Languages and Interpretation
Section: Other Special Issues, Special Issues
Research Person: Administrator
Email: tamber.a.hilton@gmail.com
Biography
Tamber Hilton is a licensed lead trainer for The Community Interpreter, an interpreter training curriculum developed in the U.S. by Cross Cultural Communications, LLC. From 2005-2009, she worked as a freelance Spanish interpreter in US medical, social services and immigration settings. From 2011-2014, she was employed in the role of Interpreter Services Specialist at the US Resettlement Support Center operated by the International Rescue Committee in Bangkok, Thailand, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where she provided training and technical advice to interpreters and staff from the IRC, the UNHCR, and IOM. Following that, she worked for six months as a Legal Advocate at Asylum Access Thailand, where she worked through interpreters to provide legal advice to urban refugees and asylum seekers engaged in the UNHCR refugee status determination and resettlement processes. Currently, she is based in Tucson, Arizona, as a program manager at a resettlement agency charged with receiving refugees resettled by the U.S. government. Tamber is passionate about promoting high standards in interpretation to ensure meaningful access for refugees and asylum seekers to international protection and durable solutions.
Introduction
Language interpretation is an essential component link between refugee and organizations providing legal and other types of assistance. Miscommunication can have devastating outcomes, from incorrect decisions in refugee status determination to misdiagnoses in health care treatments. Interpreters require training, language resources, and support to perform their task professionally, and to avoid unintended harm from misinterpretation or breaches of ethical boundaries in confidentiality and neutrality.
Interpreters and Translations
American Language Services
Website: www.alsglobal.net
Description:
American Language Services provides worldwide translation and interpreting in over 240 languages.
APLI Canada
Website: www.aplicanada.org/index.php
Description:
APLI (Association of Professional Language Interpreters) is an organization for all qualified and trained interpreters in Canada, dedicated to the improvement of the profession for community interpreters, service users and service providers, creating a shared environment, to support and minimize work related issues.
NAATI
Website: www.naati.com.au/online
Description:
NAATI (National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters) is an online directory that links Translators and Interpreters with those looking to use their services.
Northern Revive Interpreting Service (UK)
Website: http://www.refugee.org.uk/node/93
Description:
Northern Revive Interpreting Service caters for providers of services dealing with asylum seekers and refugees in the North East of England. The majority of interpreters registered with the service are asylum seekers and refugees themselves. They have all been trained to the standards for community interpreters and endorse the Service’s Code of Practice.
UK Language Solutions
Website: www.uklanguagesolutions.co.uk/index.aspx
Description:
UK Language Solutions provides 24 hour-a-day access to translators and interpreters in over 200 languages.
Interpreter Training
Professionalising interpreters who work in migration and refugee contexts is vital, and professional interpreter training is an important part of ensuring interpreters have the skills necessary to provide accurate, complete interpretation. Below is a list of interpreter training resources available online and in-person.
Training Courses for Interpreters
The Voice of Love
Region: International
Website: http://voice-of-love.org/
Contact: vol@voice-of-love.org
Description:
The Voice of Love is a US-based non-profit whose mission is to develop and provide training and resources for interpreters who work with survivors of trauma, war, torture, and sexual violence. The curriculum offered includes a five-day training of interpreters, training of trainers, training for service providers (including legal aid practitioners), and other programs. Please see their website for training delivery options, which include in-person training as well as webinars and Skype sessions.
InZone: The Centre for Interpreting in Conflict Zones
Region: International
Website: http://inzone.fti.unige.ch
Contact: inzone@unige.ch
Description:
InZone is a centre at the University of Geneva for the study of interpretation in conflict zones and other emergency settings. InZone has offered tailor-made training courses in a variety of locations and delivery formats.
“InZone offers different types of training modules for field interpreters focusing on basic consecutive interpreting skills and professional ethics. While the general structure of basic modules remains standard across organisations, an analysis of the needs of field interpreters working for a specific organisation enables InZone to contextualize learning activities to meet the specific needs of field interpreters and to tailor each course to their work environment.” (InZone training description)
Cairo Community Interpreter Project (CCIP)
Country: Egypt
Website: www.aucegypt.edu/gapp/cmrs/ccip
Contact: Alice Johnson, CCIP Director: ccip@aucegypt.edu
Description:
The Cairo Community Interpreter Project (CCIP) is a community interpretation training and outreach program in the Center for Migration and Refugee Studies (CMRS) at The American University in Cairo (AUC). CCIP provides training for community interpreters in migration and refugee settings, and language planning technical assistance for organizations that use interpreters in their work with refugees and migrants. For further information on CCIP training programs and language resources, please see the CCIP website.
National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI)
Country: Australia
Website: https://www.naati.com.au/
Contact: info@naati.com.au
Description:
NAATI is Australia’s national body for accreditation of interpreters and translators. Its interpreter testing programs are internationally recognized and well-respected. It is responsible for setting and maintaining standards for the interpreting profession in Australia.
Please see here for workshops offered by NAATI: https://www.naati.com.au/workshops.html
Please see here for an extensive list of other Australian training programs approved by NAATI: https://www.naati.com.au/PDF/Misc/APPROVED%20AUSTRALIAN%20COURSES.pdf
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)
Country: Australia
Website: http://www.rmit.edu.au/study-with-us/levels-of-study/vocational-study/advanced-diplomas/c6134/#pageId=overview
Description:
RMIT offers a variety of diploma and degree programs for interpreters and translators. Their program is known for offering training in many refugee languages that other interpreter training programs do not typically support.
