Spanish interpreters in Florida

Hello,

Does anyone know where to look for interpreter jobs in Florida? I am working in Seattle, but I am planning to move to Florida. Thank you.

Interpreting in FL pays crap, literally; $13 per hour in most parts and that's for COURT interpreting. Plus ythey have no certification program. Basically the judge provisionally qualifies whoever he/she likes. And they like their friends more than you probably.

Hello Bill,

Wow, that is crap! Is it the same all over Florida? Thanks for your answer.

Unfortunately Bill is not correct! I work as a court interpreter in the Tampa Bay area at a rate of $50-$75 per hour with a 2 hour minimum. Also the State of Florida has a certification process for Court Interpretation. Total cost for the Workshop, Written and Oral examinations is $350 if you are a resident. Go to www.flcourts.org and click on Court Interpreter Program for more info.

TheCourtInterpreter in Clearwater, Florida said: Unfortunately Bill is not correct! I work as a court interpreter in the Tampa Bay area at a rate of $50-$75 per hour with a 2 hour minimum. Also the State of Florida has a certification process for Court Interpretation. Total cost for the Workshop, Written and Oral examinations is $350 if you are a resident. Go to www.flcourts.org and click on Court Interpreter Program for more info.

The problem with working as a certified interpreter in FL is that they really don't enforce the certification requirement evenly thruout the state. Judges there have the power to provisionally qualify whoever they want thus rendering the whole certification process a moot point. Judges will provisionally qualify anyone they want because it's cheaper for the courts and they don't need to wait around for a certified interp to become available.

Hecha la ley, hecha la trampa.

Hello:

I am an interpreter and translator currently living in Ecuador, but planning to relocate in Broward Co., FL at the end of this year. I would like to become a court interpreter. Unfortunately I will have to wait until 2010 to take the written State certification exam (which must be passed prior to taking the oral exam in 2011). I would like to know if it is possible to begin working as an interpreter before actually becoming certified and, if so, who or what (entity) should I approach? Thank you in advance for your help!

Cesar, why do you have to wait till 2010? 2011?? The state of Florida performs testing at least 3 times per year! Usually they are offered in Orlando, Jacksonville and Miami every year. You may be confusing the State examination with the Federal examination. There is a difference. BTW you must be either duly qualified(take the state workshop and pass the written exam) or certified interpreter as defined by Rule 14.100 Florida Rules for Certification and Regulation of Court Interpreters to practice here.

One more thing, the failure rate for the State Oral exam is about 90%! YIKES!! They are very critical and even seasoned court interpreters have failed it. Food for thought.

Greetings TheCourtInterpreter! I want to thank you again for all the pointers you have given me. After further research, I realize you are indeed correct - I was confused with the federal examination. That sure changes my outlook of the situation.

The failure rate figure you mention is scary, but I´ll never hit if I don´t get up and swing. I have achieved very high verbal scores on the SAT, GMAT, and GRE tests and have been an interpreter for 14 years. I grew up speaking both languages (mother American and father Ecuadorian) and have studied at at levels both in the US and here in Ecuador. I am not in the financial situation to enrol in a university or college prep course, so I think I´ll follow some of the preparation advice I have read on the interpreting related forums - memorize terms, watch a lot of Law & Order, Judge Judy...:), etc., practice using TV, tapes, etc., and try to constantly improve my work (I am currently the translator/interpreter for an IT company performing a government project here in Ecuador).

From what I have read, though, there seem to be many differing opinions about court interpreting. Some people appear to be very frustrated - to the point of using these (Indeed) forums to vent their anger - while other people mention it is not a sine qua non condition to be certified to begin work - and yet others state that without a certification it is virtually impossible to become a court interpreter. I guess a lot depends on state legislation. It´s just a matter of getting my feet wet and going from there.

I want to thank you again, though, for the very valuable information you have given me. I hope we can keep in contact, even if it´s only through this forum.

Que tengas un buen finde!

