Singapore to Certify Interpreters

The Singapore Institute of Management University will be launching its first national certification for interpreters. Previously, there has been no professional body in Singapore to certify interpreters and translators.

The head of the program, Susan Xu, offers the following reminder:

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"There is a misconception that being bilingual means you can also be an interpreter ... there is a lot of room for improvement in the standard of interpretation in Singapore."

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Students will be required to pass three separate modules: Dialogue interpretation, conference interpretation and sight translation. So far, certification is offered in Chinese<>English.

New Zealand Kicks Off National Sign Language Week

Today kicks off national sign language week in New Zealand. There are nearly 25,000 individuals who use New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL), making it the 12th most commonly used language in its country of origin.

As is the case with most sign languages around the world, there is a shortage of NZSL interpreters. Auckland University of Technology offers a Diploma in Sign Language Interpreting, but its five to eight graduating interpreters are not enough to serve the 7,000 Deaf individuals who require assistance.