FOCUS. TRAIN. SUCCEED.
With this program you will significantly increase your chances of passing the court interpreter oral exam by learning:
· High-register court vocabulary
· High-speed simultaneous interpreting
· Consecutive interpreting for long chunks of speech
· Enhanced reading comprehension for smooth sight translations
Interpretrain's 3-Step Method™ and Why It Will Work for You
State court interpreter oral exams require you to perform several complex mental processes very quickly, with a high degree of accuracy, and all at the same time.
With our 3-Step Method™, you will master each of these tasks separately, and then learn how to successfully execute them simultaneously.
Master the Vocabulary
Memorize English/Spanish court terminology through:
• Audio Drills
• Slide Shows
• Games/Quizzes
• Target Practices (to focus on the terms you select)
Don’t have the time to study vocabulary? Our Audio Drills can be used on the go. Whether you’re exercising, doing chores, or on public transportation, you’ll be able to memorize the necessary bilingual legal terminology.
Interpret and Voice Record
· Interpret the same practice at slower, then faster speeds (up to 140 words per minute), to progressively increase your pace in the Simultaneous Mode
· Gradually tackle longer chunks of speech in the Consecutive Mode, until being able to accurately render 55-word chunks
· Sight translate real court documents (from the U.S and from jurisdictions around the world where Spanish is spoken) while learning the most effective method to markedly increase your accuracy in this mode
Get a Grade
Seamlessly assess your improvement with our patent-pending grading technology. This immediate feedback helps you learn faster, and takes the guesswork out of your training by letting you know:
· Which vocabulary needs further practice
· When you are ready to move on to the next lab
With your strengths and weaknesses highlighted, you’ll know exactly what you need to review in order to achieve your best score. This invaluable testing feature is not offered by any other interpreting program.
Commonly asked questions
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State Court Interpreter Oral Exam Program
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What skill level is required for this program?
If you fluently speak English and Spanish, then you have the requiired skills to benefit from this program.
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Can you tell me about the team who created this program and who researched the content?
Interpretrain’s Team
We put together a team of highly qualified experts to make sure you get the most efficient
court-interpreter training program. Here is what each member contributed.Every single target language equivalent was proofread by:
• Virginia Benmaman, PhD, and Federally Certified Court Interpreter, author of
“Bilingual Dictionary of Criminal Justice Terms: English/Spanish.”
• Gabriela Castellanos, PhD linguist, formerly served the US State Department as a
contract interpreter.
• Frances Hontoria, Federally Certified Court Interpreter with over two decades of
experience in court and conference interpretation.
• Stelio Papadopoulos (attorney at law with over a decade of experience in Civil,
Criminal, Family, and Housing Law) reviewed this material to ensure its relevance, and
helped us create our legal explanations to ensure their accuracy.
• Dr. Victoria H. Valencia (practitioner in Family Medicine since 2005) proofread
and reviewed the medical vocabulary.
• Athena Matilsky (B.A., Federally Certified Court Interpreter, interpreter trainer)
helped design the program’s sequence, wrote the instructions, created the warm-ups, and
made sure our online platform is optimal for your learning process.
• Brad Wilk (B.S. in public justice from Oswego State University of New York)
served as our project manager, pedagogical resource developer, and e-learning
coordinator. He streamlined our online tools to make them user-friendly and effective.
• Juan Camilo Villada (Bachelor of Visual Arts, Universidad del Valle, Cali,
Colombia, juan.jaramillo11@outlook.com), was in charge of data entry and technical
supervision of our online pedagogical materials.
• Finally, Virginia Valencia spearheaded the operation. She developed
Interpretrain’s 3-Step Method TM, selected and gathered the real court cases to be
included, chose and researched all the vocabulary units in each lab, and created the
educational tools for each step. Virginia’s main credentials are:
• Federally Certified Court Interpreter.
• Psychologist (Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia).
• Approved/Certified by the state courts of NY, NJ, and CA.
• Court interpreter since 2003.
The members of our team have put their hearts and souls into this educational
material. We are beyond excited to offer you these labs that empower you to accomplish
your professional goals! -
What type of court cases does this program cover?
Lab 1: Domestic Violence
Lab 2: Police Statement
Lab 3: Child Custody
Lab 4: Divorce
Lab 5: Child Custody
Lab 6: Prosecutor-Witness Meeting
Lab 7: Numbers
Lab 8: Numbers
Lab 9: Child Custody
Lab 10: Attorney-Client Conference
Lab 11: Grand Jury Testimony
Lab 12: Letter to a Judge
Lab 13: Violation of Probation Hearing.
