Page 17 - The Medical Interprete
P. 17

1.2
                                                                       Medical                  SECTION



                          Interpreter Credentials









              LEARNING                             Overview
              OBJECTIVE 1.2                        A credential shows one’s ability to carry out a certain job or task.

                                                   It can be proof of one’s qualifications. Although many credentials
              After completing this                exist for medical interpreters, they often lead to confusion. For
              section, you will be able to:        example, many interpreters do not understand the difference

                List and compare                   between a certificate and certification.
                interpreter credentials,
                including certificates and         This section examines what you need to know about credentials for
                                                   medical interpreters and which credentials are important to obtain.
                certification.


                                                   Learning Content


                                                   Basic credentials for interpreters

                                                       Types of credentials

                                                   The United States has a number of credentials for interpreters,
                      DEFINITION                   including national and/or state certification for medical, court

              Communicative autonomy               and ASL interpreters. The common types of credentials that an
                        Credential
                                                   interpreter should keep in his or her portfolio include proof of:
              A quality, skill, or experience that     •  Education
              makes a person suited to do a job.       •  Training
                                                       •  Language proficiency testing
              A document which shows that              •  Skills testing
              a person is qualified to do a            •  Certification
              particular job.

                   Merriam-Webster Dictionary      At a very basic level, medical and other community interpreters
                                                   in the United States should be able to produce:
                                                       •  Proof of age (18 years of age or older).
                                                       •  A high school diploma or equivalent. 7
                                                       •  Proof of bilingualism, such as a language proficiency test
                                                           certificate.
                                                       •  Proof of training: in the United States, the widely accepted
                                                           minimum is 40 hours of training in healthcare interpreting.
                                                   7   An “equivalent” might be a U.S. General Educational Development (GED)
                                                      diploma or a secondary studies diploma from another country.

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