Page 20 - The Medical Interprete
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THE MEDICAL INTERPRETER

                      Portfolio assessments


                  Many languages do not have interpreter skills tests or certification exams–or even language
                  proficiency tests. In cases like these, interpreters can often show proof of their language proficiency
                  and interpreting skills through a professional portfolio.



                               DEFINITION                    A professional portfolio can include documents
                                                             about the interpreter’s general education, interpreter
                   Communicative autonomy                    training and professional experience. Letters of
                                 Portfolio
                                                             recommendations, awards or other documents can
                   Career portfolio: an organized            also be used.
                   presentation of an individual’s education,
                   work samples and skills.                  You should keep a portfolio even if you interpret

                                                Wikipedia    in a language that has tests and exams. After all,
                                                             your portfolio is the place for all your professional
                   In other words, a professional portfolio   credentials. For example, do you hold membership
                   is a collection of documents that show an   in professional associations? Have you received any
                   individual’s qualifications, credentials and
                   skills, including continuing education.   professional honors or awards? Guard those documents
                                                             preciously.




                    Which credentials do you need?


                  There is an emerging national consensus about the basic qualifications that community (including
                  medical) interpreters should have. In the United States, any medical interpreter who enters a training
                  program should demonstrate the following:
                      •  Be 18 years or older.
                      •  Hold a high school diploma or equivalent.
                      •  Demonstrate adequate oral proficiency in their working languages.
                      •  Have literacy in their working languages. 8
                      •  Have had life experiences in countries or communities where they communicated regularly
                         in their working languages.


                                                             Adapted from NCIHC (2011)

                  In addition, the two national medical interpreter certification programs (NBCMI and CCHI) discussed
                  under “Medical interpreter certification” later in this section require that the interpreter hold a
                  certificate for professional training in medical interpreting of 40 hours or longer.










                  8   Except languages for which a written form is not commonly used.


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