Getting a spanish interpreter job.

Grace in Chino, California said: Hi Maria,

Thank you so much for your feedback. Because it's so ha hard to even get a class in College right now i've been considering J.H.'s course. I am new to the world of court interpretation. I have no courses in this field under my belt, other than 2 years of basic college. I am however fluent in spanish and english- read and write, and also worked in communications for 15 years assisting the spanish language department. Do you need to have any certifications or be accredited in order to be able to take this exam?

Thank you,

Grace

You don't need any type of certification in order to qualify for the exam. Basically terminology & great grammer will get you by. Also there is an oral exam that will take place after you pass the written exam with an 80% or better. Joe also offers tutoring for the oral exam.

Sunny in Baldwin Park, California said: I started working for a large company doing Workman's Compensation translations that don't require to be certified. I heard that there is an administrative Exam coming up but I can't find any information. I would like to take a class to get ready for the test.
Anybody has information? Thanks

If you transalated a caso jejej for the board you would know that it is not Worman's Copmpensation but Worker's Compensation. And it's Administrative Hearings exam.

opps... acaso.

I really need to slow down i.e. Compensation*; (fe de herratas en espanol). of course you would know that translation is written, (somehow it's doubtful that you, "translated" for the Worker's Comp. Board hmmm), perhaps you meant to say interpreted, yes? So many here seem to use terms like this or like el deprtamento de vehiculos rather than Secretaria de Transito or use the word junta, which is "kinda" acceptable instead of ministerio -I could just go on and on.(No lo digo despectivamente, pero que embrutalizadoes /opacos, de verdad... me percato que apenas han de estar en sus enciernes... Aun todo lene aqui en Vancouver) Step it up, people. Try ALOT HARDER. It seems that most of you are not really trying. This is a 24/7 quest. Tomen en cuenta que mi laptop carece de tildes y acentos.

1nightowl in Vancouver, Washington said: I really need to slow down i.e. Compensation*; (fe de herratas en espanol). of course you would know that translation is written, (somehow it's doubtful that you, "translated" for the Worker's Comp. Board hmmm), perhaps you meant to say interpreted, yes? So many here seem to use terms like this or like el deprtamento de vehiculos rather than Secretaria de Transito or use the word junta, which is "kinda" acceptable instead of ministerio -I could just go on and on.(No lo digo despectivamente, pero que embrutalizadoes /opacos, de verdad... me percato que apenas han de estar en sus enciernes... Aun todo lene aqui en Vancouver) Step it up, people. Try ALOT HARDER. It seems that most of you are not really trying. This is a 24/7 quest. Tomen en cuenta que mi laptop carece de tildes y acentos.

I really don't see the purpose of your comment, I would expect to see the post of someone pointing out the problems and misspellings of someone else's post to be flawless. Your post obviously is not. "embrutalizadoes", really?

Anyways, anyone who has ever bought a computer in the US knows that the keyboards are different. If you would follow your own advice and "try alot harder" you would have taken the time to find out how to use accents using the ASCII codes. Which is probably how a lot of people do it, or at least used a word processor to help you out with accents and a quick spell check.

Sunny's original comment seems to make more sense than yours. Ohh, this post is by no means to be construed as derogatory either, just like yours was not.

Alekz
www.certifiedcourtinterpreters.net

Mi caudillo, jefe(a), que ideas tan mas apabulladoras. This ennui I feel se destaca when you don't even capture an error such as departmento/ departamento. So.. I was typing a little too fast and skipped a letter there and added a letter in the other. C'mon now... I think you see where I was going with my comment. Yours is redolent with, well with descomedimiento. I was referring to crucial mistakes, manzanas de la discordia, if you will, somehow I think you realize that :).
There is something under my keyboard which will not allow me to use that key or the one under it. I do not use my laptop for work so it is of minor importance to me.
Thanks for your alacritous reply, though... Peace...

1nightowl in Vancouver, Washington said: Mi caudillo, jefe(a), que ideas tan mas apabulladoras. This ennui I feel se destaca when you don't even capture an error such as departmento/ departamento. So.. I was typing a little too fast and skipped a letter there and added a letter in the other. C'mon now... I think you see where I was going with my comment. Yours is redolent with, well with descomedimiento. I was referring to crucial mistakes, manzanas de la discordia, if you will, somehow I think you realize that :).
There is something under my keyboard which will not allow me to use that key or the one under it. I do not use my laptop for work so it is of minor importance to me.
Thanks for your alacritous reply, though... Peace...

