that's great! This may sound silly but something that has helped me A LOT is watching trials on TH-cam, watching crime documentaries, and TV shows. Something that more experienced peers always recommend is of course, reading, so I'd say start by reading as much as you can things related to the legal field in both languages. It doesn't have to be The Constitution 😆 but you can start by reading newspapers articles related to crimes/law in both languages or even blogs from attorneys.
Hi Rosa, thank you for great videos. I have a question. I need to find online English to Farsi and vise versa training program in the state of California but unfortunately I had no luck. Since you seemed expert, will you please help me. I greatly appreciated.
Hi, Suz! Thank you for being here! 🤗 I wish I could be of more help on this one but I’m not aware of any court interpreter training programs that are language-specific for Farsi 😔
Yo pase un curso de paralegal aqui en Florida online complete in English y tengo casi 3 a;os de experiencia entre file clerk y paralegal que llevo ya dos anos, pero me gusta este tema porque nunca me ha gustado sentir que tengo alguna limitacion para desarrollarme en mi vida y ademas me gusta el ingles y quisiera poder ayudar a otros a hacerse entender o entender lo que le dicen los demas en situaciones dificiles como son los casos en la Corte. Se que es un reto muy grande para mi, pero es algo que me gusta y quisiera intentar.
Excelente, Alina 🙌🏽 con tu experiencia y preparación, sin duda podrás llegar a ser una gran intérprete en el campo jurídico. Como bien dices, es algo que viene con sus desafíos pero si le pones empeño, lo vas a lograr.
Hi Rosa! Do you give any courses or coaching? Can you recommend any good coaches or lessons that give insider tips? Thanks!
Hi, Margaux! What type of coaching are you looking for? Are you looking for a specific course for court interpreting or do you want to improve a specific skill? Let me know so I can point you in the right direction! www.rosaospina.com
Helloo, thanks for teaching us all of your aknowledgment regarding the interpretation. I would like someone who prepare me to be Certified Court Interpreter. Can you help me? or do you know programs that could help me? Thank you.
Hi Alina! Thank you for your support and your kind comments. I would love to help you and I’m actually putting something together to help colleagues like yourself with what has worked for me but right now I am studying myself for the federal exam 🤞If you have questions or need to put your mind at ease, I’m here for you! www.rosaospina.com
Rosa, do you have any input on the ethics aspect of the written test?
Sure! I took the test in Hawaii and here, the staff that works in the Office of Equal Access to the Courts, which is the office the handles interpreters, covered the ethics portion of the test during the workshop we took. They even gave us a practice test which was very similar to the real one. The ethics test I took was a separate one and it had 40 questions. I believe other states follow the same format.
Hello 👋 Is there a difference between Legal and Court interpreting? If so, what’s the process to legal interpreting? Thank you!
Great question! I never thought about that but I guess the answer is yes.
There is a difference because you can interpret in court (state, federal, family, etc) and/or you can interpret in legal settings outside of court (for attorney/client meetings, depositions, mediations, etc.).
That I'm aware of, there isn't a set process to interpret in legal settings, although in my experience, many clients look for court-certified interpreters for those assignments.
Once you have the right qualifications, you'd have to contact interpreting agencies, court reporting services, law firms, etc., so you can start creating a client base and can start getting assignments. Best of luck!
Hi Rosa, how did you study for the written exam? I am having trouble with it. Thanks so much!!
Hi Carla! Here’s my recipe: I took Transinterpreting’s prep course for the written test. It was great. Then, I spent most of my time learning GRE/SAT words. That’s a BIG chunk of the test. The last thing I did was to study English-only glossaries for legal terms - In the state where I certified, the written test is in English only, but make sure to confirm if that’s also the case in your state as some offer a bilingual written test. After studying that I focused on learning legal terminology. Many state courts have glossaries available online in PDF format. Most states also test you on ethics and protocol standards for court interpreters but they usually cover that during the workshop, so I studied the material that my state provided. Best of luck! 🌹
Hey Ross do you know ow when they open in California ? Seeems like 2024 applications are closed
Hi! I'm not too familiar with the certification process in CA but it looks like they have a new Language Access website and I read that registration for the written exam is open all year long by appointment: www.prometric.com/test-takers/search/caint
Hello I’ just started a interpreter job and would like to know if i could recieve some counseling i did not know i could actually make a career of this as i have worked interpreting before but not paid it was just part of my job
Hi, Maritza and congratulations on your new job. This is something that can definitely be a rewarding career so keep at it. www.rosaospina.com; feel free to reach out if you need some guidance.
