U.S. Interpreting Thread poster: Gracielane (X)
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I've been bi-lingual all my life and have recently looked into becoming a licensed interpreter in Texas. I'm not sure what level my skills are. Is there a course I can take? Or a book I can pick up to help me prepare for the state licensing exam? The exam is very costly and I don't want to waste the money if I'm not ready for it. Thank you for your input.
| | | | sokolniki 
United States
Local time: 05:14
English to Russian
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| Check out these websites | Oct 26, 2006 |
Gracielane wrote:
I've been bi-lingual all my life and have recently looked into becoming a licensed interpreter in Texas. I'm not sure what level my skills are. Is there a course I can take? Or a book I can pick up to help me prepare for the state licensing exam? The exam is very costly and I don't want to waste the money if I'm not ready for it. Thank you for your input.
Hi Gracielane,
Have a look at these websites:
www.hitagroup.org
www.eberkana.com
www.acebo.com
http://nci.arizona.edu/afcommerce/getcategory.php?cat=14
Good luck!
| | | | Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 04:14
English to Spanish
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In memoriam
Also check:
www.aatia.org/
The University of Arizona offers some excellent training oriented to the Federal exam (even tougher, I think), but it is not cheap.
| | | | Gracielane (X)
English
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks for the resources! I neglected to mention that I am fluent, but I cannot read or write in the language. Does that make a difference since the Texas interpreter's exam requires a sight exam.
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Magda Dziadosz
Poland
Local time: 12:14
Member (2004)
English to Polish
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| Huge difference | Oct 26, 2006 |
Gracielane wrote:
Thanks for the resources! I neglected to mention that I am fluent, but I cannot read or write in the language. Does that make a difference since the Texas interpreter's exam requires a sight exam.
Hi,
Is your sight a problem or is it that you only learned spoken language?
If you just only learned spoken language (and there is no problem with your sight) I think it makes a huge difference. In practical terms, being illiterate in your working language disqualifies you as a prospective interpreter. Even if the interpreting exam doesn't test ability to read & write (however, I imagine, most exams would do, one way or another), you definitely need this skill during interpreting assignments. Also, you need to read and write for your professional development. (How would you use a dictionary?)
In this case I think you should start from studying the language thoroughly and perhaps even reconsider your career options.
If the problem is your vision, though, I think it makes a situation different, but not sure if I can give you any specific advice.
Best,
Magda
| | | | Gracielane (X)
English
TOPIC STARTER
no, I don't have a sight problem. I grew up speaking Chinese at home. I also went to school for a couple of years, but that was when I was really young. I can use a dictionary well and I recogonize may characters in Chinese. My main problem is in writing.
Thanks for letting me know. I figured it might be a problem. If there's anyone else who has experience in this matter, please let me know. It will be helpful.
| | | | Sophia Hundt (X)
Local time: 05:14
Russian to English
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| You gonna need to learn to read and write... | Oct 26, 2006 |
in Chinese, which I'm sure you can do with practice.
Gracielane wrote:
no, I don't have a sight problem. I grew up speaking Chinese at home. I also went to school for a couple of years, but that was when I was really young. I can use a dictionary well and I recogonize may characters in Chinese. My main problem is in writing.
Thanks for letting me know. I figured it might be a problem. If there's anyone else who has experience in this matter, please let me know. It will be helpful.
| | | | Gracielane (X)
English
TOPIC STARTER | interpreting vs. translating | Oct 26, 2006 |
I guess based on the information I have on interpreting vs. translating, I thought that interpreting is just spoken. Am I mistaken in this?
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Williamson
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:14
Flemish to English
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| Some types of interpreting | Oct 26, 2006 |
1. Simultaneous: you render into the target-language what the speaker said. If it is a high-speed speaker, this may be a paraphrase of the idea. If you can follow him/her, you try to give the equivalent phrase.
2. Consecutive: You take note of the main ideas of a speech, names and figures and when the speech is finished you give a summary of the speech into the target language based upon your memory or notes.
3. Whispering: You whisper the speech in the target-language into the ear o... See more 1. Simultaneous: you render into the target-language what the speaker said. If it is a high-speed speaker, this may be a paraphrase of the idea. If you can follow him/her, you try to give the equivalent phrase.
2. Consecutive: You take note of the main ideas of a speech, names and figures and when the speech is finished you give a summary of the speech into the target language based upon your memory or notes.
3. Whispering: You whisper the speech in the target-language into the ear of the listener.
In the U.S. intepreting is used for "court-interpreting" in most cases.
[Edited at 2006-10-26 18:34] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Written exams | Oct 26, 2006 |
The first requisite, for both the state exams (Consortium) and the federal exam, is a written test where you must show your proficiency in both source and target languages, in terms of grammar, syntax, vocabulary, spelling, and the like. If you pass the written exam, then you are authorized to take the oral exam. This is given several times a year in the case of the state exams and once every two years in the case of the federal exam. The sight portion of the exam is part of the oral exam; you a... See more The first requisite, for both the state exams (Consortium) and the federal exam, is a written test where you must show your proficiency in both source and target languages, in terms of grammar, syntax, vocabulary, spelling, and the like. If you pass the written exam, then you are authorized to take the oral exam. This is given several times a year in the case of the state exams and once every two years in the case of the federal exam. The sight portion of the exam is part of the oral exam; you are given a document to "sight translate", as it could happen if you were in court, a deposition, a hospital, etc. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Marcelo González
United States
Local time: 00:14
Member (2005)
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Health Care/Medical Interpreting | Oct 26, 2006 |
Another area for you to consider might be health care interpreting.
Here in the US, it's a field that is slowy gaining momentum, as issues of "equal access" are involved, particularly in hospitals serving non-English-speaking communities.
You might want to begin by visiting the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care:
http://www.ncihc.org/
Regards,
<... See more Another area for you to consider might be health care interpreting.
Here in the US, it's a field that is slowy gaining momentum, as issues of "equal access" are involved, particularly in hospitals serving non-English-speaking communities.
You might want to begin by visiting the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care:
http://www.ncihc.org/
Regards,
Marcelo ▲ Collapse
| | | | Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 04:14
English to Spanish
+ ...
In memoriam | What other language? | Oct 27, 2006 |
You do not specify what languages you work in. I assumed Spanish, but that may not be the case. If so, you may as well forget it, in Texas, Spanish is the language that is in demand, so for any others the demand is practically nil.
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