Who we are

Cross-Cultural Communications (CCC) is the only international training agency in the United States for medical and community interpreting, and cultural competence, with over 400 licensed trainers in 43 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Guam and six other countries (Argentina, Canada, Panama, Thailand, Spain and Qatar). In addition to training, we provide technical assistance, consulting and course development.

Our flagship program, The Community Interpreter® International, is a 40- to 60-hour certificate program for medical, educational, and social services interpreters—the most up-to-date and prestigious program in the field. Its textbook, The Community Interpreter®: An International Textbook, is the most comprehensive textbook in the world for medical, educational and social services interpreters.

The Community Interpreter® International is offered across the country by our licensed trainers and online as a self-paced course.

Under our imprint, Culture & Language Press (CLP), we publish high-quality textbooks, workbooks and trainer’s guides for medical, community and legal interpreting, including the only comprehensive textbook series in the world for medical interpreting. We've also published a cultural competence trainer's guide for service providers in health and human services.

What we do

Your career depends on excellence and quality. Your goal is to provide high-quality services, whether you’re an interpreter or a service provider. We offer excellence in training, publications and consulting, with a special focus on medical and community interpreting as well as cultural competence. Our interpreting programs support staff interpreters, bilingual staff, freelancers and interpreter trainers.

Our cultural competence programs (including How to Work with an Interpreter) support all those who serve linguistic and cultural minorities, especially immigrants and refugees. See our training programs for details.


Mission

The mission of CCC is to support equal access to community services for culturally and linguistically diverse residents.

This mission promotes health and well being for all. Through our high-quality training programs, CCC works to empower individuals and communities to support, strengthen and celebrate the foundations of our diverse society.


Vision

The CCC vision is a beautiful world: one with no borders, barriers or misunderstandings, where there is no “other”: there is only “us.”

CCC strives to become the world leader for interpreter and cultural competence training and resources that overcome language and cultural barriers to promote communicative autonomy, intercultural communication, quality services and justice.


Services

Your goal is excellence. Professional development will get you there.

Training is not a luxury. It’s a necessity. The world has changes so quickly it leaves us breathless. So has your workplace. CCC helps you keep up to date.

Whether you’re an interpreter, trainer or a service provider who works with immigrants and other minorities, you need support: resources, assistance and training. CCC provides it all. See our books and products. Take one of our programs, check out our catalogue of private trainings, or let us create one just for you.

CCC programs range from half-day workshops to six-day training-of-trainers courses in two core areas:

  • High-quality training for professional interpreting: for freelance interpreters, staff interpreters and bilingual staff, encompassing medical, community and legal interpreting.

  • Cultural competence training: how to overcome language and cultural barriers to improve services to linguistically and culturally diverse residents, with a special focus on bridging cultures, how to work with interpreters and language access.

Consulting and technical assistance services include writing, research, course development and organizational assessment.


Training

CCC training programs are dynamic, skills-based sessions. They focus on enhancing your knowledge and performance. A typical session includes open discussion, role plays, skills practice, small-group activities, case studies and video vignettes. Never a dull moment! The variety of CCC programs meets your needs. They range from half-day workshops to 6-day trainings-of-trainers. A number are approved for continuing education (CE) credits.

Learn more about which CE credits apply to our programs.


Clients

CCC provides consulting, training and technical assistance in Maryland, across the nation and abroad. Clients include:

  • Federal, state and local governments

  • National, regional and local nonprofits

  • Universities, colleges and K-12 schools

  • Hospitals, health systems, FQHCs, health departments and clinics

  • Language companies

  • Interpreting and translation professional associations

See our client list and examples of our work.