Cesar

Cesar,
Give it a shot but don't be discouraged if you fail. Having a good solid educational base and experience as an interpreter is definitely a plus. With that said, court interpretation is widely viewed as the hardest form of interpretation out there. You may have all the education in the world but without a good memory and note-taking method you may find yourself grossly overwhelmed in the court setting. Especially while performing consecutive interpretation with a non-english speaking witness on the stand. As expressed in the NCSC Court Interpreter Qualifications Assesment "Court Interpreters must perform each type of interpreting (Simultaneous, Consecutive and Sight)skillfully enough to include everything that is said, preserve the tone and level of language of the speaker, and neither change nor add anything to what is said". When an attorney asks a question as simple as "Where were you the night of December 12th, 2008?" the interpreter should have no problem interpreting, BUT, then comes the answer! The answer turns out to be a 3 minute monologue on how he started at his friends but then went to his aunts house, but on the way he stopped for a pretzel and smokes, but as he was leaving he received a phone call from the wholesaler, etc" you can see how having an excellent memory and a sound note-taking system is imperative because you will not last as an interpreter in the courtroom if you are constantly disrupting the proceedings and flow. Not to mention the bilingual attorneys scrutinizing every word you interpret.My best advise is to go to your local courthouse and silently practice while writing down words that you stumble on. Also you can find trials, hearings and examinations on YouTube. Invest in a good digital recorder to record yourself as you interpret. On examinations and cross stop the video as questions and testimony is given while recording yourself. Then go over the tape to compare your interpretation to what was actually said.

Cesar,
As far as Law & Order and Judge Judy, that will not prepare you to handle something like a probate hearing, or an attorney fees hearing, or a slip and fall trial loaded with expert witness testimony or even a murder case where DNA expert witness testimony may be given. Read as much as possible, download as many legal and medical glossaries as possible, and practice, practice, practice!
Practice on delaying your decalage as far as possible on simultaneous. Practice chunking sight translation documents and while performing consecutive practice remembering in the source language and then translating what you remember in the target language. My note-taking method has two stages: 1) I write down names, dates and numbers while remembering what is being said. 2) If a some point I think the testimony will extend itself past my memory capacity I write key words for each sentance to help me remember what is said. I rely heavily on my memory and this system works best for me. Other interpreters don't rely on memory at all but on a highly developed note-taking method that works for them. The notes may not even be words but symbols! Whatever works to help you remember!!

Hello,

I am a certified medical interpreter living in Minnesota. I make good money here and medical intepreting is an up and coming field here. I am moving to Orlando and I am scared that I will not find a job. In Minnesota I work for a hospital. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Naomi in Saint Paul, Minnesota said: Hello,

I am a certified medical interpreter living in Minnesota. I make good money here and medical intepreting is an up and coming field here. I am moving to Orlando and I am scared that I will not find a job. In Minnesota I work for a hospital. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Yes. Stay in Minnesota.

Hi Cesar: I have been interpreting for law firms and still working up the confidence to take the state and hopefully one day the Federal exam. Translating affidavits, surveys and speaking to clients at law firms is great practice. I am originally from Ecuador and I am wondering about observing court interpreters on a future trip. Do you have any suggestions?

Hi, Naomi! I am a certified Medical interpreter that wants to move to Minnesota! How do you like it? Why are you leaving? My dream is to work in a hospital. I really want to move out of Connecticut! Where in Minnesota do you work? Are they hiring???
Casey

Hello, I work In Minneapolis At the Fairview hospital. Yes we are hiring casual intepreters, it is a great job. I would go online to check it out.

Hi, Naomi I am from MN and live in FL now. I am now a Spanish Teacher here. I have done some free lance interpreting and have done OK for the days I worked, but have had a hard time working enough days. I like the weather here in the winter and some other things, but for man made things such as schools, hospitals and law enforcement agencies I prefer MN.

Good luck

John

OK,

Thank you for your input! I wouldn't mind working for a few agencies etiher. If you have any suggestion as to angencies please let me know which ones are good.

Naomi in Minneapolis, Minnesota said: OK,

Thank you for your input! I wouldn't mind working for a few agencies etiher. If you have any suggestion as to angencies please let me know which ones are good.

You are welcome.
Where are you thinking of working in Florida?

I am going to be moving to Orlando

There is one there named United Nations that I have worked for.
On the internet you can find them as UNTI.

I live in the Tampa Bay area and am contemplating a career change. I did some interpreting many years ago in New York City (fair hearing stuff). I want to know, is there anyone making a decent living as an interpreter in the Tampa Bay area? I see talk of good hourly rates ($50 -$75/hour) but no talk of average billable hours per week. Is there such a thing as a staff interpreter for the state, getting paid for 40 hour per week and with state benefits, or is everyone working with a W-9? How does one go about getting a state job?

Well, that is good info to know. What are some of the interpreting agencies.I have been looking for agencies online and have found little success.
Thank s for your input.

Hi Naomi:
Are you States Consortium or Federal Certified?
Don't look only in Florida since it doesn't matter in which state they are located, many service nationwide. Good luck.

