Sign Language interpreters are required to be fluent in at least ASL and English. Some interrupters may be fluent in more than two languages. 

Interpreters are educated individuals most having a bachelor's degree or higher in the field of interpreting or a closely related field like linguistics, education, or communication.

Customer service skills are valuable as well. Interpreters serve the entire classroom, not just the Deaf student.

Cultural knowledge of both the hearing and Deaf world.

Know how to assess and match a Deaf person's communication preferences including language level.

Act in a professional and ethical manner according to interpreting standards.

Years of experience and internships or mentorships are beneficial.

Finally, certification from a recognized certifying body.

No. And neither does interpreting education provide enough to be an effective interpreter.

As is seen above, fluency, education in interpreting, cultural knowledge, and an array of interning and/or mentoring experiences are needed prior to certification.

No, but it is preferred.

Approximately 75% of SAS interpreters hold at least one certification. 

Interpreters with years of experience commensurate to a certification level are also hired at Cerritos College.

Internships and Mentoring are provided for newer interpreters still honing their skills.

RID (Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf) Certifications: CI, CT, CI/CT, and/or NIC. These are nationally recognized certifications for sign language interpreters.

EIPA (Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment) 3.5 and above. This is a certification that is accepted by the state of California to work in K-12 at a 4.0 - 5.0. 

BEI (Board for Evaluation of Interpreters Certification Program). This is a Texas state evaluation. 

RID confirms that an interpreter has a general level of skill and competence to work in a broad range of environments. 

EIPA is a specialized certification for educational interpreting. It focuses on best practices for interpreters working in academic environments.

BEI has a basic, advanced, and master level of certification. The basic level confirms a general level of skill for working in K-12 and secondary settings. The advanced level includes the basic skills plus as well as more advanced skills such as medical and mental health settings. The master level confirms the interpreter is skilled enough for the most complex of settings including complex medical or mental health settings.

CART (Communication Access Real-time Translation): this is when an captioner utilizes a stenotype machine to provide real-time, simultaneous transcripts of what is being said. This is sometimes referred to as "real-time captioning."

Typewell: this is a similar service providing real-time, simultaneous transcripts of what is being said but utilizes a predictive text application for an individual who types in what is being said.

Both of these services are provided remotely so the individual utilizing the service will utilize a laptop and microphone while the captionist/writer is in a remote location.

CART requires years of training and practice to learn how to use a stenotype machine efficiently. 

Typewell requires some training and at least a 60 word-per-minute typing speed to qualify for that training.

Both require excellent memory and listening skills as well as basic computer knowledge.

AI has improved in accuracy in recent years. However, it has yet to be equal to a human in language recognition and understanding especially with highly accented speakers.

SAS does not provide that service. You will need to contact media services to caption your videos.

No. ASL is not "English on the hands." It is a separate language with its own grammar and syntax (sentence structure). 

Metaphors, jokes, puns can't be directly interpreted from English to ASL or vice versa. This is why interpreters must be both linguistically and culturally knowledgeable.

That is part of ASL's grammar, tone, and prosody. In spoken languages, a tone shift changes meaning. In ASL, raising or lowering the eyebrows changes the meaning. In English you may draw out a word like "smooooooth." In ASL you would purse your lips and sign "smooth" to indicate the same meaning. 

Yes, you are. However, the interpreter or captioner's priority is to ensure communication access is provided, so the interaction shouldn't interrupt the work of interpreting or captioning.

Additionally, the interpreter might interpret your interaction. This can seem strange for some hearing people who misunderstand and think the interpreter is signing to them. They are not. They're just providing access to the Deaf person.

It is okay to be transparent when this happens. Ask if you were understood, restate with different wording, or ask the student to summarize what you said to check for understanding. 

You are a part of the communication team as is the interpreter. You can ask to discuss the issue with the interpreter after class. 

No, they can not proctor the room for you. They do not hold a position that enables them to be responsible for the students or the classroom.

Additionally, they are required to remain neutral and therefore are not expected to report on cheating or illegal behaviors (with the exception of issues requiring mandated reporting).

Generally, it is best for the individual who utilizes the service to make the request. They know what they need and when they need it. 

On occasion, you might be asked to make the request. If that is the case, you can fill out our