ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Anne Arundel County Public Schools is launching a Community Interpreter Certificate Program to help bilingual students develop skills that will allow them to use their language skills to increase communication in schools, offices, healthcare buildings, and other important institutions.
The program will teach students about interpreting techniques, the diverse people speaking different languages, and the ethics of acting as an interpreter in professional settings. Highlighting the differences between professional interpretation and other language-based careers will also be a focus during the program.
There are a few requirements you must meet to gain access to the Community Interpreter and Certificate Program. These include being bilingual in English and one of the target languages at the advanced low proficiency level. If the student is a junior or senior in high school, they also must adhere to the extra eligibility requirements for the Maryland Seal Of Biliteracy to participate in the new education program.
Anne Arundel County residents can take part in the Community Interpreter Certificate Program for $753. Classroom instructional material and supplies are included in the cost, in addition to the cost of the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview Exam fee.
AACPS students will take two courses as part of this program, which include WLS-325 Foundations Of Community Interpreting Part 1 and WLS-326 Foundations Of Community Interpreting Part 2. The length of both courses is 50 hours in total.
Students have the potential to earn three levels of an AACC Certificate of Completion depending on their proficiency in the target language. The three levels include Qualified Interpreter, Professionally Trained Interpreter, and Hospitality Interpreter, listed by most proficient to least proficient.
Interpreters are an important part of everyday communities. The Community Interpreter webpage states that “Interpreters play a critical role in effective global communication and bridging language gaps. Given the rapid growth in populations of individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), the profession of interpreters is experiencing unprecedented growth – federal civil rights legislation, hospital accreditation agencies, plus many state and municipal laws strongly endorse or promote the use of interpreters.”
You can register for the Community Interpreter Certificate Program and other noncredit courses on this webpage.
This opportunity for young bilingual people in Anne Arundel County is set to help push students toward a career in interpretation. If you have any questions about the program, you can reach out to the ELL Office at 410-777-2901 or esloffice@aacc.edu.
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