Does anyone know of any telephonic interpreter jobs in FL, either Portuguese or Spanish? I'm a native Brazilian Portuguese speaker and would prefer a job interpreting in Portuguese. Please help, I am a stay at home mom of two...so I can't do the court thing. Any ideas would be great. Thank you

Call Language Services Associates. Remember only to intepret to/from your native language unless you are perfectly trilingual, they do monitor your calls. Buena suerte!

What is their contact info? Obrigado!

Gisela Kennedy in Saint Petersburg, Florida said: What is their contact info? Obrigado!

Found them, thank you so much! How do you become certified? I was in the Army, active duty, so I took the "DLPT" The Defense Language aptitude test, but other than that, how do I go about becoming certified?

On a language application, when they say "consecutive or simultaneous" What do they mean???

Hello everybody,
I'm moving from San Diego to Winter Park Fl. I'm interested in becoming a medical interpreter but I can't find a school here to get certified. My question is, would it be smart to get certified online with the Southern California School of Interpretation and work in Orlando? if someone knows about a school here that will help me a lot.

Hey Army of Dumb in Singapore, just wanted to let you know that you're a disgrace to this country...or the US anyway, if you even live in Singapore...telling a person that an IED should have gotten them is the most offensive thing I have ever heard. I won't post on this site anymore since people like you can. I hope you grow up and stay in Singapore, we don't need you here in the United States.

hi my name is wesley, im living in clearwater fl i have 22 years old i been looking to find a school or online course! anyone now something that he can help me how to star! please can contact me at billypinfl@yahoo.com tanks a lot

Alejandro in Seattle, Washington said: Hello,

Does anyone know where to look for interpreter jobs in Florida? I am working in Seattle, but I am planning to move to Florida. Thank you.

All Children's Hospital has an opening for an interpreter with ATA certification. It's at their Specialty Care Center located in Tampa.

Q-interpreter in Orlando, Florida said: The ninth circuit full-t interpreters earn an average of $35 w/benefits. I freelance p-t (W9) and make around the same w/o benefits. This includes telephonic, site and some translations. I'm my own co. and only work w/ one-two reputable agencies that will pay my rate of $50/hr. Others in Orlando pay $13-20 with no min 2 hrs and over 60days. You should see how much They charge for Your services. If it wasn't for the warm weather, I'll be somewhere else. Beware!!

Q-interpreter- could you mention some of the better/more reputable companies in the Orlando area? We may need one and I'd appreciate some advice. Thanks.

Cesar in Guayaquil, Ecuador said: Hello:

I am an interpreter and translator currently living in Ecuador, but planning to relocate in Broward Co., FL at the end of this year. I would like to become a court interpreter. Unfortunately I will have to wait until 2010 to take the written State certification exam (which must be passed prior to taking the oral exam in 2011). I would like to know if it is possible to begin working as an interpreter before actually becoming certified and, if so, who or what (entity) should I approach? Thank you in advance for your help!

omg... i love ecuador!!! i want to go back there and live.. what was the job like there for translation and how did u fine it???

PJ in Saint Petersburg, Florida said: All Children's Hospital has an opening for an interpreter with ATA certification. It's at their Specialty Care Center located in Tampa.

What does ATA certification have to do with an interpreting job? Just curious...

Hi Lisa,

I have actually been living on and off here in Ecuador and work as a freelance translator and interpreter. It is pretty much like every where else - it´s competitive and you have to work hard to stand out and maintain a good business reputation.

Cheers,

No, that is not true. I just completed the course and you can not work for the FL courts unless you are certified.

There is a 2 day workshop followed by the written examination and lastly the oral exam.

go to www.flcourts.org and click on court interpreters program. That is for State Court. If you want to go for Federal Court you can buy a booklet that helps clarify any questions you might have about the test. It also includes some practice written and oral tests.

Izzy, actually, there is not a state-wide requirement for interpreters to be certified to work in the courts in Florida. Technically, the judge still has discretion to appointment "duly qualified" interpreters, which can be seen on a daily basis in the smaller districts where many of the interpreters are not certified.

However, due to the stiff competition between interpreters in Florida and the huge amount of people who have no business working as legal interpreters, in order to be able get a job if you are a newcomer to the profession or the area, then you must be certified.

Even then, however, it is not a guarantee that you will be given a schedule at a local courthouse. Unfortunately, it's still very much a case of who you are and who you know.

Justmoved in Charlotte, North Carolina said: Izzy, actually, there is not a state-wide requirement for interpreters to be certified to work in the courts in Florida. Technically, the judge still has discretion to appointment "duly qualified" interpreters, which can be seen on a daily basis in the smaller districts where many of the interpreters are not certified.

