Berkana Language Center, offers closed enrollment classes which can be requested, as well as the classes listed on our home page which are generally given in Houston, TX. Self-study materials are also available for purchase, please check the information under Products in this website.

The ATA puts out a publication called Translation and Interpretation Programs in North America. A Survey, by Dr. William M. Park, that lists all the teaching institutions, both public and private, that offer either individual classes or full programs on translation and interpretation. It can be purchased from the ATA for approximately $25.00.

In South Carolina, The University of Charleston, SC, offers a Certificate program (Master’s level) in Bilingual Legal Interpreting and Medical and Health Care Interpreting. Contact the Graduate School Office at 843/953-5614 or e-mail Dr. Virginia Benmaman at benmamanv@cofc.edu or visit  http://www.cofc.edu/Elegalint/certificateprogram.html for the legal program and e-mail Elizabeth Martinez-Gibson at martineze@cofc.edu for the Medical and Health Care Interpreting Certificate Program.

The National Center for Interpretation gives intensive 3-week courses in Spanish only, every July at the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, as well as other courses at different times and places. Contact them at 520/ 621-3615 or e-mail at ncitrp@u.arizona.edu  or visit their website at: http://nci.arizona.edu

For individual practice audio tapes and transcripts for consecutive and simultaneous interpretation (court and medical), see the excellent materials offered in Spanish and some other languages by ACEBO of Spreckles, California –  www.acebo.com .

In North Carolina, check the Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) http://www.ncahec.net/  for classes given regularly throughout the year and the state for community and/or medical interpreters.

Like in any business in a free market, what you charge is negotiated between you and your client. Just for your information, in the U.S. translations are usually charged by the number of words in the target language or in the source language; in Europe, translations are charged by the number of lines in the target language. Translations are almost never charged by the page. Interpretations are charged by the hour or by the day, if the job is for a whole day or is located out of town.

Some of the things you want to consider in estimating your cost for a translation are:

·        Language – due to supply and demand, some languages can demand higher rates than others.

·        Difficulty of the text – how much research time will be involved, do you have the appropriate dictionaries, who will edit/proofread your translation, how much information and help will the client provide?

·        Turn-around time of job – how long is the text, is there a rush deadline, do you have to stay up all night to finish it, do you have ample time to do it correctly?

·        Is this for a translation company or a direct client – obviously, a translation company will pay you less than a direct client, as they have to bear all the costs of marketing, translating, editing, desk-top publishing, collecting payment, etc., etc.

·        Hardware/software – do you have the equipment necessary for the job, do you know how to use it, what is the client/translation company requiring in terms of the format of the finished product?

·        Skill/experience – how well do you know the subject, is this your specialty or not, is this your 1^st job or your 500^th , what special skills do you bring to this job?

       When estimating your cost for an interpreting job, consider the following:

·        Is the job for consecutive or simultaneous interpreting – do you know how to interpret simultaneously, do you have equipment for simultaneous interpretation, will you charge the client for providing this equipment, who is going to partner you, will the client get a second interpreter or will you?

·        Is the job for a business meeting, a court case or a medical case or something else, do you have the appropriate certifications or proof of ability and qualifications? 

·        Are you properly familiar with the subject matter that the client needs. How much material will the client provide so you can study, how much research will you have to do on your own?

·        Is the job in town or out of town – is the client paying for your travel expenses and travel time, is a long trip worth it to you in terms of family members or pets/plants that must be looked after while you are gone?

    Where is the job taking place – some places around the country/world are more expensive than others, can you combine this job with a holiday, do you really want to go to that city/country, is it safe for you to travel there?

·        Will all of your travel expenses be paid for by the client – (airfare, hotel, meals, mileage, parking, ground transportation, travel time) as well as your daily/hourly fee?

Be aware that in some states or cities, professional fees are higher than in others, depending on the market there; i.e., rural areas typically pay less than urban areas. If you are interpreting for the courts, the state or the federal court usually has an assigned amount it will pay for interpreting and/or mileage and you will have to accept those or not do the job. Each time you accept an interpreting job be sure and ask who is to be invoiced and when you can expect payment, so you don’t get the nasty shock of finding that you have just “volunteered” because there is no budget to pay an interpreter!  Remember, you are doing this as a business!