Hello, do you know how to get CPT code for exotic language for in person standard? Could you please kindly help me out with the code? Thanks
Hi! What does CPT stand for?
Thanks for sharing, I want to do it for Haitian Creole and French since I live in Fl they have a high demand for Haitian Creole
Go for it! That will open up so many opportunities for you! 🙏
Hi Rosa! I've been thinking about doing a career switch. I have to ask how did covid affect certified court reporters? Was there still full time work available? Or was there lay offs/reduced work hours? Anyone in the translation community please chime in. Right now my current legal job allows me to work from home and covid did not affect my schedule so I am hesitant about the career change. Although I have always since high school wanted to become an interpreter. Thank you for any input!
*court interpreters
Hi Ashley! I've heard stories on both ends of the spectrum. I, personally, saw an increase of my workload in general but I think it was because I was already working as a remote interpreter since long before the pandemic. Most courts in the state where I was closed for months, but I was able to keep working in the medical field. Now, I feel there are more work opportunities in the legal field (and much more competition) because of remote assignments.
Hi Rosa, do you recommend any good and accredited online courses I currently live in California and I'm very interested in starting my court interpreter career. I have been doing my research on online schools and the time frame is about 9-10 months is this pretty accurate for all? If you have any great online school that you recommend I would appreciate all information. Thanks!
Hi Vanessa! I’ve taking classes with Interpretrain, Transinterpreting, SCSI, De La Mora Institute of Interpreting, and a few others. Highly recommend all of them. I don’t know about their accreditation status. I have done anything from short webinars to longer courses and most of all, a lot of self-study. I cannot recommend one in particular because for me it was the combination of multiple things that helped me :( and I found that they all offer different things… I know it’s not super helpful but it’s my honest opinion and experience.
Hi Rosa! Where can I prepare myself for the written exam?
Hello, Brianda! Thank you for posting this question. There are many options to prepare for the oral exam. I took Transinterpreting's exam prep class and it was really good. On top of that, I also studied SAT vocabulary sets from Quizlet (the more words, the better), several glossaries from state courts (my favorite is the one from the Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento), and I also took a legal terminology course from universalclass.com; I wish you the best in the test!!!
@@Interprepedia thank you so much for your help!...✨✨
Dear Rosa, first of all thank you so much for the amazing work you are doing! I recently moved to the USA from Spain, and I want to become a certified court interpreter in PA. Do you know if, as a general norm, I need a degree in translation & interpretation to become a certified interpreter? Also, do you happen to know if translators, not interpreters, have to go through a similar process to this one? Thank you so much again!
Hi Martin! Thank you and welcome to the USA! In general, a degree in T&I is not required to become a court interpreter or a translator. There are certain specific jobs or clients that may require it, but overall it is not mandatory.
Do you get to make notes on the consecutive part?
Hi! Yes, they allow you to take notes on the consecutive part. They provide you with blank paper and pen/pencils.
Hi Rosa, can you please share with me resources in order to pass the state exam? I live in Arizona. Gracias :)
Hi Myrna! Of course! Which exam are you taking? Written or oral? I took Transinterpreting’s prep courses and they were very helpful 👌
@@Interprepedia The written exam :) I have took de la mora online prep but I would like to know any other options :). Thank you!
Perfecto. Here's what I recommend:
- Quizlet - study a set with SAT words. The more words the better but it all depends on the time you have.
- Legal glossaries - I focused on English-only to cover more ground for the written exam. Some people like to learn the foreign language terms at the same time too. The glossaries I studied were from the course I took, plus the glossaries from the following state courts: Sacramento CA, New Jersey, NYC, and one from the National Center for State Courts. You can find them online in PDF.
I also took a legal terminology course online but if you cover the SAT words and review the glossaries, you'll be good.
