Becoming a certified interpreter?

No license, certifications are optional, but encouraged, because you’ll be able to network through the organizations that issue them. Internships, if you want to do them, are best done in school. Generally, if you can get some experience in school, you can fling yourself out into the workforce with a little more experience and force.

If you can’t/won’t move to Japan, Skype and similar are going to be your friend.

If you’re thinking of moving to Japan try at least a summer abroad through whatever school/program, you’d like.

I can’t think of anything else, it’s really all in your hands how you want to go about it. :slight_smile:

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[Editing the topic from translator to interpreter]

I remember during my highschool days in my tiny hometown, a classmate got a job as a tourist guide over summer. I remember thinking “no way, is anyone of us qualified to do that”, but apparently highschool level was good enough for the germans.

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Also, anyone know any good schools for interpretation and/or translation? Trade school or grad school is fine, I already have my BS. At least for translation, it would be nice to find something online.

I’m just going to leave this here:

From 5:16 to about 10:10.
Please don’t take this as me (or him) trying to discourage you. But you may find this interesting.

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Yeah, I’m not a fan of his style/demeanor in the videos, but he’s right to be blunt about it. Asking “how fluent do I need to be…” is just… dude, you need to be the best of the best to do actual simultaneous interpretation.

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imagine how frustrating to be deaf and someone at a lecture doesn’t have up to par interpreting sign language for you. so yeah, you need fluent to be of service, and be good at understanding new words and how to at least express the idea of it even if you are unfamiliar, on the fly.

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It’s not so much the goal of actually becoming an interpreter for me. It’s trying my hardest to get there, and if I can’t make the cut, I’ll still end up pretty darn good at Japanese. I’m not planning on this becoming a full time career for me, part time at best.

Never really considered simultaneous interpreting either, is there really a big demand for this over “sentence by sentence” interpretation?

EDIT: I totally get his point about it being stressful. Doesn’t seem worth the money.

So your goal is to invest thousands of hours into a skill in order to use it for a part time gig? Sounds legit

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It absolutely is.

Is it really so wrong to want to spend time doing something you like? I’ve always had a thing for languages.

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Back to the original question ^

I don’t mind debating why people think what I want to do is hard, infeasible, wasteful, or dumb, but can we please keep this on topic?

Here’s my humble opinion:

I think you’re on a very early stage to even decide if you want to be an interpreter. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to belittle any effort or knowledge you have in the language. It’s just, becoming an interpreter is not an easy task.

I agree with this. See, being an interpreter is not only about knowing a foreign language, it’s about knowing your own native language way better than the average person, and thinking really quick. Sometimes I like to do this exercise to see how good I would be as an english-spanish interpreter: I’m watching a movie or series in english, I consider myself fairly good at english and I will understand almost everything if not everything. Then I try to interpret everything in real time in my head and stuff gets hard pretty quick. Sometimes they say something in english I easily understand, but I don’t immediately know how to express it in spanish, my own native language. It takes me a few seconds to think of the appropiate way of expressing it, but those are valuable seconds because while I’m thinking about that the characters have said another 2 or 3 sentences and now I don’t only need to translate a sentence in my head but also remember everything they have said while I was thinking and is really easy to fall behind. So to be an interpreter you don’t only need to be fluent in the target language; you need to be pretty good at both languages and also a very fast thinker.

And not only that, translation and interpretation is not something that you can consider yourself good at by only studying the target language. There’s lot of theory you need to know to apply in the field. People spend years studying at university stuff like etymology, phonetics, sociolinguistics, morphology, syntax, etc. Linguistics is a huge field and a very complex one.

I you really want to go for it then I comend you. But if you wanna do it, then I’d say you being by establishing the bases: being fluid in the target language, I think that is something you can accomplish with just online material. Then, whenever you decide later to become a translator, interpreter or anything, you’ll already have the bases. I’d recommend presential schools or universities, but as I don’t live in the U.S. I can’t give you any more information on that.

I’m sorry if my answer was of no much help.

がんばって!

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I’m working as a JP-TH interpreter in a factory right now in Thailand. I’ve only got N2 under my belt, but my employee sees that I can speak decent Japanese (far from perfect) so I got hired. I’ve never lived in Japan as well. I practiced my speaking through teaching my native language to Japanese people in Japanese. I learn the technical terms necessary for interpreting at the working site on the job.

I shall summon @aqualad who’s an interpreter in the US if I’m not mistaken. He should be able to answer a lot of questions.

EDIT: I started out as a freelance JP-EN translator. That helped tremendously! Start from translating until your speed gets really fast and your brain will get used to converting back and forth between two languages.

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This is a fair and reasonable assessment.

I’m not coming out here saying “I’m going to be the best interpreter ever”, or even saying “I’m going to become an interpreter” because of exactly this reason though. Right now I’m investigating the steps to become an interpreter because the path to become an interpreter itself is one that will guide me to fluency in the language and begin teaching me the cultural aspects that are needed to accurately convey what I’m trying to say and understand the intricacies of what someone else is saying to me.

There seems to be this idea that saying “I want to pursue becoming an interpreter” means that all I care about is the end goal of becoming an interpreter. I want to reiterate that what I’m really interested in is the path to take to become an interpreter because it will be a difficult and rewarding way to learn Japanese quickly from all angles. I have no interest in doing interpreter jobs “just for the money” and money really isn’t something I care about when it comes to interpreting (I have a pretty steady job at the moment).

That being said, I’d like to reiterate, right now I’m curious about any interpreting, linguistics, or translating schools that anyone has had experience or interactions with.

FYI I followed up with some old professors and might have some schools to name drop in here if anyone else is curious. I’ll keep this thread posted.

You asked for advice. Thats all that shouldve been given. You shouldnt have been put down or discouraged in such a rude way for your question.(not saying everyone did this, but there were those people) If thats what you want to do, then do it. I have faith in you. Go after it. Always be prepared to be disappointed. But thats with ANYTHING and EVERYTHING in life.

I hope all goes well for you!! ^^

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