So You Want to Become a

Court Interpreter?
That’s terrific! Let’s first take a look at just some of the essential knowledge, skills,

and abilities (KSAs) that are needed for the job:

Native-like proficiency in all Ability to process linguistic

working languages information quickly

Knowledge and use of cultural

Knowledge and use of a broad
nuances, regional variations,
HEY! range of vocabulary, including
idiomatic expressions, and
legal terminology, subject-
colloquialisms in all working
specific terminology, and slang
languages

Ability to listen to and Ability to conserve intent,

comprehend different rates of tone, style, and utterances

speech in all working languages of all messages

Ability to select appropriate Ability to apply short-term

equivalents for vocabulary or memory skills in retaining

phrases small units of information

Ability to speak with proper Knowledge and continued

100% pronunciation, diction, and learning of social,

Quality
intonation in all working technological, and legal

languages changes that affect language

Ability to conduct business in a Ability to read quickly and

professional manner with little preparation

So, how do you know if you have the necessary KSAs for court interpreting? Take a few minutes to

participate in the following self-assessment questionnaire to better determine the current skills you

may have, as well as the areas for future development and training.
 Court Interpreter Self-
Assessment Questionnaire
Before you get started, here are a few words about using this questionnaire.

Introduction
Welcome to the Court Interpreter Self-Assessment Questionnaire. This questionnaire is designed to help you rate
yourself in the skills required for court interpreting. It is intended to be used by people who are interested in court
interpreting and want to see if they have the level of skill needed to take the Bilingual Interpreting Exam, as well as
those who wish to identify their areas of strength and weakness for the purpose of self-study and skill-building.

The questionnaire is divided into two parts:

Part 1: Rating yourself in the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for court interpreting

Part 2: Assessing your current level of experience interpreting in a professional courtroom setting

In Part 1, you will assess your skills in the following areas: Linguistic, Speaking, Listening Comprehension, Reading
Comprehension, and Interpreting. These skill areas are required for successful court interpretation. For a complete list
of the KSAs essential for court interpreting, see the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Essential for Court Interpretation on
the Judicial Council of California website.

In Part 2, you will rate your level of experience interpreting as well as with using the three modes of interpretation: sight
translation, consecutive interpretation, and simultaneous interpretation.

After each part, you will use the key provided to help you determine how ready you are to take the Bilingual Interpreting
Exam, or if you need further skill development. After completing both parts of the questionnaire, you may then wish to
go on to the companion document, Court Interpreter Self-Assessment Practice Exercises. This contains materials and
exercises to help you prepare for the exam and to use for interpreter skill-building.

This questionnaire is fillable in its current form. However, for ease of use, such as in referring
Tip back to the rating scales, you might want to first print out a hard copy.

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 Court Interpreter Self-
Assessment Questionnaire
Part 1:
This part of the questionnaire is designed for you to rate yourself in the

knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required for court interpreting.

Instructions
Rank how knowledgeable or skilled you believe you are in each skill area required for court interpreting using the
following scale:

Rating Scale Description of Scale

1 I am very knowledgeable or skilled in this.

2 I know a good amount about this but it would be useful to learn more.

3 I have some knowledge or skill in this but it would be useful to learn more.

4 I currently know little to nothing about this but would like to learn more.

Linguistic Skills
Court interpreters are required to have a high level of language proficiency in all languages for which they will interpret.
Successful candidates will possess an extensive knowledge of general vocabulary, legal terminology, slang, and
idiomatic expressions. This means that they can take part effortlessly in any conversation or discussion, despite the use
of subject-specific or colloquial language.

I am able to speak English fluently and can

incorporate specialized terminology, regional 1 2 3 4
colloquialisms, and slang terms with ease.

I am able to speak my non-English language fluently

and can incorporate specialized terminology, regional 1 2 3 4
colloquialisms, and slang terms with ease.

I am able to identify and provide an equivalent

interpretation from English to my non-English 1 2 3 4
language for the legal terms listed in this legal
1= 90%–100% of the terms; 2 = 70%–90% of the terms;
glossary (click here). 3 = 50%–70% of the terms; 4 = 0%–50% of the terms

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Speaking Skills
Court interpreters must possess strong speaking skills to ensure that all parties involved understand them. Competent
speaking skills include proper pronunciation and intonation, neutralized accent, good diction, and the ability to speak
softly or project when necessary.

When speaking English, native speakers of English

1 2 3 4
can understand me without any significant effort.

When speaking my non-English language, native

speakers of the non-English language can understand 1 2 3 4
me without any significant effort.

I can adjust the volume of my speech so that I am

clearly audible to the intended audience in small
1 2 3 4
settings as well as those that require that I project my
voice.

Listening Comprehension Skills

Attentive listening and comprehension are integral parts of the interpretation process. Court interpreters must be able to
understand different rates of speech as well as different accents.

I am able to understand English speakers with

different regional accents (Southern, Boston, 1 2 3 4
Midwestern, etc.) without any significant extra effort.