Also, if you were to exclude the letter s from "anyways" you would sound much more like a native speaker. It's kind of like asking, "Hay huevos?" As opposed to, "Hay huevo?" (as I'm certain you would know, is lie the difference between night and day, yes?)

Thank you for your response and I apologize for my post, it was a long day.

I completely understand your point of view, and agree with it. We should all do the best we can all of the time, unfortunately not all of us are as good as others so sometimes we say things the way we've heard them or were taught to say them a certain way. Whenever we get corrected it takes time for us to change. I really enjoy it when someone who knows more than me corrects my mistakes, but appreciate it much more if they do so without trying to make me feel inferior. I'm sorry if I misunderstood your intention toward sunny.

Anyway, lol, my point is that if you, like obviously you do, have a wealth of information from all your years of
experience in a certain field, can share that in a positive manner with others who might not
know any better, then you can improve the profession. This would encourage more questions being asked as well.

By the way, I'm a native spanish speaker and still say, "hay huevos?". Lol.

Please join our forum, it is still new but I'm sure you can make a great contribution with your knowledge once people start asking questions. I'm sure you have been in this field longer than me, so if you have any suggestions for it please let me know.

Peace.

Alekz
www.certifiedcourtinterpreters.net

I am finishing up Criminal I with Mr. Wagner at SCIS. I really enjoy his class and I am studying right now for my final exam. I have read your postings, and I am really getting a bit overwhelmed!.... You all make it sound so hard! And at school, he says, it's not easy but once you get passed all these terms, it gets easier.... and the written I have heard is not as bad as it is being pictured on these posts..... I am sure the oral is as easy....

Ana in Castaic, California said: I am finishing up Criminal I with Mr. Wagner at SCIS. I really enjoy his class and I am studying right now for my final exam. I have read your postings, and I am really getting a bit overwhelmed!.... You all make it sound so hard! And at school, he says, it's not easy but once you get passed all these terms, it gets easier.... and the written I have heard is not as bad as it is being pictured on these posts..... I am sure the oral is as easy....

Congratulations on your first class! I did enjoy Nestor as a teacher, he is very knowledgeable and has great stories.

Like he says, once you have the terminology down it does get easier, but you still have to practice.

The written test, from what I'm hearing is not that hard anymore, you have to remember that some of the posts on these forums are a few years old, back when the test was comprehensive in both English and Spanish, this means that they could throw any obscure word in Spanish at you and expect you to know it and its synonyms and antonyms. Or read a complicated text in Spanish or English and be expected to comprehend it enough to answer 4 abstract questions, with multiple choice answers that sometimes seem to all be correct. It was a lot harder that whatever they have now. They don't even test you in Spanish now I believe.

The oral test, even though I don't think it is "easy" as you say, it may be easier than it was before. I can't confirm that though.

I'm happy you feel this way though because it means that you're doing good in class and you should keep up the good work! If we can help you in any way please let us know. It can be intimidating sometimes, but you get enough exposure to material at school and if you practice hard, you'll do great! Have fun in Criminal 2!

Alekz
www.certifiedcourtinterpreters.net

Alekz in Los Angeles, California said: Congratulations on your first class! I did enjoy Nestor as a teacher, he is very knowledgeable and has great stories.

Like he says, once you have the terminology down it does get easier, but you still have to practice.

The written test, from what I'm hearing is not that hard anymore, you have to remember that some of the posts on these forums are a few years old, back when the test was comprehensive in both English and Spanish, this means that they could throw any obscure word in Spanish at you and expect you to know it and its synonyms and antonyms. Or read a complicated text in Spanish or English and be expected to comprehend it enough to answer 4 abstract questions, with multiple choice answers that sometimes seem to all be correct. It was a lot harder that whatever they have now. They don't even test you in Spanish now I believe.

The oral test, even though I don't think it is "easy" as you say, it may be easier than it was before. I can't confirm that though.

I'm happy you feel this way though because it means that you're doing good in class and you should keep up the good work! If we can help you in any way please let us know. It can be intimidating sometimes, but you get enough exposure to material at school and if you practice hard, you'll do great! Have fun in Criminal 2!

