Skip to content
FacebookTwitterLinkedinYoutubeInstagram
  • Join ATA
  • Renew
  • Contact Us
  • Log In
American Translators Association (ATA)
Find a Language Professional
  • Certification
    • Certification
      • Guide to ATA Certification
      • What is a Certified Translation?
      • How the Exam is Graded
      • Review and Appeal Process
      • Looking for More Information?
    • Taking the Exam
      • About the Exam
      • How to Prepare
      • Practice Test
      • Exam Schedule
    • Already Certified?
      • Put Your Credentials To Work
      • CT Designation and Seal
      • Continuing Education Requirement
    • Register Buttons
      • Exam Schedule
         
      • Order Practice Test
  • Career and Education
    • For Newcomers
      • Student Resources
      • Starting Your Career
      • The Savvy Newcomer
    • For Professionals
      • Growing Your Career
      • Business Strategies
      • Next Level
      • Client Outreach Kit
      • Mentoring
    • Resources
      • For Educators and Trainers
      • Tools and Technology
      • Publications
      • School Outreach
    • Event Buttons
      • Upcoming Webinars
  • Client Assistance
    • Client Resources
      • Why Should I Hire a Professional?
      • Translator vs. Interpreter
      • Getting It Right
    • More Client Resources
      • Need a Certified Translation?
      • What is Machine Translation?
      • The ATA Compass
    • Find a Translator Button
      • Find a Language Professional
  • Events
    • Events
      • Annual Conference
      • Seminars and Workshops
      • Certification Exam Schedule
    • More Events
      • Webinar Series
      • Calendar of Events
    • Event Buttons
      • Visit ATA64
      • Upcoming Webinars
         
  • News
    • Industry News
    • Advocacy and Outreach
    • Press Room
    • The ATA Chronicle
    • The ATA Podcast
    • ATA Newsbriefs
  • Member Center
    • Member Resources
      • Join ATA
      • Renew Your Membership
      • Benefits of Membership
      • Divisions
      • Chapters, Affiliates, and Other Groups
      • Get Involved
      • Shop the ATA Store
    • Already a Member?
      • Log Into Your Member Center
      • Connect with Members
      • Create Your Directory Listing
      • Become a Voting Member
      • Member Discounts
    • Member Buttons
      • Join ATA
         
      • Member Login
  • About Us
    • About ATA
      • Who We Are
      • Press Room
      • Honors and Awards Program
      • Advertise with Us
      • American Foundation for
        Translation and Interpretation
      • Contact Us
    • How ATA Works
      • Board of Directors
      • Committees
      • Policies & Procedures
      • Code of Ethics
    • Contact Button
      • Contact ATA
  • Join ATA
  • Renew Your Membership
  • Contact Us
  • Log In
  • Find a Language Professional
savvy-newcomer-header

Spoken Language Interpreter Job Description: Excellent Resource for Clients and Employers

January 18, 2022 | The Savvy Newcomer | No Comments | Client Assistance, Interpreting, Starting Your Career
Spoken Language Interpreter Job Description

The Spoken Language Interpreter Job Description, authored by Norma Andrada, Heidi Cazes, Helen Eby, Julia Poger, and Rafael Treviño, might be called a job description, but I swear it’s one of the simplest and most straightforward ways to answer client and employer questions about what interpreters do.

The variety of the authors’ backgrounds and locations definitely enrich this solid and much-needed document. All authors have teaching or training experience; in addition to being clear, the job description presents both the bigger picture and some helpful specifics about our multifaceted profession.

It’s divided into four sections: knowledge, skills, and abilities; qualifications; physical requirements; and resources. Here’s what you’ll find in each of them:

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

This section is the meatiest, comprising most of the document. The “modes of interpreting” sub-section is excellent for newbies and clients who have not worked with an interpreter before. It explains the three main modes of interpreting (thanks for leaving summary out!): sight, consecutive, and simultaneous. I see confusion all the time from potential clients, who seem to only know about what they see as “UN style” or sentence-by-sentence interpreting. This document explains how and when we use each one, succinctly yet completely, including notions of speed and length of utterance. The information about team interpreting, relay, and ethics sets the stage for asking for ideal working conditions, as established by multiple professional associations in the field. In this section, remote interpreting is also expertly presented, and there is even a bit about written translation.

Qualifications

This section is all about what standards clients and employers should require when hiring an interpreter. While we still don’t have any national requirements for certification or even definitions as to what “qualified” or “professional” means for spoken language interpreting, if we can collectively uphold a few basic standards, we will continue to make progress as a profession. In this job description, qualifications start with language proficiency, which itself can be highly contestable. As we know, being bilingual does not an interpreter make–but even the claim to being “bilingual” is grossly overstated and misunderstood. If an interpreter is helping mediate a legal case or medical procedure and something goes afoul, you can bet the interpreter’s qualifications will come under intense scrutiny, and no employer (or even client) wants to get caught justifying themselves with “the interpreter said she was bilingual.” Language proficiency is measurable, and with the guidelines in this document, you can steer your client right. This section on qualifications also presents the current certification program available to some specialties within spoken language interpreting, which is very helpful.

Physical Requirements

This section is short and sweet and, as the title suggests, outlines physical requirements for the interpreting profession.

Resources

This section has great links to ISO standards, credentialing bodies, and tips published by the US Department of Justice.

All in all, this document is another excellent resource for interpreters, clients, and employers alike. Make sure to read and absorb it, and next time someone asks you why you need a boothmate or quality audio, you’ll be able to steer them to this page.

Share this

Posts navigation

← The Britishism Invasion: Language Corruption is a Two-Way Street
Summary of “Defining Translation Quality” →

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply





I accept the Privacy Policy

  • Home
  • Editorial Team
  • Resources
  • Write for Us
  • Style Guide

Recent Posts

How to Use Video to Attract New Clients to Your Website

Savvy Diversification Series – The Role of the Genealogical Translator

What to Do With All Those Languages You Speak

8 T&I Events in Europe that Deserve to Be on Your 2023 Calendar

Using LinkedIn to Research People and Companies

Buddies Welcome Newbies: Starting #ATA63 Off on the Right Foot

Nine Questions from Language Majors on Their Next Steps to Becoming a Translator or Interpreter

Freelance Translator’s Client Reference List: Why & How & When

Savvy Diversification Series – How I Became a Medical Writer

Avoiding Your Biggest Résumé Mistake – How to Target Your Résumé

Subscribe to The Savvy Newcomer

Connect with Us

Tweets by The Savvy Newcomer
Language Services Directory
ata_logo_footer

American Translators Association
225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590
Alexandria, VA 22314

Phone +1-703-683-6100
Fax +1-703-683-6122

  • Certification
  • Career and Education
  • Client Assistance
  • Events
  • News
  • Member Center
  • About Us
  • Member Login
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Submit Feedback

© 2023 - American Translators Association

Website by Yoko Co

Find a Language Professional
Scroll To Top