I am able to understand speakers of my non-English

language from any country or region where it is
1 2 3 4
spoken, regardless of dialect or use of regional
colloquialisms.

I am able to understand varying rates of speech in

1 2 3 4
English whether slow, conversational, or fast.

I am able to understand varying rates of speech in my

non-English language whether slow, conversational, 1 2 3 4
or fast.

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Reading Comprehension Skills
Court interpreters are required to review and comprehend a broad range of documentation that includes grammatically
complex structures and specific terminology. Successful candidates must also be able to read documents quickly and
understand the meaning and detail of those documents with very little or no preparation.

I am able to read and understand newspapers,

magazines, and online articles of general interest 1 2 3 4
written in English.

I am able to read and understand newspapers,

magazines, and online articles of general interest 1 2 3 4
written in my non-English language.

I am able to read and understand technical material

written in English, such as legal documents, police 1 2 3 4
reports, medical reports, etc.

I am able to read and understand technical material

written in my non-English language, such as legal 1 2 3 4
documents, police reports, medical reports, etc.

Interpreting Skills
Successful court interpreters are able to communicate effectively using the three modes of interpretation: sight
translation, consecutive interpretation, and simultaneous interpretation. To effectively use these modes, interpreters
must possess mental agility and alertness while processing and reacting to information rapidly.

Sight Translation Consecutive Interpretation Simultaneous Interpretation

Consecutive interpretation is the Simultaneous interpretation is

Sight translation is the oral
rendering of speech from one the rendering of speech from one
rendering of text written in one
language into another, using a language into another at the
language into another language.
turn-taking approach. same time it is being spoken.

I can read any English document out loud in my non-

English language promptly and accurately without 1 2 3 4
hesitation, omissions, or additions.

I can read any non-English document out loud in

English promptly and accurately without hesitation, 1 2 3 4
omissions, or additions.

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I am able to render accurate interpretations from
English to my non-English language without omissions 1 2 3 4
or additions.

I am able to render accurate interpretations from my

non-English language to English without omissions or 1 2 3 4
additions.

When interpreting from English into my non-English

language, I am able to maintain the speaker’s register
1 2 3 4
(formal versus informal language) in terms of level and
complexity of vocabulary and sentence construction.

When interpreting from my non-English language into

English, I am able to maintain the speaker’s register
(formal versus informal language) in terms of level and 1 2 3 4
complexity of vocabulary and sentence construction.

I can render interpretations from English into my non-

1 2 3 4
English language promptly and without hesitation.

I can render interpretations from my non-English

1 2 3 4
language into English promptly and without hesitation.

When watching the nightly news on English language

television, I can simultaneously render the
1 2 3 4
newscaster’s speech into my non-English language
without falling behind.

I am able to interpret what a speaker is saying

1 2 3 4
consecutively in both directions.

When interpreting consecutively in either direction, I

am able to comprehend and retain conversation or
1 2 3 4
testimony in units of about 30 words in order to render
an accurate interpretation.

If someone reads a passage to me that is descriptive

(what something looks like or something that
happened), I can remember and repeat back what I 1 2 3 4
heard word-for-word even if the passage is as many
as 40-50 words long.

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 When interpreting in a long session, I am able to
1 2 3 4
maintain my mental alertness and accuracy.

I am able to take notes effectively when interpreting

consecutive utterances that vary in complexity and 1 2 3 4
length.

When interpreting consecutively or simultaneously and

when going in either direction, I am able to monitor my 1 2 3 4
own interpretations and correct my own mistakes.

When interpreting consecutively or simultaneously and

when going in either direction, I am able to interpret
effectively under pressure of time constraints, 1 2 3 4
adversarial settings, and in emotionally charged
circumstances.

When interpreting consecutively or simultaneously and

when going in either direction, I am able to anticipate 1 2 3 4
incoming messages.

Key
If you answered “1” or “2” to all of the questions above, you may be ready to take California’s Bilingual Interpreting
Exam. If you answered “3” or “4” to more than a few questions, particularly within a particular skill area, you may want to
attain further experience as an interpreter before taking the examination, or you may want to pursue additional formal
study or training in your identified languages.

Areas for Professional Development

Looking back over the list again, which are the three competency areas (out of Linguistic, Speaking, Listening
Comprehension, Reading Comprehension, or Interpreting) where you would most like to improve your knowledge, skills,
and abilities? (You may want to start with those areas where you marked your abilities as “3” or “4,” i.e., “I have some
knowledge or skill in this” or “I currently know little to nothing about this.")

Competency Area 1: Interpreting

Competency Area 2: Listening

Competency Area 3: Linguistic

Next, identify ways to improve your skills in each of these competency areas. Refer to the graphic on the next page for
tips, examples, and exercises you may want to use to strengthen your skills.

