Language Translator Qualification

[Ermelindo Klatt]

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At the Middlebury Institute, we offer an MA in translation and and MA in translation and interpretation, and an MA in conference interpretation. There is no where else where you can really get the professional training and the sound academic environment that we provide here at the institute, and for me that was the real draw. I really loved the blend of the academics and the professional and the type of professionals that it prepares for the world out there.

I chose this program because I want to be an interpreter and this is one of the best schools in the world. Here at the institute I learned how to interpret both consecutively and simultaneously in both directions into English and into Spanish.

From the day students set foot on this campus, the faculty really treats them as colleagues. The programs are relatively short, and in two years, in fact if not sooner, our students and our colleagues are working together out there in the community. So I think that provides for really unique mentoring relationships.

The faculty here at the institute is very helpful and very accessible. They are working in the field, so they are translators and interpreters. So whenever we have a question related to the profession, they have the answer, and they are willing to help us become one of them, one of their colleagues.

Your career and academic advising are coordinated, ensuring you align your coursework with your career goals. Our experienced advisors will guide you from course registration to preparing for interviews, negotiating your employment offers, and managing your career.

Our large and influential alumni network is eager to help you take the next step in your career. They are thriving in careers around the world, meeting the growing and global demand for multilingual fluency in courts, hospitals, technology, and diplomacy.

Our career-oriented course work prepares you for lifelong skill-building and professional growth. You will develop key skills both in and out of your A (native) and B (near-native) languages as you work with real-world texts, high-profile events, and live simulations in a variety of fields. You will also learn to use the latest translation and interpretation technology, software, and tools.

Although you must select a specific degree when you apply, you will be exposed to many aspects of both translation and interpretation during your first year. After these two semesters, you, your faculty, and your academic advisor will know more about your strengths and interests, and you can finalize your degree choice and focus your studies.

The flexibility in our curriculum gives you opportunities to customize your degree through your languages of study, content area electives, a professional practicum, internships, intercultural competence courses, joint degrees, optional specializations, and advanced entry.

Our faculty combine academic expertise with years of professional experience as translators and interpreters performing high profile work at intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations, at the World Economic Forum, at the Olympics, for the White House, in the U.S. State Department, in the German Parliament, in literature and research, in nonprofit organizations, and in private businesses.

We offer a variety of resources to make your program more affordable including merit, need-based, partner, and external scholarships for both U.S. and international students. Your personal enrollment advisor is also available to help you think through financing this important investment in your career development.

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About 7,200 openings for interpreters and translators are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Interpreters and translators aid communication by converting messages or text from one language (typically called the source language) into another language (the target language). Although some people do both, interpreting and translating are different skills: interpreters work with spoken communication, and translators work with written communication.

Translators must read the source language fluently. The target language into which they translate is usually their native language. They adapt a range of products, including websites, marketing materials, and user documentation.

Community interpreters work in a variety of public settings to provide language interpretation one-on-one or for groups. Community interpreters often are needed at parent-teacher conferences, community events, business and public meetings, social and government agencies, new-home purchases, and in many other work and community settings.

Conference interpreters often do simultaneous interpreting. Attendees at a conference or meeting who do not understand the language of the speaker wear earphones tuned to the interpreter who speaks the language they want to hear.

Liaison or escort interpreters accompany either U.S. visitors abroad or foreign visitors in the United States who have limited English proficiency. Interpreting in both formal and informal settings, these specialists ensure that the visitors are able to communicate during their stay.

Legal or judicial interpreters and translators typically work in courts and other judicial settings. At arraignments, depositions, hearings, and trials, they help people who have limited English proficiency. Accordingly, they must understand legal terminology. Court interpreters must sometimes read source documents aloud in a target language, a task known as sight translation.

Literary translators convert books, poetry, and other published works from the source language into a target language. Whenever possible, literary translators work closely with authors to capture the intended meaning, as well as the literary and cultural references, of the original publication.

Sign language interpreters facilitate communication between people who are deaf or hard of hearing and people who can hear. Sign language interpreters must be fluent in English and in American Sign Language (ASL), which combines signing, finger spelling, and specific body language. ASL is a separate language from English and has its own grammar.

Trilingual interpreters facilitate communication among an English speaker, a speaker of another language, and an ASL user. They must have the versatility and cultural understanding necessary to interpret in all three languages without changing the fundamental meaning of the message.

Interpreters work in a variety of settings, including schools, hospitals, courtrooms, detention facilities, and conference centers; they also may work remotely. Some interpreters, such as liaison or escort interpreters, travel frequently. Depending on the setting and type of assignment, interpreting may be stressful.

Translators usually work in offices, which may include remote settings. They usually receive and submit their work electronically and must sometimes deal with the pressure of deadlines and tight schedules.

Through community organizations, students interested in sign language interpreting may take introductory classes in American Sign Language (ASL) and seek out volunteer opportunities to work with people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Internships offer prospective interpreters and translators an opportunity to learn about the work. For example, interns may shadow an experienced interpreter or begin working in industries with particularly high demand for language services, such as court or medical interpreting.

General certification typically is not required for interpreters and translators. However, workers may show proficiency by passing a variety of optional certification tests. For example, the American Translators Association (ATA) provides certification in many language combinations.

Employers may require or prefer certification for some types of interpreters and translators. For example, most states require certification for court interpreters. Federal courts offer court interpreter certification in several languages, including Spanish, Navajo, and Haitian Creole. At the state level, courts offer certification in multiple languages.

The Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) offers two types of certification for healthcare interpreters: Core Certification Healthcare Interpreter (CoreCHI), for interpreters of any language providing services in the United States; and Certified Healthcare Interpreter (CHI), for interpreters of Spanish, Arabic, and Mandarin.

The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (NBCMI) offers two types of certification for medical interpreters: the Hub-CMI credential, a nonlanguage-specific certification available to all interpreters regardless of target language; and the CMI credential for interpreters of Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian, Korean, and Vietnamese.

Continuing education is required for most state court and medical interpreter certifications. It is offered by professional interpreter and translator associations, such as the ATA and the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters (NAJIT).

The U.S. Department of State offers aptitude tests for interpreters and translators at various levels, from basic to advanced. Although these tests are not considered a credential, they are a required step for candidates to be added to a roster for freelance assignments. Other federal agencies may offer similar proficiency tests.

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