If you’re wondering which interpreter training program is the right one for you, you’ve landed on the right page!

Thanks to the continual growth of international relations and sustained growth in the diversity of the U.S. population, interpreting has become a sought-after career. To help facilitate communication between multicultural communities, there’s also a greater demand for professional interpreters, so it’s a wide-open market for anyone that wants to expand their linguistic skillset and grow their professional career as an interpreter.

Determining which Field of Interpreting to Specialize in

There are two main types of interpreting that are most commonly recognized: consecutive and simultaneous interpreting. So this is the first area where you’ll need to specialize. If you decide to do consecutive interpretation, you’ll listen to a speaker and then interpret once he’s done speaking. Simultaneous interpreting, on the other hand, requires interpreters to listen to the speaker and immediately relay and translate what is being said.

Aside from choosing which style of interpreting you want to specialize in, you’ll also have to determine how you’ll deliver your services. Your options include but are not limited to:

• Conference interpreting
• Telephone interpreting
• Interview interpretation
• In-person interpreting
• Team interpretation
• Ad-hoc interpreting
• Community interpretation
• Medical interpreting
• Legal interpreting
• ASL (American Sign Language) interpreting

Choosing Your Subject Matter

The majority of options for an interpreter training program will focus on generic interpreting skills, and you must choose one or two areas of work in which you would like to specialize. To help you in this area, there are three main considerations to keep in mind:

#1 – Your Interests

The best role for you is the one that’ll bring you joy. If you dread the legal system, it’s obvious that a role as a court interpreter is not up your alley. If you have an interest in the medical field, for example, a role in medical interpreting might be a great option for you.

#2 – The Job Market

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is a good place to start doing some market research. You’ll need to weigh up salaries, available employment opportunities, projected industry growth, and some other important parameters to determine the viability of your potential career.

#3 – Your Strengths

Some interpreting roles are much more challenging than others. There might also be varying competitiveness levels in some areas of work. If you’re up for a challenge, something along the lines of a conference interpreter might be a great option. But if you prefer a calmer work environment, telephone interpreting might better align with your abilities and strengths.

Where Can I Find an Interpreter Training Program?

The good news is that there is an abundance of training opportunities for the linguists of tomorrow. Although this was a profession that could only be taught in a class-based environment in the past, there are hundreds of online programs available today at reasonable prices. Here are some options you might want to consider:

Cornerstone College – Health Interpreter Certificate Program

Californian-based Cornerstone College provides its Interpreter Training Program in English-Spanish and English-Tagalog language pairs. The 200-hour course includes a final exam. Students that pass the exam are issued a Medical Interpreting certificate. And with this program, you get the best of both worlds since you can choose to take your classes online, in-person, or as a mix of both styles.

San Francisco State University Spanish-English Interpretation

San Francisco State University offers a variety of interpretation programs. Their medical interpreting course serves as a pre-course for the NBCMI Medical Interpreter Certificate Exam. The only caveat is that the course can easily take more than two years to complete.

Another noteworthy program worth considering at the University is its legal interpreting training course. Students that complete their English-Spanish court interpreter programs are eligible to work in state courts and other legal settings. If you’re keen on working for a federal court, you can take the Administrative Office of the United States Courts certification exam.

LaGuardia Community College

LaGuardia offers several interpreting programs and national certification exams for linguists that want to specialize in the legal field. They offer an excellent court interpreting course as well as a preparatory program for the New York State Court Exam. One of the most attractive benefits of this college is that the only prerequisites for their courses are a high school diploma and tests in your source and target languages.

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf – American Sign Language Interpreter Training Program

RID offers an American sign language certification, and at the moment, this is one of the leading programs for aspiring sign language interpreters. The American Sign Language program covers a wide variety of interpreting skills required for this interpreting profession, and it is also very flexible, which is why it’s so popular. They offer a National Interpretation Certification, Provisional Deaf Interpreter Credential, and a Certified Deaf Interpreter program.

Wrapping Up Interpreter Training Programs

Interpreting is a field that has plenty of opportunities for professional growth and the demand for professional interpreters isn’t set to decline any time soon. In return for attractive salary packages, interpreters must bring excellent language skills, great concentration abilities, and a broad vocabulary in different spheres to the table. Once you complete your interpreter training program, you can start expanding your profession and reach new heights with your linguistic skills!

Seldean Smith

Seldean is a multi-skilled content wizard that dedicates herself to writing content that goes beyond merely sparking interest in the audience.