Alekz
www.certifiedcourtinterpreters.net

Thanks for all your encouragement! I am getting nervous about the final on Saturday!! There are so many terms and I just can't remember them all!!! I have been studying everyday for hours!!
I wanted to ask you what you thought about taking Criminal 2 online? I am debating wether to or not. I live 1 hr 15 mins from the school. I did watch a class online and didn't seem bad at all. The only difference I see is the practice we do at school which he takes and we don't have to have anyone call us to check our process! Thanks again, Ana :)

@ Anna in Castaic. Hola, Anna, I am also an aspiring Court Interpreter, so far you are the only student who lives nearest my location. I am a retired Peace Officer from Ventura Co. I took the written exam last year and failed by just a couple of points.I am interested in joiniing a study group near-by let me know if you are interested.I have an extensive glossary of Criminal and Civil law terms, if you have any questions on legal terms contact me via this forum. good luck with your studies.

Ana in Castaic, California said: I am finishing up Criminal I with Mr. Wagner at SCIS. I really enjoy his class and I am studying right now for my final exam. I have read your postings, and I am really getting a bit overwhelmed!.... You all make it sound so hard! And at school, he says, it's not easy but once you get passed all these terms, it gets easier.... and the written I have heard is not as bad as it is being pictured on these posts..... I am sure the oral is as easy....

Hola Anna, I am also an aspiring Court Interpreter and so far you are the only student nearest my location. I am a Retired Peace Officer from Venttura Co.and I have an extensive glossary of Criminal and Civil Law terms. I took the written exam last year and missed passing grade by 3 points. That exam had no more than 3 legal terms on it. Nevertheless I would be willing to share my knowledge of these within a study group. If you have any questions reguarding terminology feel free to contact me via this forum.Good luck with your studies.

Ana in Castaic, California said: Thanks for all your encouragement! I am getting nervous about the final on Saturday!! There are so many terms and I just can't remember them all!!! I have been studying everyday for hours!!
I wanted to ask you what you thought about taking Criminal 2 online? I am debating wether to or not. I live 1 hr 15 mins from the school. I did watch a class online and didn't seem bad at all. The only difference I see is the practice we do at school which he takes and we don't have to have anyone call us to check our process! Thanks again, Ana :)

You're welcome.

When I was going to SCSI I was driving for a little more than an hour in traffic, so I know how you feel. I had a classmate who was driving all the way from Palm Springs! Its just that I'm married and have kids, so taking the class at home is not really an option. I would say if you are free of distractions where you plan to take the test, then you should not have a problem. I've seen the recordings and it is pretty much as if you're there. The only thing is that I couldn't really hear the questions the students were asking but could make it out once the answer was in.

For your test on Saturday, read the vocabulary out loud, I find that it helps me memorize stuff if I read out loud and repeat several times. I'm sure you'll do great!

Good Luck!
Alekz
www.certifiedcourtinterpreters.net

Alekz in Los Angeles, California said: You're welcome.

When I was going to SCSI I was driving for a little more than an hour in traffic, so I know how you feel. I had a classmate who was driving all the way from Palm Springs! Its just that I'm married and have kids, so taking the class at home is not really an option. I would say if you are free of distractions where you plan to take the test, then you should not have a problem. I've seen the recordings and it is pretty much as if you're there. The only thing is that I couldn't really hear the questions the students were asking but could make it out once the answer was in.

For your test on Saturday, read the vocabulary out loud, I find that it helps me memorize stuff if I read out loud and repeat several times. I'm sure you'll do great!

Good Luck!
Alekz
www.certifiedcourtinterpreters.net

ALEKZ.....
I studied for 5 hours yesterday.. this morning I am watching a trial on tv and trying to interpret and I tend to forget some of the terms I just studied last night... I will study today for hours.. tomorrow is the exam.... I was sent a message from someone on this forum telling me he took the written last year, missed passing by 3 points and the didn't have more than 3 legal terms on it? Is it on everyday words we use for the written? and the oral is all on the legal terms? Thx... Ana

Ana in Castaic, California said: ALEKZ.....
I studied for 5 hours yesterday.. this morning I am watching a trial on tv and trying to interpret and I tend to forget some of the terms I just studied last night... I will study today for hours.. tomorrow is the exam.... I was sent a message from someone on this forum telling me he took the written last year, missed passing by 3 points and the didn't have more than 3 legal terms on it? Is it on everyday words we use for the written? and the oral is all on the legal terms? Thx... Ana

------BTW.....
I meant to say, "I am sure the oral is NOT as easy!"...LOL......

Host said: How did you get your start doing spanish interpreter work, and what career moves did you make to get to your current position?

Do you need a particular educational background?

I used to work for Language Line Services. Visit their website, www.languageline.com and click on careers. You could be a work at home Spanish interpreter, or court interpreter or just a general on site interpreter for hospitals or for buisnesses. Or you could call them from the phone number posted on the website and ask for the Recruiting Department.

