Interpreter Certification Options

There are a lot of places where you can earn a certification, but there are a few things to keep in mind when looking for such a place.

Language
First of all, you want to make sure that the institution that offers the certification will train you in your target and source languages. If you are an interpreter between Thai and Spanish, for example, there's no need to go to an institution that concentrates on English and Spanish interpretation. Pretty obvious.

Specialization
Not all interpreter certifications are alike. Since a lot of interpreters work in the legal or medical fields, many interpreter certifications cater to training interpreters in these areas. If you are interested in becoming a conference interpreter, though, getting an interpreter certificate from one of these places won't do much good.

I've already written about where to get information about both federal court interpreter certification as well as locations (at least in the United States) to find more information and links about medical interpretation certification, but what about general interpreter certification programs?

Well, here are some links for various organizations and schools that offer some type of interpreter certification. Let me know if you know of any additions.

• Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
• Reedley College Health Care Interpreter Credit Certification Program
• San Francisco State University Spanish/English Interpretation
• The University of Georgia Spanish/English Interpreter Certification
• Northeastern University Regional Interpreter Education Center
• BeTranslated.com's list of translation and interpretation schools
• Training Notices from the International Medical Interpreters Association

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