Quality control or hidden systemic barrier?

I know several interpreters who are terrible with computers yet exceptional with their interpreting skills, and I am sure that there are many more out there. Are some of the rules that we have discriminating against talented interpreters with marginal computer skills?

Like many interpreters working in a limited-diffusion, non-certifiable language, any means to earn extra qualifications or stamps of approval is always appreciated. At least for me. While it does not carry the same effects as the privileges earned by our esteemed colleagues who have been through the long hours of studying for the certification test, having it still gives me a boost of confidence that I am “up there” with all the hard work that I put into my profession.

So, you can imagine how happy I was when my home state came out with the CEU policy requiring continuing education in order to keep a spot on the roster. I thought to myself, here we go, now we have some safeguard against agency interpreters who can just walk in and get a piece of that hard-earned pie. But now, more than half a decade down the road from that policy’s implementation, I am starting to see things from another angle.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a CE junkie, and I love attending classes that help broaden my horizons or sharpen my skills. Never have I missed a year that I did not complete my CEU requirements.

However, sometimes this ‘online’ procedure can leave out some of our seasoned colleagues, those who may be in their older tenure. Some may not be internet savvy, while others may fall through the information gap from not keeping up with the rule that usually comes via electronic communications—again, all of which require a certain level of online literacy. To be honest, for a lot of these colleagues, it’s not something that’s in their generational interest. Some of us who did not grow up in the USA did not have access to computers until 1996!

Furthermore, there may simply be a low perceived ROI or a lack of incentives offered by the courts to motivate quality interpreters. These courses are not cheap, and the number of credits required can make it costly. If your language pair is not requested regularly, can you afford to spend money on this investment?

Given that my language pair is not mainstream and has a very small pool of interpreters in the system, I work with these colleagues regularly and can proudly say that they are all my mentors. They may not attend the online classes, but they are all active interpreters who are competent in both state and federal courts. They have a solid skillset and years of experience that is valuable in the courtroom. But should they be penalized just because they are older and cannot keep up with all the changes in the system?

Of course, I am not saying that every older interpreter should be exempted. This wonderful policy was created with the good intention of keeping our skills high as court interpreters. But I feel strongly that more factors should be taken into consideration before the court decides that they will reach out to agency interpreters before utilizing this group of interpreters who may not be active in the state court roster (but who still may be working with the federal court or DoS) solely because of their local CEU status. Can we afford to lose this talent because of a systemic barrier? These interpreters went through all the tests and requirements to be on the roster to begin with. Shouldn’t skill assessment after a certain period be implemented rather than just relying on online CEU courses? Let us not forget that you can sometimes get a certificate of attendance just by paying the fee. Can it really be the deal breaker that decides on the destiny of an interpreter’s status?

None of this is intended as a personal attack on agency interpreters. However, if the court is relying on the CE-credit rule to decide which interpreter can be active on the court roster, how are agency interpreters qualified to work in court cases? They have not passed the test administered by the court to qualify as a court interpreter nor do they have any CEU requirements of any kind. Not to mention the ethics and procedural knowledge that court interpreters need to know and adhere to.

In my humble opinion, this will lead to more and more interpreters opting to just take ‘the easy route’ and remain on the agency roster rather than work hard to be on the court roster. Why should one bother when you just end up getting the job anyway? In this case, it appears to me that the QC policy is backfiring on us.

As for the courts, are you ready to lose this talent pool of those who “fell through the systemic cracks?”

When my dad turned 74, he mentioned how he felt like he was falling behind and could not catch up with the world. I was in my 30s at the time and thought, how can you feel that way? While I have not personally crossed that threshold yet, I now see the essence of his comment. Taking online courses and uploading certificates into your online platform may be a piece of cake for Millennials and all the subsequent generations, but it’s surely not for everyone.

 Ann (Jiraporn) Heath-Huynh grew up in a bilingual Thai-English household, using both languages in day-to-day life. Having lived on four continents, she now calls the U.S. home. Following the birth of her daughter in 2010, the chance to work in the language field afforded her an opportunity to change career directions; what began as a part-time job became a career that she is passionate about. After being added to the Maryland Judiciary’s roster of interpreters in 2015, many opportunities opened up to her, eventually leading to Department of State Conference Interpretation for Thai and English. Although she works mostly as a conference interpreter, she has always considered Maryland courts to be her home. Whenever an assignment is offered, she is always pleased to accept it and proudly wear her first-ever interpreter’s badge as a Maryland Judiciary Court Interpreter.  Contact: ann.h.huynh@gmail.com

Featured photo: “ Technology old and new ” by user Brenda at flickr , under a CC BY 2.0 license. Text-body photo from “ A Touch of the Universe ” (“ About ” page) by University of Valencia Astronomical Observatory , under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.