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The Level 4 Certificate in Community Interpreting is designed for interpreters who already have 50 or more hours of interpreting experience and are looking to further develop their specialisms and learn how to operate successfully as a freelancer. It is ideal for interpreters who are wishing to work toward higher level interpreting assignments such as legal interpreting or gain experience that will help gain a higher level interpreting qualification like the DPSI .
Description
Are you a Professional Interpreter and you would like a formal qualification? Or do you already hold a Level 3 Certificate in Community Interpreting Qualification and are looking to develop further and work towards accepting more complex assignments?
If you have answered ‘yes’ to these questions, the Level 4 Certificate in community Interpreting is a perfect fit.
Please Note: The Level 4 Certificate in Community Interpreting is a UK qualification and can only be completed by UK residents.
The Level 4 Certificate in Community Interpreting is designed for interpreters who already have 50 or more hours of interpreting experience and are looking to further develop their specialisms and learn how to operate successfully as a freelancer. It is ideal for interpreters who are wishing to work toward higher level interpreting assignments such as legal interpreting or gain experience that will help gain a higher level interpreting qualification like the DPSI .
Upon completion of your Level 4 Certificate in Community Interpreting you will be able to work directly with clients who require interpreters or for Language Service Providers who will find assignments on your behalf, both in person or on the telephone from the comfort of your own home.
The Level 4 Certificate in Community Interpreting will support you to develop your knowledge and skills as a professional, competent interpreter in public services. You can also focus your professional practice by choosing from a range of public services in which to specialise, meaning that you will be more attractive to Language Service providers and employers in the industry.
You will develop not only a detailed understanding of how to interpret in various situations, but also a thorough understanding of professional practice and the current debates in the specialist areas you choose. The course gives you the opportunity to develop your consecutive, simultaneous and telephone interpreting skills as well as providing you with the knowledge you need to run a successful freelance business.
There are 2 steps in the registration process:
1) Register for the session on the top right corner of this page and thus confirm that you wish to get the proficiency exams (20min English proficiency test, 20min Target language proficiency test (Level 4 only), 10min telephone interview) from International School of Linguistics.
2) After passing the tests successfully, choose the offer below and proceed with purchase.
A minimum of 23 credits is required to pass the qualification.
Learning objectives
The Level 4 Certificate in Community Interpreting will teach you how to develop your interpreting and specialism skills and knowledge so that you can develop into a more professional and competent interpreter. It includes units on two way interpreting, translation and professional development alongside specialisms including health, immigration and the Criminal Justice System, and business knowledge.
You can start the process today by filing in the sign up form below. Once completed, you can start the qualification within days. The average length of time taken is 6-8 months, but you can complete it quicker if you already have skills, knowledge and experience of interpreting.
With this course purchase you will get:
* Personalised Individual Learning Plan
* Career Guidance
* High quality course online course materials
* Optional one-to-one mentoring support via phone, email and online
* Affiliate Membership with ISL
* Access to regular webinars and workshops
* 24-hour access to our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)
* Guidance and support from you assigned, qualified Assessor
Here's some feedback on this course from one of your colleagues:
"I work full time, and I'm a busy mother and wife who hadn't studied in 25 years, so I was nervous about starting a new qualification. However, ISL courses are all flexible and designed to be completed at a pace and time which suits the student. My new qualification has given me the ideal time, resources and learning at home support to help train our (hospital) volunteers." Renata Towlson
Prerequisites
To successfully join this course, you need to have native speaker competence in your target language and as a minimum you must have Level 4 competence in all areas of your English language (level C1 on the Common European Framework, level 6.5 to 7.7 IELTS) and Level 5 language competence (level C2 on the Common European Framework, level 8.0 to 9.0 IELTS) in your first language.
Training program
Click to expand
Group A: Mandatory units
Unit A1: Interpret Two Way
Unit A2: Sight Translation from and into English
Unit A3: Professional Development in Community Interpreting
Group B: Optional units
Unit B1: Working as a Community Interpreter within Educational Settings
Unit B2: Working as a Community Interpreter within the Health Service
Unit B3: Working as a Community Interpreter within Mental Health Services
Unit B4: Working as a Community Interpreter within Social Services
Unit B5: Working as a Community Interpreter within Immigration Services
Unit B6: Working as a Community Interpreter within Housing Services
Unit B7: Working as a Community Interpreter within the Welfare Benefits System
Unit B8: Working as a Community Interpreter within the Criminal Justice System
Hello, I'm Robert Mynett from the International School of Linguists. If you have any questions about this course, how it works, what benefits there are for you as an interpreter, what is included etc I am happy to answer them - please let me know your questions by posting on the forum.