I worked for them as well. We were all let go because they outsourced our jobs to un and under-qualified people in Panama, The Dominican Republic and Costa Rica where they could pay pay 8 or 9 of them for one of us.

I'm sorry to hear that thet let you go. I empathize with you. One day I was working in customer service, performing voice overs, hosting the annual Christmas Party in Monterey California, the same day I was layed off for no reason? Oh well? I firmly believe that God is in control. He is preparing me for my next challenge. Is there any other way I could assist you?

Ana in Castaic, California said: ALEKZ.....
I studied for 5 hours yesterday.. this morning I am watching a trial on tv and trying to interpret and I tend to forget some of the terms I just studied last night... I will study today for hours.. tomorrow is the exam.... I was sent a message from someone on this forum telling me he took the written last year, missed passing by 3 points and the didn't have more than 3 legal terms on it? Is it on everyday words we use for the written? and the oral is all on the legal terms? Thx... Ana

Lol on "not as easy".

Well, I'm glad to see that you're putting all this effort into your studies, I'm sure you'll do great tomorrow!

Remember to take breaks when you're studying, there's only so much information your brain can take in at a time, I would say that my brain can take about an hour to hour and a half before it really is not taking anything in. Breaks are important, go get some fresh air or do something else for 15-30 mins then come back and study. Its also very important to study for the quizzes, if you study the vocab for the quizzes you usually are ready for the final when the time comes.

Try to go to bed early today so you can get enough rest.

Make a list of all the terms that you're having trouble with to review just before the test. Relax, you'll do fine!

Good Luck!
Alekz
www.certifiedcourtinterpreters.net

sbooker2008 in Monterey Park, California said: I worked for them as well. We were all let go because they outsourced our jobs to un and under-qualified people in Panama, The Dominican Republic and Costa Rica where they could pay pay 8 or 9 of them for one of us.

It is too bad when companies sacrifice quality for money. I used to work for them as well, they didn't pay that well, but I'm thankful that they gave me a chance because it was great experience in consecutive interpretation and note taking.

We have a list of telephone interpreting agencies on our forums at

certifiedcourtinterpreters.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=30

I read recently that CyraCom is expanding their operations and opening a call center in Phoenix, AZ so it seems that they intend on keeping a local workforce. They do have opportunities to work from home as well.

If you are in need of a new job and would like to keep working over the phone, I hope the list helps you out. If you have any other agencies you'd like to add you can do so at the forum as well.

Matthew, are you still working as an interpreter?

Good Luck!
Alekz
www.certifiedcourtinterpreters.net

Ana in Castaic, California said: ALEKZ.....
I studied for 5 hours yesterday.. this morning I am watching a trial on tv and trying to interpret and I tend to forget some of the terms I just studied last night... I will study today for hours.. tomorrow is the exam.... I was sent a message from someone on this forum telling me he took the written last year, missed passing by 3 points and the didn't have more than 3 legal terms on it? Is it on everyday words we use for the written? and the oral is all on the legal terms? Thx... Ana

I forgot to mention that the test changed July 1st, 2010 so anyone taking the test afterwards takes the new format. The prior format was basically like you took the SAT in Spanish and English, so it didn't really focus on legal terms. I can say I didn't get any legal terms on my test.

Now it focuses more on legal terms, English only, court procedures and ethics.

The oral is not only legal, because if you can get someone testifying about pretty much anything. Also, the sight can be a letter from an inmate or the mother of an inmate, so it is not only about legal terminology.

you can go to prometric.com/California/default.htm

to get all the information you need.

Alekz
www.certifiedcourtinterpreters.net

@Alekz... Final on Saturday was not easy.... gave us 200 terms out of 400+ we had.... plus translate some court proceedings... and an oral component.... I kind of froze in the beginning of the oral part, but as I warmed up I got a bit better...lol.... we shall see... Ana:)

@Ana, I'm sure you did great, Usually by the time the final comes around you've seen the material so many times that it just comes back to you even if you can't think of the term right away. I'm glad you were able to recover on the oral part, it should be great practice for the state test, being able to recover is a great asset, some people miss a few terms and just can't recover and then fail the test.

Let us know how you did, did you decide to do criminal 2 online or still go to school?