New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters (NZSTI)
Country: New Zealand
Website: http://www.nzsti.org/about/Courses-in-NZ/
Contact: info@nzsti.org
Description:
Listings of courses offered by NZSTI and organizations recognized by NZSTI.
NZSTI is New Zealand’s professional association for interpreters and translators. Its mission is to provide networking and support to its members, to promote quality and standards for interpretation and translation, and to raise the profile of the profession in New Zealand.
InZone: The Centre for Interpreting in Conflict Zones
Country: Switzerland
Website: http://inzone.fti.unige.ch
Contact: inzone@unige.ch
Description:
InZone is a centre at the University of Geneva for the study of interpretation in conflict zones and other emergency settings. InZone has offered tailor-made training courses in a variety of locations and delivery formats.
“InZone offers different types of training modules for field interpreters focusing on basic consecutive interpreting skills and professional ethics. While the general structure of basic modules remains standard across organisations, an analysis of the needs of field interpreters working for a specific organisation enables InZone to contextualize learning activities to meet the specific needs of field interpreters and to tailor each course to their work environment.” (InZone training description)
The Language Interpreter Training Program (LITP)
Country: Canada
Website: http://www.ailia.ca/Language+Interpreter+Training+Program+(LITP)#LITP
Contact: communication@ailia.ca
Description:
LITP is a 180-hour program that trains interpreters in foundational skills including simultaneous, consecutive, and sight translation, as well interpreter skills and ethics. It is offered at a number of post-secondary institutions in the province of Ontario.
The Language of Justice (Cross-Cultural Communications, Maryland)
Country: US
Website: http://www.thecommunityinterpreter.com/loj.html
Contact: ccc2@cultureandlanguage.net
Description:
The Language of Justice is a three-day training offered by Cross Cultural Communications for interpreters who perform legal interpreting in community settings. This training is intended to prepare interpreters to interpret in a variety of contexts, such as attorney-client interviews, immigration counselling, and other non-courtroom legal contexts in which community interpreters are often called to provide linguistic support. A training of trainers course is also available. Check their website for training offerings in Maryland, or contact them to find out where licensed trainers are offering this program.
The Voice of Love
Country: US
Website: http://voice-of-love.org/
Contact: vol@voice-of-love.org
Description:
The Voice of Love is a unique organization whose mission is to develop and provide training and resources for interpreters who work with survivors of trauma, war, torture, and sexual violence. Trainings offered include a five-day training of interpreters, training of trainers, training for service providers (including legal aid practitioners), and other programs. Check their website for training delivery options, which includes in-person training in different locations, as well as webinars and Skype sessions. Their website also includes a resources page with a list of suggested materials for self-study.
Court Interpreter Training Institute (CITI-University of Arizona)
Country: US
Website: http://nci.arizona.edu/citi
Contact: ncitrp@email.arizona.edu
Description:
The CITI, part of the University of Arizona’s National Center for Interpretation, offers a high-quality two-week program for court and legal interpreters in Arizona. It covers simultaneous and consecutive interpretation, and various key topics including ethics, legal procedure, terminology, memory development, and note taking. Some tuition assistance is available.
The Community Interpreter-International Edition (Cross-Cultural Communications, Maryland)
Country: US
Website: http://www.thecommunityinterpreter.com/
Contact: ccc2@cultureandlanguage.net
Description:
The Community Interpreter offers an internationalized curriculum suitable for community interpreters practicing anywhere in the world. The course focuses on core interpreter ethics and skills, and can be delivered as a 40 or 60-hour course. Training of Trainers courses are also available. Check their course offerings in Maryland on their website, or contact them to see where licensed trainers are offering the program.
Training Modules
UNHCR Interpreting in a Refugee Context
UNHCR’s training manual for interpreters is available for free download from Refworld in PDF format.
National Network for Interpreting (UK)
The National Network for Interpreting is UK-based organization that aims to promote the interpreting profession. In addition to many other valuable interpreter and language-related resources, the website offers online training modules in topics such as note taking, message analysis, professionalism, language mastery, cultural awareness, and many more.
Practicing Asylum Law Film and discussion modules
The Film Practicing Asylum Law should be watched alongside the following discussion modules: ‘Thoughts From An Immigration Attorney‘ and ‘Thoughts from an Asylum Officer‘.
The film and modules demonstrate the issues around interpretation in the asylum adjudication system in the USA. The modules provide training to go alongside Practicing Asylum Law. Taking the reader through each issue as it arises, the modules discuss the problem from either the perspective of the Immigration Attorney or, the Asylum officer. The modules explain how interpreters should tackle these issues and ensure best practices in interpretation for refugees and asylum seekers.
Training Videos
Interpreter Training (Part 1)
Link: Interpreter Training (part1)
Description:
This videos from Clarity Interpreting cover most topics and provide a good crash course in interpreting
Interpreter Training (Part 2)
Link: Interpreter Training (part2)
Description: This short video from Legal Services of New Jersey provides information on how to work with interpreters.
Working with Interpreters
Link: Working with Interpreters