Court Interpreter Certification Explanation and Events
Court Interpreter Certification Explanation and Events
As a member of the Consortium for Language Access in the Courts, administered by the National Center for State Courts, Missouri is addressing the needs of the non-English speaking population so they can participate fully in court proceedings. Only when certified interpreters are used do we know the interpreter is a trained professional who will not edit, omit or summarize any statements. They will maintain the register and style of the speaker. They understand they are an officer of the court and will impartially interpret the proceedings. By certifying interpreters, the courts will have more individuals available to them to use as interpreters and many will work as independent contractors at a rate less than the vendors on the state contracts.
The Consortium was created in 1995 as a way to develop and administer interpreter proficiency tests in accordance with the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. Currently, tests are available in Arabic, Cantonese, Bosnian, French, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Ilocano, Korean, Laotian, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese.
What qualifications should someone have before attempting to become a certified court interpreter?
Sight interpreting
Consecutive interpreting, and
Simultaneous interpreting;
Court interpreters must perform each type of interpreting skillfully enough to include everything that is said, preserve the tone and level of language of the speaker, and neither change nor add anything to what is said. Interpreters must deliver services in a manner faithful to all canons of a Code of Professional Responsibility and court policies regarding court interpreting promulgated by the judiciary.
Refer to National Center for State Courts website for additional information: http://www.ncsc.org
Please post the current year's Foreign Language Certification Event Brochure in your courthouse to inform the community about this process, and share it with anyone who interprets in your court.
As a member of the Consortium for Language Access in the Courts, administered by the National Center for State Courts, Missouri is addressing the needs of the non-English speaking population so they can participate fully in court proceedings. Only when certified interpreters are used do we know the interpreter is a trained professional who will not edit, omit or summarize any statements. They will maintain the register and style of the speaker. They understand they are an officer of the court and will impartially interpret the proceedings. By certifying interpreters, the courts will have more individuals available to them to use as interpreters and many will work as independent contractors at a rate less than the vendors on the state contracts.
The Consortium was created in 1995 as a way to develop and administer interpreter proficiency tests in accordance with the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. Currently, tests are available in Arabic, Cantonese, Bosnian, French, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Ilocano, Korean, Laotian, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese.
What qualifications should someone have before attempting to become a certified court interpreter?
- Possess educated, native-like mastery of both English and a second language;
- Display wide general knowledge characteristic of what a minimum of two years of general education at a college or university would provide;
- Perform the three major types of court interpreting:
Sight interpreting
Consecutive interpreting, and
Simultaneous interpreting;
- Proficiency in applied interpreting skills involves the two-fold elements of:
- A high level of mastery of two languages, and
- Specific performance skills in the modes of interpreting.
Court interpreters must perform each type of interpreting skillfully enough to include everything that is said, preserve the tone and level of language of the speaker, and neither change nor add anything to what is said. Interpreters must deliver services in a manner faithful to all canons of a Code of Professional Responsibility and court policies regarding court interpreting promulgated by the judiciary.
Refer to National Center for State Courts website for additional information: http://www.ncsc.org
Please post the current year's Foreign Language Certification Event Brochure in your courthouse to inform the community about this process, and share it with anyone who interprets in your court.