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 The Path to Improving Interpretation Skills

Linguistic Skills
Use resources such as dictionaries,
glossaries on various topics, and a range of
media sources to achieve a mastery of
grammar, terminology (including legal
terms), slang, and colloquialisms in English
and your language. Create and update your
Speaking Skills
own working glossaries. Practice speaking in front of other people.
Engage them in feedback regarding your
accent and intonation. Record your voice to
assess your own speech and to identify your
strengths and weaknesses. Shadow other
speakers to adapt to different styles and
registers of speech. Practice deep breathing
as well as speaking softly and projecting.
Interpreting Skills
Practice interpreting daily. Interpret news
programs, lectures, speeches, podcasts,
and other formal and informal sources
covering a range of topics. Read a variety
of texts and interpret them orally. Attend
courtroom proceedings to learn about
courtroom processes and common
occurrences and terms.
Listening Skills
Listen to speakers with different accents as
well as rates and patterns/styles of speech.
Record yourself interpreting a television
show or podcast. Listen to your recording
and notice if you left anything out. Practice
note-taking/short-hand skills and repeating
information back from short-term memory.
Reading Skills
Read text from various fields in all working
languages to build up your vocabulary and
speed. Practice breaking the text up into
smaller, more manageable units (chunking)
and rendering it into English or your
language. Study commonly used court
documents including any pre-translated
versions.

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In addition to the main skill areas (Linguistic, Speaking, Listening Comprehension, Reading Comprehension, and
Interpreting), court interpreters have to be skilled in a number of other core concepts and competencies as shown in the
chart below:

Interpreting Concepts and Competencies

Core Interpreting Concepts Core Interpreter Competencies

Sight translation Pre-interpretation preparation

Consecutive interpretation Interpreting

Interpreter resources
Modes Preparation
Skills
Simultaneous interpretation
Professionalism

Behavioral Interpreter's role in the courtroom

Interpreter code of conduct Skills

Courtroom procedure and protocol

Note-taking
Relationship to court personnel

Additional
Memorization
Skills
Courtroom
Knowledge
Multi-tasking Ability to self-assess

For the items listed under "Core Interpreting Concepts," it is recommended that you attend a court interpreter orientation
or similar introductory course for interpreters, as well as a basic skill building seminar, to improve your skills in these
categories or to prepare yourself for the Bilingual Interpreting Exam. For the items listed under "Core Interpreting
Competencies," it is recommended that you research courtroom protocol and terminology and check to see if it is
possible to shadow active court interpreters in your area.

In Part 1 of this questionnaire, you rated yourself in the skills required for court interpreting. It is also essential to have
interpreting experience. Please continue to Part 2 of the questionnaire, where you will find questions to assess your level
of interpreting experience.

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 Court Interpreter Self-
Assessment Questionnaire
This set of questions is designed to assess your level of experience

Part 2: interpreting in a professional courtroom setting and with using

different methods of preparation.

Instructions
For each of the statements below, rank your level of experience using the scale below:

Rating Scale Description of Scale

1 I actively participate in this.

2 I have a lot of experience in this.

3 I have some experience with this.

4 I have little to no experience with this.

Interpreting Experience

I have performed a sight translation before in a

1 2 3 4
professional legal setting.

I have performed a simultaneous interpretation before

1 2 3 4
in a professional legal setting.

I have performed a consecutive interpretation before in

1 2 3 4
a professional legal setting.

I have participated in interpreter or language training

1 2 3 4
workshops.

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 I have shadowed a certified court interpreter before. 1 2 3 4

I have spent time in a courtroom setting/observing

1 2 3 4
court proceedings.

I have recorded myself performing an interpretation

1 2 3 4
before.

I routinely create and update my own glossaries. 1 2 3 4

I have over six months of experience in all three

1 2 3 4
modes of interpreting.

I have asked a professional interpreter to evaluate my

1 2 3 4
performance.

Key
If you answered “1” or “2” for the majority of these items, then you may be ready to take the Bilingual Interpreting Exam.
However, if you answered “3” or “4” for some or most of these items, you may want to consider further professional
development in the form of courtroom observation, training workshops, and self-study.

Additional Tips
If you’ve never shadowed a legal interpreter before, it’s highly recommended, and many larger court systems have an
existing shadowing program you may be able to participate in. If you’re not familiar with one of the three modes, it’s
recommended that you spend some time on the corresponding practice exercises. If you don’t already have your own
glossary, now is a perfect time to begin collecting words, phrases, and concepts that you hear in court and creating your
own list of definitions and translations. Making your own glossary has the advantage of increasing your familiarity and
comfort with legal terminology.

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 Court Interpreter Self-
Assessment Questionnaire
Congratulations! You have completed the Court Interpreter Self-Assessment

Questionnaire.

In Conclusion
This Court Interpreter Self-Assessment Questionnaire has provided you with an opportunity to:

rate yourself in the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for court interpreting; and
assess your level of experience interpreting in a professional courtroom setting and with using different methods
of preparation.

If the Self-Assessment Questionnaire has led you to start preparing for the Bilingual Interpreting Exam or seek
further self-study, please see the accompanying document, Court Interpreter Self-Assessment Practice Exercises,
for additional information to assist you with your oral exam preparation and interpreter skill-building.

End of Questionnaire