How to Be a Certified Interpreter in Australia

Australia is a multicultural and multilingual country, which means not everyone speaks English fluently and there is an ongoing need for professional translators and interpreters. In Australia, translators and interpreters may hold certification issued by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI).

How to become a NAATI certified translator or interpreter in Australia

You will generally need to hold appropriate professional certification before working as a translator or interpreter in Australia. In Australia, translators and interpreters may obtain certification from the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). If you are interested in working as an interpreter, you may choose to complete relevant training through an Australian educational institution. Certification requirements and assessment pathways vary depending on the credential sought, and certification applies to individuals rather than organisations.

This may allow you to gain access to roles in the federal and state sectors as a translator or interpreter. In some court and government contexts, interpreters are required to hold NAATI certification, although specific requirements vary by jurisdiction. If you have recently migrated to Australia, you may be eligible to apply for NAATI certification as a translator or interpreter, subject to meeting the relevant requirements, in order to pursue a career in either field.

There is a unique process for getting a court interpreter certificate and once you have qualified and you have been hired as a court interpreter you are expected to be present in court so that you can interpret for people who do not have English as their first language. There is always a demand for interpreters in several languages. This includes Korean, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Arabic, Spanish, Farsi, Hindi and Urdu.

A certified interpreter is important to every federal and state government department. They are required when poor communication is likely to be the outcome between the government and anyone living in the community who is not yet totally fluent in English and is likely to misunderstand any messages conveyed to him or her. For example, interpreters can be very useful in a big, urban hospital where a diagnostic mistake of a patient’s medical condition could take place which could be fatal.

Refugees need interpreters and translators

Qualified and certified interpreters are often required to handle difficulties with communication with refugees, who may not have a full understanding of English. Interpreters are able to help organize accommodation, offer easy to understand explanations of how the Australian health system works, and the route that needs to be taken when filing applications for federal benefits and jobs.

What type of training does an interpreter require?

To prepare for NAATI certification as an interpreter
, it is common to complete a full interpreter training course. This may include the following course content:

• learn how to construct glossaries for interpreting and translating assignments;
• preparation to translate and interpret;
• learn how to apply standards and codes to ethical practice;
• gain experience of manage discourses in general environments;
• engage in reading and analysing special purpose English texts that need to be translated.

Conclusion

The demand for certified interpreters has remained constant and does not appear to be growing. This is partly due to the introduction of new technology that helps to eliminate the need for interpreters. Interpreters & translators do follow quite similar career paths, but the job of an interpreter involves more face to face communication. Interpreters need to do the job asked of them immediately as they are often only given a few minutes to access a job. Face to face interpreting may be required for a hospital patient at very little notice. If an accident has taken place and some of those involved only have a poor understanding of English an interpreter may be called out at short notice to complete the job.