Alekz
www.certifiedcourtinterpreters.net

Alekz in Los Angeles, California said: @Ana, I'm sure you did great, Usually by the time the final comes around you've seen the material so many times that it just comes back to you even if you can't think of the term right away. I'm glad you were able to recover on the oral part, it should be great practice for the state test, being able to recover is a great asset, some people miss a few terms and just can't recover and then fail the test.

Let us know how you did, did you decide to do criminal 2 online or still go to school?

Alekz
www.certifiedcourtinterpreters.net

Alekz, I got my grade in the mail from the class I got an A.....! I will be starting Criminal II July 16th.... I signed up for onsite again.... Thanks for your support!!

Ana :)

Ana in Castaic, California said: Alekz, I got my grade in the mail from the class I got an A.....! I will be starting Criminal II July 16th.... I signed up for onsite again.... Thanks for your support!!

Ana :)

Alright!! Great Job! I told you would do fine!!

I'm glad you decided to keep going to class, it was a long drive for me as well but totally worth it, plus you get to hang out with some pretty cool classmates as well.

Keep up the good work! You know we are here for you when you need us.

Alekz
www.certifiedcourtinterpreters.net

Hi there, I just wanted to thank everyone for their comments.They have been really helpful

You are welcome Daniel. If you have any more questions we'll be glad to help.

Alekz
www.certifiedcourtinterpreters.net

hello,
i just graduated from Southern California School of interpretation and even though they gave me a certificate that indicates that I finished my course as a medical interpreter, I dont know were to start for job hunting. I have emailed agencies but they want me to take the state exam,which I am planning to file an appt. but I heard you can still work with out the license but you dont get paid much,but does anybody know what agency i can apply? please and thank you.

Hi summer,
check out Pacific Interpreters. PI is a telephonic interpreting company. (no driving to assignments) You can see if they have hourly or per minute positions available.

Alekz in Los Angeles, California said: Alright!! Great Job! I told you would do fine!!

I'm glad you decided to keep going to class, it was a long drive for me as well but totally worth it, plus you get to hang out with some pretty cool classmates as well.

Keep up the good work! You know we are here for you when you need us.

Alekz
www.certifiedcourtinterpreters.net

--------
Alekz,
I made it to the seminar in Whittier... It was a long day, but basically they go over questions and such and give you all the answers, you study them and you will pass.... I have scheduled my written for Sept. 19th... now I am just studying... trying to find some PT work doing such but I really can't find much w/o certification.. I did try PI as someone suggested here, but it's for medical and they require one year experience.....

Ana......

Ana in Valencia, California said: --------
Alekz,
I made it to the seminar in Whittier... It was a long day, but basically they go over questions and such and give you all the answers, you study them and you will pass.... I have scheduled my written for Sept. 19th... now I am just studying... trying to find some PT work doing such but I really can't find much w/o certification.. I did try PI as someone suggested here, but it's for medical and they require one year experience.....

Ana......

Hi Ana, I'm sure you'll do fine on your written test, the next oral test is scheduled for January 2012 so say you take that test, then you've got to wait at least for another 3 months for your results so you've got some time. I would suggest maybe trying telephone interpreting, I did that for about 6 months and it was great practice for the consecutive component of the oral test. Here's a link to a few companies that are hiring, I worked for LanguageLine and they did not require any experience, they did give you a mini test to make sure you spoke both languages but it was super easy.

www.certifiedcourtinterpreters.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=30

Good Luck!
Alekz
www.certifiedcourtinterpreters.net

Thanks, Alekz...
I am applying for Language Line, they are asking me what I expect an hour? What is the going rate I should be asking for in this situation?

Thanks a bunch!

Ana :)

Ana in Valencia, California said: Thanks, Alekz...
I am applying for Language Line, they are asking me what I expect an hour? What is the going rate I should be asking for in this situation?

Thanks a bunch!

Ana :)

I used to work for Language Line as well. They will pay you the minimum wage in the state you live in...so that would be 8 dollars an hour. That is what you should tell them ($8). There is a complicated formula of how you get paid, but basically you are guaranteed 8 dollars an hour and and if you interpret over 30 minutes in one hour they pay you per minute interpreted beyond the 30. So say you intepreted 45 minutes in one hour. You would earn a flat 8 dollars for the whole hour PLUS 15 minutes of premiumminutes as they call it...at whatever the per minute rate is (not sure if Spanish is something like 20 cents a minute)so you would add that to the base rate.

All that means is you will usually make minimum wage in most cases.

