UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In courts across the country, court interpreters lend a crucial service in fulfilling the judiciary’s obligation to guarantee the rights of people with limited English proficiency and those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
In Pennsylvania, the Interpreter Certification Program by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) was established to provide trained and qualified spoken language and sign language interpreters for the courts of Pennsylvania.
To help expand the roster of interpreters, AOPC is holding a free informational webinar at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 22, to engage Penn State students, faculty, staff and community members who may be interested in becoming court interpreters. Those interested in becoming a court interpreter can register for the webinar here.
“The courts in Centre County, statewide and even nationwide need the services of highly qualified interpreters of all languages,” said Natalia Petrova, AOPC interpreter program administrator. “Court interpreting is an underrepresented and amazing profession that combines the love of languages, cultures and public service with a good income and job prospects.”
Court interpreters help those they interpret for by removing language barriers to ensure that equal judicial rights are accessible to everyone. Interpreters are needed daily by all 60 Pennsylvania judicial districts. Certifications obtained in Pennsylvania are recognized nationwide so certified interpreters can assist individuals in courts across the country.
The program is open to legal U.S. residents over 18 years old who meet a set of criteria and complete a series of workshops and pass examinations to show they are proficient in English and their chosen language as well as demonstrate interpreting skills. Cost for certifications varies depending on the level of certification acquired. Compensation is available for interpreters who successfully completed the certification process ranging from $35 to $80 an hour, depending on qualifications.
Certifications can be renewed for a minimal cost every two years, given the interpreter engages in continuing education to keep their proficiency current. Certification is available for all languages, with Spanish, Chinese-Mandarin and American Sign Language as the top three most requested languages.
“Penn State’s diverse and multilingual pool of students, faculty, staff and at-large community have been valuable to our services in the past and include a current Spanish-speaking student,” Petrova said. “We hope that Penn Staters can help us build our roster so we can serve even more people with proper representation within the courts.”