However, due to the stiff competition between interpreters in Florida and the huge amount of people who have no business working as legal interpreters, in order to be able get a job if you are a newcomer to the profession or the area, then you must be certified.

Even then, however, it is not a guarantee that you will be given a schedule at a local courthouse. Unfortunately, it's still very much a case of who you are and who you know.

Okay, thanks so much for clarifying this. Do you know anything about Medical Interpreters? Thanks again.

Do you need a Medical Interpreters certification to work in a hospital??

Yes I did to work at my hospital. There are so many bilingual Spanish speakers that many hospital will only take very highly qualified individuals.

Does anyone here taken the court interpreter state (FL) written exam? Do you have any input? They sent me an attachment with legal terms which are pretty easy, but I just want to know if they use the same ones on the test. Anyone?

Also, some of the sites they recommend to look at are no longer available, I guess they don't bother to update their site with the correct info for applicants.

Florida is part of the National Consortium of State Courts, so the written test is the same one administered by the Consortium. The written test tests your language ability and does include legal terms, but it isn't like a vocabulary test. Rather, it's looking to test comprehension. For example, do you know the legal difference between "asesinato doloso" and "asesinato"? Or how about the difference between "libertad vigilada" and "libertad condicional"? Can you read a legal brief and answer questions about it? Therefore, it's not so much a matter of knowing "words"; it's more a matter of understanding them.

Thanks for your reply, JustMoved.

What can you tell me about the 2 day workshop?

Thanks

Hello to all. I am a certified court interpreter in California. I work for the courts as an independent contractor, they give me work almost on a daily basis, they pay mileage as well, but decent housing and food is so expensive here, I'm willing to relocate to Florida (close to the ocean) but I don't know if the courts will hire (either with W9 or employee)someone certified in California. Is the pay really low in the courts??
Thank you

certifiedspanish interpreter in Canyon Country, California said: Hello to all. I am a certified court interpreter in California. I work for the courts as an independent contractor, they give me work almost on a daily basis, they pay mileage as well, but decent housing and food is so expensive here, I'm willing to relocate to Florida (close to the ocean) but I don't know if the courts will hire (either with W9 or employee)someone certified in California. Is the pay really low in the courts??
Thank you

If you work for the courts, we are talking about $30-40K a year FT, not enough to support yourself, less a family. You should try it as an independent contractor, and if lucky will get $35/hr w/the court system. No milleage or other perks. You need to be Consortium Certified to be able to work w/them but sometimes Qualified Int will cover if Certifieds are not available. We are leaving Fl due to the lack of work and high unemployment rate. Good luck!!

Hi!

You may also want to know that Florida doesn't allow you to work in the court system until you have attended a 2 day orientation. This is given only twice per year and for all languages. Therefore, it fills up almost immediately. For example, this year's examinations are filled up already, and you would have to wait until 2011 just to even attend the two day orientation. Also, you have to had passed the Consortium oral and written exam in one try and pass all three sections of the oral at once in order to get reciprocity for the test. Otherwise you will have to retake the whole thing. Bottom line, I am a certified interpreter for another state, and because I am waiting to take the 2 day orientation, I am not able to even work in court. I have been here for 6 months!

Also, they will only pay $35/hr with no mileage, as was stated previously, and local interpreters have their positions on lock-down, as is to be expected.

In order to make money, I still work for my previous State. However, if you are in California, that wouldn't be possible. Therefore, if you are wanting to work in Florida, I suggest you take the orientation class before you move to Florida. Once you have your certification in Florida, then consider moving, but realize there is so much competition that you will definitely not be making the money you are used to.

I was a medical interpreter many years ago and would like to return to the practice. In between, I was an English college professor and writing tutor. How can I best get back into the field? I live in Orlando. Do you think that volunteering in Florida Hosptial would help?

I hope you have a great day!

Millie

I AM INTERESTED IN TAKING A COURSE THAT WILL ALLOW ME TO PREPARE FOR THE STATE CERTIFICATION EXAM, I LIVE IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA. IS THERE SUCH A COURSE? HELP!!!Thanks!!!! My email is mariteremm@hotmail.com
I HAVE HEARD THERE MAY BE ONE, HOWEVER I CAN'T FIND ANY! I ALREADY HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN TRANSLATION (SPANISH-ENGLISH), BUT I WANT TO BE CERTIFIED. I ASKED THE ATA AMERICAN TRANSLATOR'S ASSOCIATION AND THEY COULDN'T HELP ME.

Court interpreting in Florida pays NEXT TO NOTHING.

PLUS if your language is Spanish the competition is GRUESOME.