Language Line is not a great place to work ONLY with the exception you will gain experience and endurance. It is very taxing interpreting consistently at such in depth levels with so much factual information...and then to have a ridgid schedule where you essentially can't request days off...it's very hard to switch. You can't get up from your desk in case a call comes in...and you have to be in a quiet, isolated environment for 8 hours a day. You end up feeling home bound and lonely, but if it's only temporary it is doable.

Most people that work at LLS are there because they live in areas that are rural or have no way to leave their house. The company is a shell of its former self. There is an internet forum they have for employees but it is useless unless you exchange MSN or email and chat off site with other interpreters-that will be your saving grace.

Good luck. Try applying for agencies locally for freelance work. Use LLS as a LAST resort.

Im selling interpreting materials such as books manuals cds dictionaries. any interested parties in the fontana/los angeles area can e-mail me at Bardo1k@aol.com.

Ana in Valencia, California said: Thanks, Alekz...
I am applying for Language Line, they are asking me what I expect an hour? What is the going rate I should be asking for in this situation?

Thanks a bunch!

Ana :)

James is right. That's the way the pay works at LLS. I worked 7am-3pm and I averaged about $10 bucks an hour, so it depends on the time of day you work. I was on the phone about 50 minutes out of the hour most of the time. I handled a lot of calls from the east coast. A lot of facts, like insurance claims, accidents, police reports, etc.

It is hard work, you will earn your $. I agree that if you are ok with getting some assignments here and there you should do agencies which do not require certification or experience, I'm sure there are a few out there. I needed some form of secure income, that's why I decided to work for LLS. If I didn't have to worry about the $, I probably wouldn't have done it. I only worked for them for about 6 months, I could have probably done another 6, but I would not like to work for them permanently.

If you have any more specific questions let us know.

Good Luck!
Alekz
www.certifiedcourtinterpreters.net

gbardo in Fontana, California said: Im selling interpreting materials such as books manuals cds dictionaries. any interested parties in the fontana/los angeles area can e-mail me at Bardo1k@aol.com.

We have a classifieds section on our forum you can post your items there if you are interested.

Good Luck!
Alekz
www.certifiedcourtinterpreters.net

I've been living in Los Angeles for 2 years now. I'm a lawyer in southamerica and I've been working there as one. Here Im not working, I just got married and would like to do something with my first language, that's spanish and with my knowledge. Any suggestions. Thank you for your time

D in Los Angeles, California said: I've been living in Los Angeles for 2 years now. I'm a lawyer in southamerica and I've been working there as one. Here Im not working, I just got married and would like to do something with my first language, that's spanish and with my knowledge. Any suggestions. Thank you for your time

Hi D, you can check out the following website:

www.courts.ca.gov/programs-interpreters.htm

Once you do, you'll know if you think a career in Interpreting is right for you. With your background I think you should have a very easy move into this field. You would just have to learn some vocabulary and of course the interpreting techniques.

Good luck!
Alekz
www.certifiedcourtinterpreters.net

Hello,
This is a great resource to have. Thank you to all of the experienced interpreters that share their information on this site. It is rather scary when you know so little about this career path.

I just started Southern California School of interpretation on 10/10/2011. If anyone has any materials they want to sell, please email me at: Lexustroop@yahoo.com

I just finished the program for court interpreting at SCSI...and I can tell you from experience, the materials are flimsy booklets...with very valueable informtion. To get them used will mean they will be loose pages practicaly, so either get them new or make sure you can have them rebinded.

They have scripts for common court procedures and terminology. Some of the information in them is inaccurate, so if the person you purchase them from did not finish the courses and make corrections when indicated, you may have a few terms here and there that are incorrect until you go over them in class.

Thanks for the information. Congratulations on finishing the class. When do you test?

I took the first class at SCSI. I came across a friend of my cousin's who gave me some information regarding becoming an interpreter. I decided to attend a seminar outside of school that would prepare you for the written exam. I attended the seminar about 2 months ago, took the exam and passed. I am studying now for my oral. I am gathering lots of materials and decided to go through this experience using a different approach. I did like the fact the first class there is all about legal terms and practicing for the oral.. but as for the written exam, I didn't need all that, I would have passed it without taking that class.... FYI

CJ in Enterprise, Utah said: It isn't about what you know...it's all about who you know.
Go to the courts and make some friends. Some states offer a basic competency test, that if you can pass they will license you.
I freelance for some attorneys and bill in excess of $100/hr.

Hello! I'm new to the interpreting field, and I would like to get help on how to bill w/c insurances for interpreting. This will be my first time billing. Any information provided will be helpful and appreciated.