I recently took the written exam in Arizona and I have not heard from the State yet. If I pass, I will move on to the oral test. How easy or hard is to get a job as a freelance interpreter with little court experience?
Hi Erick! It's hard for me to answer that because it depends on many things, but I know of other interpreters who make a decent living as freelance interpreters, even as novice interpreters, because the demand for their languages of expertise is high where they are. One thing I can assure you is that if you do your very best on each assignment, your work will speak for itself and it will be one of your best selling tools in the long run. You got this 💪🏻
Hello, Rosa! I’m struggling to find a college to study to become an interpreter. I cannot find any! And mostly of them ask to be undergraduate. I am going to finish high school soon and I really want to become an interpreter! Do you have any idea of where can I go?
Hi, Fátima! I had the same issue when I started because it highly depends on where you live. I know that UMass offers and option online, and the Arizona State University does too. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you're about to finish high school you can take some short courses that will give you the basic training that you need to start working or getting certified and down the line you can further your career by completing a Bachelor's Degree. Best of luck and than's for being here!
@@Interprepedia Oh, that makes sense… Can these courses be taken Online?
I was actually thinking in attending to Arizona’s college of interpreting, but I’m not sure if I could start the training right away or if I would need a degree. And pages on internet are pretty poor in info.
Do you need to be a US citizen? I keep seeing mixed answers (I have a work permit)
Hello! 👋🏻 where I certified (Hawaii) the only requirement is being authorized to work in the U.S. Have you checked the judiciary's website of the state where you want to certify?
has anyone here been certified in Michigan? I keep contacting them and they keep saying the testing dates are not available right now
Hi Ana! I hope other colleagues can pitch in to let you know what is going on. From personal experience I can tell you that many tests and programs were affected by the pandemic but they are starting to catch up. It's concerning to see states that just stopped their testing process and new candidates wanting to certify have no news and nowhere to turn to. I hope this gets resolved soon.
Question for anyone:
So should I start self studying/ pay for training before or after the application?
Hi! I would say start your self-study as soon as possible and if you plan on taking a class, start as soon as possible too. Some classes only grant you access for a few months so check on the timing of that but overall, the more your study, the higher your chances of passing and being prepared for when you start interpreting in court.
@@Interprepedia Thank you for responding.
Are there any interpreting cousres/ programs you recommend?
I have recently been looking into this and I am not sure what I should I be looking for in a program.
I dont want to spend money on a training and come to realize I was scammed or something bad.
Hi! There are so many that is very hard to recommend one. Some are great for interpreters with a little experience, others are more suited for candidates with no experience, some are online, others in-person. I just published a video with some recommendations on what to look for when you are trying to select a course. I also shared a couple of references where you can get some lists of legit courses. Good luck and thank you!!!
Helo Rosa,
Why did you choose Hawaii as the place where you wanted to serve as an interpreter?
Hi! I wish I would have chosen it 😆 I just ended up here for other reasons. It’s a beautiful place but definitely not ideal for on-site work for a Spanish interpreter.
@@Interprepedia gotcha! Thank you for your reply, and I hope business is going well.
Besides having theses certificates do you still need a college degree? I’ve read that you do
Hi! Excellent question! I have read that you need a college degree too if you want to work as a staff interpreter in some courts.
Excellent video, Rosa! I would love to record an interview video with you on this topic for my channel :) would you be up for that? -Adrian
Hi Adrian! That sounds interesting! Please tell me more: www.interprepedia.com/contact
All the exams are already close due to covid-19?
Hi! Many state exams were put on hold because of the pandemic, but I believe that most if not all states have resumed testing by now. Those exams take place on specific dates each year (varies by state) so I would suggest you confirm with the specific state where you want to certify. Good luck!
Hi Rosa, I was planning on taking the test this year of 2020 but everything was canceled due to the virus. Do you think they will have another test next to
the year 2021?
Hi! Every state is different but I believe many will resume offering the tests next year 🙏🏽 Meanwhile, we all get more time to study and prepare 😊
Puedo trabajar en esto con ITIN?
