Why Native Arabic Speakers Still Need Arabic Interpreter Certificate
"Arabic Is My Native Language, And I Speak English: Why Do I Still Need An Arabic Interpreter Certificate?"
The example statement above can be applied to any language pair imaginable when one considers becoming an interpreter; however, it is important to understand exactly why being a native speaker (of say Arabic) isn’t enough to be a professional interpreter.
To explain the necessity of interpreter certifications, we will look at two scenarios for our example Arabic speaker, and how an Arabic Interpreter Certification is necessary for obtaining and doing well in interpreting jobs.
All Arabic Medical Interpreters Should Get An Arabic Interpreter Certification.
Why? Precisely because as an Arabic medical interpreter, our example speaker would be working in an environment where any slight mistranslation could lead to disastrous consequences. There have been cases in the past where medical interpreters have not been trained, and thus are not aware of proper medical terminology or practices and how to describe them, and patients have died or endured serious medical complications as a result.
By obtaining an Arabic Interpreter Certification, our Arabic speaker is doing more than just practicing oral translation from Arabic to a target language – she is also learning the medical culture for the country she will be working in, and that of the potential patients she will be interpreting for (as Western and Eastern cultures can vary greatly in their medical practices). She is learning the necessary terminology used by the doctors, and she is learning how to explain that same terminology to patients who may not be familiar with it. Above all she is learning the proper way to handle herself as an Arabic medical interpreter – when she should be providing her services, how she should be providing them and how she should be conveying them to both the doctor and the patient.
Being fluent in Arabic doesn’t guarantee knowledge of these concepts – only an Arabic interpreter certificate training will.
Arabic Interpreter Certificate Training Prepare You for The Big Time
Want to be a professional Arabic conference interpreter? Be prepared to not only be fluent in the Arabic language, but to also know how to use it precisely and effectively. While there might not be an Arabic Interpreter Certification specifically for conference interpreting, an interpreter training program can still be beneficial in helping our Arabic speaker prepare for entrance exams at universities to train them for conference interpreting. At high levels, examiners evaluate an interpreter’s native (or A) language not just on their knowledge of vocabulary, but also on how efficiently, concisely and effectively the interpreter can use the language. This means that our native Arabic speaker must be adept at explaining complex situations concisely and in the right tone – something she may not be adept at without training.
Arabic Interpreter Certifications Apply To All Interpreting Careers
While interpreting jobs outside of conference interpreting may not be as strict about evaluating our Arabic speaker on her ability to use the Arabic language, the same concepts taught by interpreter training programs apply. Whether our potential Arabic interpreter is looking to become a Medical Interpreter, Legal Interpreter, Business and Community Interpreter or an interpreter for any other industry, she will find these skills necessary:
In a court room or legal hearing, our potential Arabic interpreter would benefit greatly from an Arabic Interpreter Certification as it would teach her to convey complicated legal situations with ease between Arabic and her target language.
At a doctor’s appointment, our Arabic speaker would benefit from an Arabic Interpreter Certification as it would teach her how to convey potentially emotional news between patients and doctors without becoming too emotionally involved herself.
As a business and community interpreter, our Arabic speaker would benefit from an Arabic Interpreter Certification as it would teach her the terminology and vocabulary that may be used at a town council meeting on local business, or even at a strategic business meeting between two company owners.
So while she may have grown up speaking Arabic all her life, our Arabic speaker would still benefit from obtaining interpreter training and an Arabic Interpreter Certification for a variety of reasons – in some cases it may even be necessary for her to prove to her potential employers that she has experience in the field.
Get the necessary, in person training in order to become a competent professional interpreter. Register now for one of our interpreter training programs: Medical Interpreter Training, Legal Interpreter Training or Community & Business Interpreter Training.
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