Lab 14: Short Sale
Lab 15: Letter as Evidence
Lab 16: Stay of Sheriff Sale
Lab 17: Arbitration
Lab 18: Supplemental Plea Form
Lab 19: Power of Attorney in a Tenancy Matter
Lab 20: Introduction to Civil Court
Lab 21: Criminal Record
Lab 22: Introduction to Trials
Lab 23: Arraignment
Lab 24: Doctor’s Note
Lab 25: Plea Agreement
Lab 26: Introduction to Criminal Court
Lab 27: Letter of Reference for Expungement
Lab 28: Introduction to Family Court
Lab 29: Abstract of Certificate
Lab 30: Visitation Risk Assessment Interview
Lab 31: Special Power of Attorney
Lab 32: Landlord/Tenant Hearing
Lab 33: Hardship Letter in an Immigration Case
Lab 34: Opening Statements at a Civil Trial Part 1
Lab 35: Domestic Violence Information Worksheet
Lab 36: Opening Statements at a Civil Trial Part 2
Lab 37: Witness Statement
Lab 38: Psychology Expert Witness Testimony Part 1
Lab 39: Summary of Facts for a Paternity Case
Lab 40: Psychology Expert Witness Testimony Part 2
Lab 41: Police Report
Lab 42: Workshop for Divorced Parents Part 1
Lab 43: Supervised Visitation Rules
Lab 44: Workshop for Divorced Parents Part 2
Lab 45: Order of Removal (Landlord/Tenant)
Lab 46: Jury Selection for a Criminal Trial
Lab 47: Landlord/Tenant Brochure
Lab 48: Preliminary Jury Instructions
Lab 49: Conditions of Probation
Lab 50: Juvenile Hearing
Lab 51: Slang
Lab 52: Slang
Lab 53: Slang
Lab 54: Slang
Lab 55: Slang -
What skill level is required for this program?
To take this training you should already have experience working as an interpreter. If you are new to interpreting, please refer to our Introduction to Legal Interpreting Program. After completing the Introductory Program, you will then be ready for this training.
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Is there a forum where I can connect with fellow students?
Discussion Forum
Absolultely. Use our forum to get to know and communicate with your colleagues. This is also a great place to find a study buddy or form a study group!
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How long do I have access to the program?
You will have access to the program for 12 months. If you wish to renew the program after that period, you may do so for a renewal fee of $129.
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I have less than 1 month left until the exam - will this program still help?
Absolutely. Even if you have weeks before your exam, with hard work and dedication, our labs will develop your court vocabulary, interpreting skills, and confidence.
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How many simultaneous practices are there?
There are a total of 35 simultaneous practices in this program. Each one is offered at various speeds to help you progressively build your skills. These 35 practices are also available in the consecutive mode, at different speeds.
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How many consecutive practices are there?
There are a total of 35 consecutive labs in this program. Each one is offered at different speeds to help you progressively build your skills. These 35 labs are also available in the simultaneous mode, at various speeds.
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How many sight translation practices are there?
There are 20 sight practices in this program. They consist of documents taken from real court cases (only the identifying information has been changed to protect the parties' privacy).
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Is your note-taking course included in this program?
Our note-taking training course is sold separately. We strongly recommend it to bring your consecutive interpretation skills to the next level. To learn more about it, go here. To purchase both programs together and get a discount, please contact us.
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How many hours does this program take to complete?
The program consists of 55 interpreting labs, offering over 100 hours of training. You have the freedom to train at your own pace, complete as many labs as you wish, and follow the sequence you desire.
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Can you tell me about the development team and share your bibliographical resources?
Interpretrain’s Team
We put together a team of highly qualified experts to make sure you get the most efficient
court interpreter training program.Here is what each member contributed.
Every single target language equivalent was proofread by:
• Virginia Benmaman, PhD, and Federally Certified Court Interpreter, author of
“Bilingual Dictionary of Criminal Justice Terms: English/Spanish.”
• Gabriela Castellanos, PhD linguist, formerly served the US State Department as a contract interpreter.
• Frances Hontoria, Federally Certified Court Interpreter with over two decades of experience in court and conference interpretation.
Stelio Papadopoulos (attorney at law with over a decade of experience in Civil, Criminal, Family, and Housing Law) reviewed this material to ensure its relevance, and helped us create our legal explanations to ensure their accuracy.
Dr. Victoria H. Valencia (practitioner in Family Medicine since 2005) proofread
and reviewed the medical vocabulary.
