Level 3 Certificate

in Community
Interpreting
Preparation Course
WORKBOOK
Introduction
 Unit 1: Working as an
interpreter in public services
◦ Understand public services in your area
◦ Public Services in your area
◦ What services offer in your area
◦ Who are the services available to?
◦ Public service terminology
◦ Creating a Glossary
◦ Terminology from a range of public services in English
◦ Translating terms into your other language
◦ Adding explanations to your glossary

Contents
 Unit 2: Preparing for
interpreting assignments
The protocols of interpreter assignment bookings
◦ The process used by local interpreting services to book interpreters
◦ The key information an interpreter should be given at the booking stage
◦ Public liability insurance and CRB requirements for interpreters

Make a professional judgement about accepting or declining an interpreting assignment

◦ Evaluate own interpreting skills
◦ Use code of practice to inform accept/decline decisions

Identify relevant information in preparation for an assignment

◦ Give examples of information required

Prepare for a range of interpreting assignments

◦ Identify a range of assignments and highlight the preparation required

Contents
 Unit 3: Planning to work as a
community interpreter in medical
settings
◦ Types of interpreting assignments within the Health Service
◦ Analysing the subject matter of assignments within the Health Service
◦ Anticipate difficulties and terminology that may arise in an assignment
◦ Select and use appropriate sources to prepare for an interpreting assignment within the Health Service
◦ Identify a range of sources for researching an interpreting assignment
◦ Relevant information in source material
◦ Understand specialist terminology used in the Health Service
◦ Identify specialist terminology
◦ Your health glossary

Contents
 Unit 4: Planning to work as a
community interpreter in the welfare
benefits system
◦ Types of interpreting assignments within the Welfare benefits
◦ Analysing the subject matter of assignments within Welfare benefits
◦ Anticipate difficulties and terminology that may arise in an assignment
◦ Select and use appropriate sources to prepare for an interpreting assignment within Welfare benefits
◦ Identify a range of sources for researching an interpreting assignment
◦ Relevant information in source material
◦ Understand specialist terminology used in Welfare benefits
◦ Identify specialist terminology

Contents
 Unit 5: Interpret two way
◦ Understand how to interpret between two languages
◦ Use appropriate interpreting techniques
◦ Explain the stages of the interpreting process
◦ consecutively interpreting
◦ Interpret the meaning accurately
◦ Reflect register and attitude
◦ Support effective communication
◦ Use note-taking techniques
◦ Paraphrasing
◦ Clarifying
◦ Repair mistakes
◦ Avoid additions and omissions
◦ Provide a professional service
◦ Protocols of specific public services
◦ The interpreter’s opening statement
◦ Interpreting code of practice

Contents
 Unit 6: Perform a sight
translation
◦ Understand how to carry out a sight translation
◦ The process of sight translation
◦ Scenarios which involve sight translations
◦ sight translation text examples
◦ sight translation techniques
◦ using appropriate language and register
◦ terminology and concepts
◦ reflect the register, language and tone
◦ fluency and confidence
◦ strategies to deal with challenging language
◦ Paraphrase the meaning of complex terms and phrases
◦ Clarify any uncertainty
◦ Use reference materials

Contents
 Unit 7: Continual Professional
Development for Interpreters
◦ Your level of competence
◦ The effectiveness of your performance in assignments
◦ Your assignment management
◦ Review progress regularly
◦ The importance of Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
◦ Create a CPD plan including future training needs, CPD opportunities and how these can be accessed

Contents
Unit 1: Working as an interpreter in
public services
Introduction to Interpreting
SECTION 1
Exercise: What is an interpreter?
What is interpreting?
What is an interpreter?

Make a note of your definitions

Exercise: Where do interpreters
work?
Interpreters can work anywhere that people are attempting to converse in more than one
language
In the two minutes, make a note of different places and organisations where you might expect
to find interpreters working
Exercise: What types of
interpreting are there?
Understand public services in your area
SECTION 2
Exercise: What services are
offered in your area?
Using Google Maps or up to date maps of your local area, research the public services that are
within a 20 mile radius of where you live.
For the services available, see if you can find who the services are available to? Are there any
restrictions in terms of language?
Public service terminology
SECTION 3
Exercise: What is a Glossary?
In your own words, explain what a glossary is?
Exercise: Translating terms into
your target language
What process do you think you should follow for translating words on your glossary?
 Translating terms into your
target language
Use a variety of tools to cross reference the meaning
Check the meaning on Google Translate first but do not stop there
Combine some professional online dictionaries with paper dictionaries
Type your term in English into your browser:
What does it refer to?
What is the topic?
Does this term used often, or does it have a more appropriate synonym?

Next, copy the translation of this term into your browser and see if the references match:
How often is this term used in results that came up?
Is there a synonym that was used more often and maybe would be more appropriate?

Try to find a paper or online dictionary for this particular specialism as well
Exercise: Adding explanations to
your glossary
What is the purpose of adding explanations and examples to your glossary?
Assignments
SECTION 4
Assignment 1: Locate public
services in your area
What other aspects do you think you should take into consideration when doing your research
on whether a particular specialism will be useful in your area and the services it has to offer?
Assignment 2: Understand
public services in your area
Using the internet find 3-5 public services within a 20 mile radius from where you live. During
your research make some notes on the following:
◦ services offered (different departments etc.) - whether they are public or private, voluntary
◦ how non-English speakers can access information about their provisions
◦ is this institution ready to deal with non-English speakers?
◦ Is interpreting the only way they can meet needs of non-English or limited English speakers?
◦ are there any voluntary organisations or private groups that can help your language community in
accessing public services in your area?
Assignment 3: Public Service
terminology
Scenario A: You have been asked to interpret for an expectant mother in your local area. The
agency has not provided you with any more information, only the date and time of the
appointment.
Research and prepare 20 glossary terms that in your opinion would be most useful for this
appointment.
Scenario B: You have been asked to interpret for an illegal immigrant and have been given
detailed information about the assignment. This person is facing deportation and prosecution
for the offence of armed robbery that he has committed in his country of origin. He has been
working illegally in the UK for the past 6 months, does not have National Insurance Number and
has not paid tax which most likely means there will be a fine to be paid to authorities.
Research and prepare 20 glossary terms that in your opinion would be most useful for this
appointment.
Assignment 4: Student forum
and practice partner
◦ Navigate to LearnQual’s facebook page
◦ Access Groups
◦ Join the Interpreter Student’s Forum group
◦ You can see a video about how to join via your smartphone here: https://youtu.be/POOwTzOMMiI
◦ Post a greeting or a question for other students (or both)
◦ Find the Practice Partner post and comment on it with your language so that other students can find
you
◦ OR find another student who speaks your language and reply to their message so that you can partner
up
Conclusion

At the end of this session, you should be able to:

◦ Describe an interpreter
◦ Identify where interpreters work
◦ Explain the different types of interpreting
◦ List the Public Services in your area
◦ Describe the services offered by public services in your area
◦ Explain who the services are available to and how they are accessed
◦ Create your interpreting Glossary
End of Unit 1