Community Interpreting Course

The first step towards National Certification for new interpreters and bilingual speakers seeking formal training.

Meet Your Instructor

Mireya Pérez embarked on her career as a certified medical interpreter. Her proficiency was honed in both general and children’s hospitals, showcasing her dedication to facilitating effective communication in critical settings.

Building on her extensive experience, Mireya spent nearly a decade as a staffed interpreter in a K-12 public education school district. Here, she not only provided invaluable language support but also championed the vital role of trained interpreters in education, recognizing their impact on ensuring meaningful language access in educational settings.

Mireya has expanded her influence by taking a leadership role in training new interpreters. With a focus on nurturing talent and fostering professional growth, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of language professionals, enabling them to reach their fullest potential and contribute significantly to the interpreting industry.

Fully Virtual 40-hour Community Interpreting Training

This course is designed for novice interpreters, bilingual individuals, andindividuals who may currently provide interpretation but have no formal training in interpreting protocol and standards of practice. You will receive a certificate for completing this 40-hour course. This is a first step towards National Certification.

What to expect?

This program is designed to be interactive. Students are expected to engage with the curriculum inside and outside of the virtual classroom. Please allocate at least five hours outside of the 40-hour course time for studying and homework. Detailed class expectations will be shared by the instructor at the beginning of the course. Students will be given opportunities to participate in multiple ways, whether orally or in written format, and both at the individual and group level. This course is not a lecture and active student participation in workshop activities is required. Basic computer skills are needed. The instructor will require you to use online platform features (emojis, icons, yes and no buttons, white boards, break out rooms, etc.). Ability to use word processing software (either Microsoft Word or Google Docs) and e-mail for homework submission is a must. If you require any accommodation, please discuss this with Piedmont Academy staff.

Registration and Prerequisites

Our online course features “LIVE” instruction allowing students to interact, ask questions and communicate with a real person. The integration of live instructors in this course transforms it into a powerful and superior learning platform. By combining flexibility, accessibility, and personalized attention, online courses with our instructors offers an enriched educational experience that aligns with the demands of the contemporary learning environment.

To register for the course, you will first need to complete the form by clicking the Register button above or under the Course Fee section. Then you will need to submit the list of required information below for review before being approved to formally register and participate. This information will only be used to confirm your interest and will not be used for any other purpose.

Prerequisites for the course:

Be at least 18 years of age
Possess a high school diploma or the equivalent
Provide proof of language proficiency in both base and target languages, or
Provide proof of a 4-year college degree from an accredited institution
Present a current resume
Have a reliable internet connection
Join each session from a laptop or computer (not phone or tablet)
Use headphones with a microphone

Course Fee

The fee includes 40 hours of online instruction with a “live” instructor and all course materials, which will be delivered electronically. At the end of the course, you will receive a certificate of completion. This course meets the 40-hour training requirement for the two U.S. national certification programs for medical interpreters: the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) and the National Board of Certified Medical Interpreters (NBCMI). This certificate will put you one step closer to certification!

Francisca Hoces is a Spanish consecutive remote interpreter that recently completed our Community Interpreting Course.

“How does this program differ from other trainings that I’ve been in? In other interpreter trainings that I’ve been through, they mostly shape you to the actual work that you need to get done, note-taking and whatnot, but this is different because they give you a whole background of concepts and ethics that you need to understand in order to become a better professional, and that’s what we all should strive for. I recommend this program because it is a more comprehensive approach and it helps you learn what is exactly sustaining this profession. It gives you the historical background as well and it’s overall a great comprehensive approach into what an interpreter should do and how this profession became what it is today.”

Course Requirements

Prerequisites for the course:

Be at least 18 years of age
Possess a high school diploma or the equivalent
Provide proof of language proficiency in both base and target languages, or
Provide proof of a 4-year college degree from an accredited institution
Present a current resume
Have a reliable internet connection
Join each session from a laptop or computer (not phone or tablet)
Use headphones with a microphone

Prerequisites for the course:

At least 18 years of age
Hold a high school diploma or equivalent
Have a Current resume
Proof of language proficiency in both base and target languages or;
4-year college degree from an accredited institution
Have a reliable internet connection with a working laptop or computer.
USB or Wireless headphones w/mic (strongly recommended)

Proof of Language Proficiency

Proof of language proficiency is required prior to your enrollment. Your English skills will be evaluated during a short interview with Piedmont Academy. However, you will need to provide proof of proficiency for the other language(s) that you want to interpret to/from.

You can choose from two testing providers to obtain this proof of proficiency. The maximum cost of testing is $108. You will be responsible for this expense; it is not included in the cost of the course. If you choose to enroll in Piedmont Academy’s 40-hour Community Interpreter Training course, we will send you further details on how to register for the test.

Course Fee

The course fee is $400.