Hola Lizeth! Buena pregunta pero no sé la respuesta concreta 😕 Hay intérpretes han constituido su compañía y firman contratos utilizando su ITIN o su EIN con las entidades que se los permiten. Sin embargo, según mi experiencia, para obtener la certificación para interpretar en los tribunales estatales se requiere también un número de seguro social y documentación que acredite que tienes autorización para trabajar en los Estados Unidos.
Hi Rosa! How can I contact to you?
Hi! www.rosaospina.com
When you say you did an online university, where was it? Also, how do you stay focused learning all these new language??
Hi! I took a short course with a training school, not a university. It was Transinterpreting. They are based in California, I think 🤔 I only interpret English < > Spanish, but I sill find it hard to keep up 😖 so I try to study as much as I can.
Is this the same now in 2022?
Hi! As far as I know, in most states the process is still the same, but since these things can change and vary per state, the best is to check with the administrative office of the courts in the state where you want to get your certification.
I'm in the state of WA. We have DSHS court interpreter certification. Is that completely different?
Hi Jackie 👋 I am honestly not familiar with the DSHS court certification 🤔 but looking at the information posted by the NCSC it seems to be different.
@@Interprepedia last question for now, what are depositions like in terms of interpreting of course. Thank you!!
Marcela Picart
Thank you so much for your videos, I enjoy them very much. I am preparing for immigration court in San Diego, CA and would appreciate some advice.
Thanks.
Thank you Marcela! Best of luck with immigration! Right now things have stalled a little bit (at least here in HI) but I hope things will start picking up soon 🙏🏻
can you make a decent living if become state certif8ed?
Hi Natalie! I would say - absolutely - but it highly depends on where you are located and your language pair. For example, I am in Hawaii where Spanish is not in high demand. If I only worked as a court interpreter I'd be starving ☠️ However, many colleagues that work with the same language combination in other states make good money. I recently saw a job post in Florida offering +55K per year, plus benefits for court interpreters.
@@Interprepedia Hi Rosa! You are so right. I have been an interpreter for over 25 years and I remember that the first year I had only two cases. If you are good and provide solid, understandable and not mechanical/robotic interpretation, courts, hospitals get to like you and require your services. Although technically I am retired (68), 2020 was my fullest year, with an income in the low six digit bracket. This year I boarded and flew 48 times to different federal courts in the US (I am NOT federally certified because there is no certification in my language pair), I spent seven days, 8hr/day in a mental health hospital for a LEP that needed help, etc. From my experience, I can tell that it is extremely important to know not only the techniques of interpreting but, also to do it in a humanely manner. We are not robots!
Wow, Lee! That is impressive! Thank you so much for sharing your experience!!! Hats off to you!
It’s so lame how our certification exams have been watered down.
When I took the exam (2002-2003) here in California, the written exam was 4-6 hours long and included English AND SPANISH proficiency components. Our exam also included medical, which is why our generation is also certified for medical assignments, per our state’s government code.
It’s a shame how subtly racist elements in our society have deemed it unnecessary to train and test our future interpreters on the use and comprehension of actual Spanish. There is this idea that working class, monolingual Mexicans/Latinos cannot understated their own language, therefore it’s ok to use Spanglish, false cognates and poor Spanish syntax to address this community. It’s insulting.
We should demand that our certification process become rigorous again. We should have never allowed our profession to be compartmentalized and fractured into all these categories. It used to be that Court Interpreters were considered qualified for court, medical, scholastic, administrative, and social service work because of our high level of training. Now all these sub-industries have built a little wall around their fiefdoms, while asserting Court Interpreters need to work only in court. For instance, the National Medical exams are a total racket: one is forced to pay hundreds of dollars to take an insipid “40-hour training”, then pay to take an exam to be part of the club that can interpret in hospitals.
Thank you, Jose! I totally see your point. Well said and thank you for sharing it!
I agree. They should have never removed the Spanish component in the written portion of the exam. They should include it again and should have a requirement that everyone who wants to become a court certified interpreter should have a Masters in the US and a Bachelor's from a Spanish speaking country. 2002-2003 was nothing. You should have tried the exam from 1990-2001. After 2001, that's when the oral components were watered down to a ridiculous level and we began having more and more pass the exam, without most not even having a masters.