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Michelle Deeter United Kingdom Local time: 13:40 Member (2011) Chinese to English
How popular is the course?
Jun 11, 2015
This is the first time I have ever heard of the course. Has it been offered before? How many people have taken the course and how many people have successfully completed it?
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This is a brand new qualification that has been introduced into the industry as a stepping stone between Level 3 certificate in Community Interpreting and the DPSI. It allows you to study specialisms in detail to differentiate you from your competitors and help you to improve the service that you offer to get additional work opportunities.
Currently, there are 21 interpreters studying toward the qualification and we expect to see the fi... See more
Hi Michelle, thanks for your enquiry.
This is a brand new qualification that has been introduced into the industry as a stepping stone between Level 3 certificate in Community Interpreting and the DPSI. It allows you to study specialisms in detail to differentiate you from your competitors and help you to improve the service that you offer to get additional work opportunities.
Currently, there are 21 interpreters studying toward the qualification and we expect to see the first graduates next month. We don't believe in taking money from interpreters who will not achieve the qualification so we only take on learners who we are confident will complete it and are aiming at a 90% plus success rate. ▲ Collapse
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Gosia Rokicka United Kingdom Local time: 13:40 English to Polish + ...
How is it different from Level 3 and is interpreting suitable for distance learning?
Aug 27, 2015
Hello Robert, I have a Level 3 in Community Interpreting qualification which I completed on a 'on campus' course in London. An important and very useful part of our course were role plays and an ability to practise while paired with other students. This is obviously something that is not possible to achieve on a distance learning course. Isn't it a disadvantage of your course? I'm absolutely not against distance learning, I completed my Masters in Translation Studies in that fashion, however int... See more
Hello Robert, I have a Level 3 in Community Interpreting qualification which I completed on a 'on campus' course in London. An important and very useful part of our course were role plays and an ability to practise while paired with other students. This is obviously something that is not possible to achieve on a distance learning course. Isn't it a disadvantage of your course? I'm absolutely not against distance learning, I completed my Masters in Translation Studies in that fashion, however interpreting is a bit different from translation. Also, I'm curious how Level 4 differs from Level 3, I mean what new would I learn? I must admit the Criminal Justice System part sounds interesting as we didn't cover it at all on Level 3. I would be grateful for more information. Thanks, Gosia ▲ Collapse
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How is it different from Level 3 and is interpreting suitable for distance learning?
Aug 28, 2015
Hi Gosia,
Thanks for your enquiry.
Because this is a vocational course and interpreting is a practical skill, we do need to assess your actual ability - this means that during the course you will have scheduled interpreting role plays and on the job observations to demonstrate your skills. The Level 4 is intended for practising interpreters, so you should also be able to apply what you have learned in real life situations as you work through the course.
Because this is a vocational course and interpreting is a practical skill, we do need to assess your actual ability - this means that during the course you will have scheduled interpreting role plays and on the job observations to demonstrate your skills. The Level 4 is intended for practising interpreters, so you should also be able to apply what you have learned in real life situations as you work through the course.
Although the course is distance e-learning, you will still go through it at the same time as other students, so you can also practise with other students in person or over Skype etc if you feel you want extra practice.
The Level 4 is a stepping stone between Level 3 and higher level qualifications, allowing you to deepen your knowledge in different specialities including the Criminal Justice System (which can start you on the path to the DPSI or DPI) and health. it will also for interpreters who want to set themselves apart from the competition in the industry, meaning you get more work opportunities.
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Rachel Moles Nepal Local time: 19:25 Nepali to English
Level 3?
Sep 1, 2015
Dear Robert,
Is the Level 3 also available as an online course? I'm British but not currently based in the UK, so I would love to be able to do it as a distance learner.
I should add that I'm new to interpreting and not yet ready for Level 4.
Best wishes,
Rachel
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All of our current qualifications are UK qualifications and have aspects that you need to complete in the UK in order to pass. If you are currently abroad and are moving to the UK in the near future then because it is distance learning you can start the course outside of the UK if you want.
Does this help?
Regards
Robert
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MagdalenaMaja United Kingdom Local time: 13:40 Polish to English + ...
International School of Linguists courses
Sep 2, 2015
Hi, I have completed my Level 3 with International School of Linguists and I highly recommend it. Regards, MM
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