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How do I become an interpreter?

To become an interpreter, you must be at least 18 years old, possess a high school diploma or equivalent, and be bilingual. Since we're based in the United States, where English is the primary language of service, one of your working languages must be English. Increasingly, the industry standard requires interpreters to have completed a 40-hour certificate program, at a minimum, before being able to work as an interpreter.

What if one of my languages isn’t good enough yet for interpreting?

CCC recommends that participants first strengthen their non-native language before taking our programs. Some options for language training are: community colleges, online programs such as Rosetta Stone, conversation groups (such as free groups sponsored by public libraries), etc.

What do interpreters earn?

It depends on the type of interpreting you’re doing and what type of interpreter you are. In general, there are four types of interpreters: volunteer interpreters (such as those who interpret at places of worship or at clinics for low-income patients), bilingual staff (employees such as nurses, case workers and psychologists who are asked to interpret in addition to their main job), staff interpreters (such as those that work full-time in a hospital), and contract/freelance interpreters. Contract interpreters typically work for several organizations, either directly with the client or through a language agency. They drive to different locations and pay varies according to the assignment and employer. At the moment, local public school systems tend to pay on the lower end of the interpreting scale, while pay will be higher for medical and legal interpreters and highest of all for certified medical interpreters and court-certified interpreters.

Who are certified medical interpreters?

Certified medical interpreters have passed one of the two national certification exams (see below). They have different formats, but both are equally valid and accepted. Among current prerequisites is 40 hours of medical/health care interpreter training. The best way to get information about how to prepare for medical interpreter certification is to go to the websites of the two national medical interpreter certification programs:

CCHI at http://www.healthcareinterpretercertification.org/

NBCMI at http://www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org/

Who are court-certified interpreters?

Court-certified interpreters have passed an exam given by a state or federal interpreter certification program. These exams usually have extremely low pass rates. At the federal level, only Spanish is currently offered. Certification exams vary at the state level for other languages.

What is the difference between a certificate and certification?

A certificate is awarded upon successful completion of an academic or non-academic program. For interpreter training programs, language proficiency testing may or may not be a requisite for successful completion of the program. A certification can only be awarded by local, state or federal authorities (such as the community interpreter certification in Washington state; state and federal court certification; and the two national medical interpreter certifications). CCC offers certificate programs.

Is CCC a job agency?

No, CCC is an organization dedicated solely to interpreter and cultural competence training. Our mission is language access. We also occasionally send out job postings to our program graduates and/or e-newsletter subscribers at the request of other organizations.

Why should I take a CCC training program?

Cross-Cultural Communications is one of only a few national training agencies in the U.S. devoted to community interpreting and cultural competence, licensing community interpreters across the U.S. and in other countries. We regularly train bilingual staff as well as contract interpreters. We also provide training and consulting services to private companies, non-profits, and government agencies. Our programs are grounded in a mixture of theory and practical, hands-on activities.

What is The Community Interpreter® International and why should I take it?

The Community Interpreter® International, or TCII, is a 40-hour certificate training program for interpreters who are just starting out or experienced interpreters who are looking for a recognized qualification. Subjects covered include the interpreting code of ethics and standards of practice in order to give participants a solid grounding in the profession. This is complemented by practical, hands-on activities such as role-plays and interactive group discussions. The program fulfills the 40-hour training requirement considered by many certifying bodies, employers, and interpreter associations to be the minimum needed to enter the field. TCII graduates have found that having a TCII certificate has helped them get interpreting jobs.

What CCC training programs count towards the 40-hour medical/health care training prerequisite for medical interpreter certification?

CCHI and NBCMI currently accept either The Community Interpreter Online or The Medical Interpreter Online as meeting the 40-hour training prerequisite when applying for their medical/health care interpreter certification.

Do CCC training programs offer continuing education (CE) credits?

Yes, although the CE credits offered for each program will vary according to course length and content. Our programs are currently approved for continuing education credits by the following organizations:

ATA (American Translators Association)
CCHI (Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters)
IMIA (International Medical Interpreters Association)
NAJIT (National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators)
RID (Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf)*
Washington State DSHS

*To apply for RID CEUs after completing one of our courses, please contact our RID sponsor, admin@linguisteducationonline.com, with your course certificate of completion.

Is The Community Interpreter® International a medical interpreting program?

Yes…but it’s also so much more! The Community Interpreter® International was designed to address any one of, or all of, three target audiences: medical, educational and/or social services interpreters. Some of our trainers and we ourselves present all-medical sessions that include medical terminology training and others gear their programs to general community interpreting or a specialized audience, like educational interpreting. Our TCII sessions are hosted both in a live online training context and via our self-paced learning platform. They cover medical, educational and social services interpreting.

When is your next training session?

Check out our Live Training page to see upcoming events.

The Community Interpreter® Online (TCIO) is the self-guided, online version of The Community Interpreter® International and includes open, ongoing enrollment. Learn more about TCIO.

Our licensed trainers also host their own trainings across 44 U.S. states, Washington DC, Guam and six other countries. Search for a trainer near you.

How much does it cost to take The Community Interpreter® International?

The Community Interpreter Online self-paced course currently costs $390. Sign up here.

CCC is available to deliver live online trainings of The Community Interpreter® International for groups by request.

The course includes:

40 hours of training by highly qualified trainers.
A 453-page textbook (The Community Interpreter®: An International Textbook, retail: $120).
A 229-page workbook (The Community Interpreter®: An International Workbook of Exercises and Role Plays, retail: $60).
A 90-minute written final assessment.
Your training certificate.

Sessions of The Community Interpreter® hosted by our licensed trainers will vary in cost depending on the location and session.

Can I use the certificate I get for this program to apply for national medical interpreter certification in the U.S. through CCHI or IMIA/NBCMI?

Yes!

After I take the program, will I be certified?

No. A training program certificate is not the same as certification. In fact, in the U.S. the certificate for a 40-hour training program is a prerequisite to apply for national medical interpreter certification. In The Community Interpreter®, we teach you about the difference between a certificate and certification. A good training is the beginning of certification, not the end, because after training you will need to take the written and oral exams of a properly credentialed certification program to become certified.

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2026 Free Webinar Series: #1 Interpreting for Pediatric Oncology

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– 12:30 pm

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Interpreting for Addiction Services

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