Athena Matilsky (B.A., Federally Certified Court Interpreter, interpreter trainer)helped design the program’s sequence, wrote the instructions, created the warm-ups, and made sure our online platform is optimal for your learning process.Brad Wilk (B.S. in public justice from Oswego State University of New York) serves as our project manager, pedagogical resource developer, and e-learning coordinator. He streamlined our online tools to make them user-friendly and effective.
Finally, Virginia Valencia spearheaded the operation. She developed Interpretrain’s 3-Step Method TM, selected the real court cases to be included, chose and researched all the vocabulary units in each lab, and created the educational tools for each step.
Virginia’s main credentials are:
• Federally Certified Court Interpreter.
• Psychologist (Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia).
• Approved/Certified by the state courts of NY, NJ, and CA.
• Court interpreter since 2003.
Bibliographical Resources:
Dictionaries and GlossariesAlcaraz Varó, Enrique and Brian Hughes. Diccionario de Términos Jurídicos. Barcelona:
Editorial Ariel, 1997.Baker Millikan, Désirée. Criminalistics for English/Spanish Interpreters. Chino Hills,
California: Cantemos, 2010.Benmaman, Virginia. Bilingual Dictionary of Criminal Justice Terms. Longwood, Florida:
Gould Publications, Inc., 1991.Garner, Bryan A. Blacks Law Dictionary. St. Paul, Minnesota: West Publishing Company,
2001.McKenna, Dennis. Criminal Court Dictionary. Pasadena, California: Adelfa Books, 2006.
Mikkelson, Holly. The Interpreter’s Companion. ACEBO, 2000.
Nolan, James. Pocket Legal Dictionary. New York: Hippocrene Books, Inc., 2008.
Robb, Louis A. Diccionario de Términos Legales. Mexico: Editorial Limusa, 1980.
Word Reference, http://www.wordreference.com
Theory
Berk-Seligson, Susan. The Bilingual Courtroom. Court Interpreters in the Judicial Process.
Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1990.González, Roseann Dueñas, Victoria F. Vásquez and Holly Mickelson,. Fundamentals of
Court Interpretation. Theory, Policy and Practice. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: CarolinaAcademic Press, 1991.
Herbert, Jean. The Interpreter’s Handbook. How to Become a Conference Interpreter.
Genève: Librairie de l’Université, 1952.Mathers, Carla M. Sign Language Interpreters in Court: Understanding Best Practices.
Bloomington, Indiana: AuthorHouse, 2007.National Association of Judiciary Interpreters & Translators (NAJIT). Code of Ethics and
Professional Responsibilities, http://www.najit.org/about/NAJITCodeofEthicsFINAL.pdf
2016.Palma, Janis. “The Pitfalls of the Long Consecutive Mode in Court: Learning When to Use
It”. The ATA Chronicle, 38, no. 11 (November/December 2009): 20-31. -
Do you offer an installment plan?
We do. Please click here for more details.
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Do you offer a certificate of completion?
You have the option of acquiring a certificate of completion for a processing fee of $35. Your certificate will only be issued if our records indicate that you have successfully completed the program. To inquire about your certificate, please contact us.
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Do I need an internet connection?
Yes, to effectively take this program you will need a reliable internet connection.
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Can I complete this program on my smartphone?
Yes. Our training program is fully supported by a customized mobile app.
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Do you offer group discounts?
Yes, we offer flexible pricing packages depending on the size of your group. Please contact us and one of our agents will customize a package that meets your needs.
Preview Our Interpreter Grading Technology
About the Vocabulary
Every single target language was proofread by:
• Virginia Benmaman, PhD, Federally Certified Court Interpreter, and author of
“Bilingual Dictionary of Criminal Justice Terms: English/Spanish.”
• Gabriela Castellanos, PhD linguist, published author, and former contract interpreter for the US State Department
• Frances Hontoria, Federally Certified Court Interpreter with over two decades of
experience, and co-editor of Interpretrain's Note-Taking Manual
Virginia Valencia
Federally Certified Court Interpreter (ES-EN)
CA, NY, and NJ State Approved Court Interpreter (ES-EN)
Professional Psychologist
Published Author of Interpreter Training Materials
Over 20 years of teaching experience
Virginia became an interpreter in 2003 and has worked in the fields of legal, medical, and conference interpretation. She holds a Combined Certificate in Translation and Interpretation Studies (Hunter College, 2004). In 2012, Virginia and her husband, Brad Wilk, founded Interpretrain. She currently lives in California, where she teaches, develops new materials, and works as an interpreter.
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