SWITS Promotes Interpreter Certification

As the formalization of the interpreting profession increases with every passing day here in the United States, the development and undeniable importance of professional certification processes for spoken language interpreters are becoming increasingly crucial. Driven by the growing population of Limited-English Proficient (LEPs) persons that comprise an ever greater component of U.S. society, more and more highly qualified interpreters are being called upon to provide these individuals with equal access to education, employment, healthcare, and justice in our country.

Certified Competency

The importance of quality in the provision of interpreting services cannot be overemphasized, and just as not all who can play basketball cannot make it to the professional levels, so must it be said that not all bilingual individuals are capable of interpreting at all levels. The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) set a strong precedent for interpreting with their certification process, which requires that all interpreter candidates take a written exam and then undergo perform in an interview format, whereby their competency and abilities to work as an interpreter for the deaf community are certified. Similar certification processes are now becoming standard for spoken language interpreters. Currently, spoken language interpreter certification is available for the legal and medical fields.

National Consortium

Certification of legal or “court” interpreters varies by state, though the National Consortium for Language Access in the Courts, has done much to, “promote equal access to justice in courts and tribunals by eliminating language barriers for persons with limited English proficiency.” The Consortium now boasts commitments by 43 states in the union, including the state of Wisconsin. Court interpreter certification in the state of Wisconsin is administered by the Wisconsin Director of State Courts Office.

Getting Certified

Certification of healthcare interpreters has followed a somewhat different track, but is now offered through national associations such as the National Board for the Certification of Medical Interpreters. In order to register, interpreters seeking this certification must either demonstrate experience in the field or a determined number of credentials establishing their competency in the field. Once approved and registered, these interpreters perform a written and oral exam, and if they pass, they acquire the title of “Certified Medical Interpreter (CMI)” and are listed on the registry maintained by the National Board.

SWITS Certification

SWITS as an interpreter service provider requires certification of all American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters, and already counts many court-certified spoken language interpreters among its staff. SWITS has also now set itself at the forefront of the trend toward certification of spoken language medical interpreters. All SWITS interpreters are encouraged to take the necessary steps toward certification, and SWITS is proud of the three staff Certified Medical Interpreters (CMIs) in Raul Romo, Sarah Tapia, and Saúl Arteaga. Additionally Alex Gonzales, Mike Vaal, Claudia Lizarralde, Javier Saavedra, and Tim Malone have initiated the process and are hopeful to achieve certification in late 2012 or early 2013.

The Future

SWITS will continue to promote interpreter certification, seeking to ensure that the greatest possible quality of interpreting services are rendered to those who depend upon interpreters to access the services they need.

Sources:

http://www.nad.org/issues/civil-rights

http://onlineresources.wnylc.net/pb/orcdocs/LARC_Resources/LEPTopics/HC/HCLanguageAccess.pdf

http://www.ncsc.org/education-and-careers/state-interpreter-certification.aspx

http://wicourts.gov/services/interpreter/index.htm