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Need advice: how to become interpreter for the public service
Thread poster: Alain Salazar-Alvarez
Alain Salazar-Alvarez
Alain Salazar-Alvarez
United Kingdom
Jan 27, 2018

Hi everyone,

I’m currently looking for the best advice somebody here can offer me since I’m looking to become a Spanish interpreter for the public service or/and for any other areas.

I currently work for the police force and I already have provided with interpreting and translating services to the force so I have some experience performing the role as interpreter.

I’m looking now to obtain the qualification and be able to provide with interpreting o... See more
Hi everyone,

I’m currently looking for the best advice somebody here can offer me since I’m looking to become a Spanish interpreter for the public service or/and for any other areas.

I currently work for the police force and I already have provided with interpreting and translating services to the force so I have some experience performing the role as interpreter.

I’m looking now to obtain the qualification and be able to provide with interpreting over the UK for courts and police forces as well as for any other parties but I’d be more focused on the public service.

I have done some research online and have seen different institutions that offer these qualifications. Institutions such as; the international school of linguists or Chatered institute of linguists are the main ones I have come across. As far as I have seen they offer courses online for the level 6 diploma community interpreting and have also seen the DPSI exam as well as levels 1 and 3? This has made me get confused and I’m unsure of which one I should go for. I’m new to this world and would need to get the best advise maybe some of you could kindly offer me some guidance please. It would be very much appreciated. I have spoken to the international school of linguists and for the portofolio course online level 6 they charge £1400 meanwhile for the the DPSI exam they charge £600, massive difference indeed. The £1400 is for the Level 6 diploma in community interpreting online and they offer some kind of advisor online who will be supporting my study as far as I have been told. I still find it overpriced just to be an online course. If it was actually a course with attendance to classes I would find it more appropiatr to pay that amount.

As I have stated,all I have found online is about online courses which I would prefer to avoid since I’m looking for a course that will require attendance to classes in person with a proper teacher who can support my study. I am based in Reading so very close to London. I remember that I did some research about interpreting a while ago and I found a school in London which offered the qualification with attendance to classes on the weekends. The cost of it was around £600-£790 I like to think but I’m not sure.

Would please someone here give me some professional guidance as well as a genuine advice focusing on my needs and preferences? Also, would someone tell me if I will require an English quialification? As far as I have been told by the international school of linguists I don’t need one. They said that they would do an English assessment to see my level. Anyway, I’m not very convinced with this school to be honest since I felt that all they wanted to do is to sell me the course.

Would somebody please let me know what are my best options and what schools are trustworthy and appropriate in order to obtain the qualification I am looking for?
Any advice would be very welcome and much appreciated.

Apologies for the long message and thank you so much in advance for your help.


Alain ▲ Collapse
 
Arabic & More
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Jordan
Arabic to English
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One place to start Jan 28, 2018

I don't know the answers to your questions. But perhaps you can start by contacting the entities you hope to work for and asking them what types of qualifications they seek when hiring an interpreter.
 


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Need advice: how to become interpreter for the public service







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