[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 112 (Monday, June 13, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-14219]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: June 13, 1994]
VOL. 59, NO. 112
Monday, June 13, 1994
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES COURTS
Interpreters in Courts of the United States; Announcement of
Written Segment of Certification Examination for Spanish, Cantonese,
Mandarin, and Korean; and Written Segment of ``Otherwise Qualified''
Examination for Arabic, Hebrew, Italian, Mien, Polish, and Russian
AGENCY: Administrative Office of the United States Courts.
ACTION: Notice of Written Segment of Certification Examination for
Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Korean; and Written Segment of
``Otherwise Qualified'' Examination for Arabic, Hebrew, Italian, Mien,
Polish, and Russian.
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SUMMARY: The Administrative Office of the United States Courts will
conduct the written portion of the examination for individuals who
desire to be certified (in Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Korean) or
``otherwise qualified'' (in Arabic, Hebrew, Italian, Mien, Polish, and
Russian) to serve as interpreters in courts of the United States. This
is in accordance with the Court Interpreter Amendments Act of 1988,
Title VII of Pub. L. 100-702, (28 U.S.C. 1827). To take the
examination, an individual must file a written application, or apply by
telephone.
DATES: The agency will administer the written portion of the
examination August 27, 1994, at 1 p.m. The deadline for filing an
application is 4 p.m. on July 15, 1994.
ADDRESSES: Applications, along with an $80 money order, cashiers check,
or personal check payable to the University of Arizona are to be sent
to the Federal Court Interpreter Certification Project, Modern
Languages Building, room 445, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
85721.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dr. Roseann Gonzalez, University of Arizona, (602) 621-3687 (Mountain
Time). Fax (602) 624-8130.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Director of the Administrative Office of the United States
Courts (AOUSC) is responsible for the establishment of a program to
facilitate the use of certified and otherwise qualified interpreters in
courts of the United States. He must prescribe, determine, and certify
the qualifications of person who may serve as certified interpreters in
bilingual proceedings and proceedings involving the hearing impaired
(28 U.S.C. 1827(b)). Whenever an interpreter is required for a person
in any criminal or civil action initiated by the United States, the
presiding judicial officer must utilize the services of the most
available certified interpreter, unless no certified interpreter is
reasonably available, or the services of an otherwise qualified
interpreter.
The AOUSC will provide the courts with a roster of certified,
professionally qualified, and language skilled court interpreters
selected on the basis of specific qualification criteria and/or the
successful completion of written ad oral examinations.
II. This Examination
For Spanish language interpreter candidates, a comprehensive
written Spanish/English examination testing bilingual proficiency in
Spanish and English will be administered. For candidates in the
Cantonese, Mandarin, and Korean languages, a written English
examination testing proficiency in English will be administered.
Successful candidates will be invited to sit for the second part of the
certification examinations, an oral examination. The oral examination
will test, in simulated settings, the applicant's ability to: (1)
interpret precisely from source language to English, in consecutive and
simultaneous modes; (2) interpret from English to the target language
in consecutive and simultaneous modes; and (3) perform sight
interpretations. The oral portion of the examination does not
necessarily require previous experience in court interpreting.
Applicants who successfully complete the written examination will
receive notice of the time and place of the oral portion of the
examination.
For Arabic, Hebrew, Italian, Mien, Polish, and Russian interpreter
candidates, a written English examination testing proficiency in
English will be administered. The second part of the qualification
process as a professional or language skilled court interpreter will
require the candidate to provide additional qualifications and
credentials or perform back translation exercises successfully.
All of the examinations are developed and administered under
contract by the University of Arizona. The written portion of the
examination does not require a special knowledge of legal vocabulary.
Testing Sites
Applicants may schedule the written examination at any of the
locations identified below. Applicants must identify the testing
location which they desire to use to use for taking the written
examinations. The following are the cities where the written test will
be administered:
Alaska: Anchorage.
Arizona: Phoenix, Tucson.
California: Fresno, Los Angeles, Monterey, Sacramento, San Diego, San
Francisco.
Colorado: Denver.
Connecticut: Hartford.
District of Columbia.
Florida: Miami, Orlando.
Georgia: Atlanta.
Hawaii: Honolulu.
Idaho: Boise.
Illinois: Chicago.
Iowa: Sioux City.
Louisiana: New Orleans.
Massachusetts: Boston.
Minnesota: Minneapolis.
Missouri: Kansas City.
Nevada: Las Vegas, Reno.
New Jersey: Newark, Trenton.
New Mexico: Albuquerque, Las Cruces.
New York: Brooklyn, Buffalo, Manhattan.
Ohio: Cincinnati and Cleveland.
Oregon: Portland.
Puerto Rico: San Juan.
Tennessee: Memphis.
Texas: Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Houston, Laredo, San
Antonio.
Utah: Salt Lake City.
Washington: Seattle.
Oral testing sites will be announced when the examinations are
scheduled.
Filing
Written applications are preferred, but phone applications will be
accepted if the fee is received by July 15, 1994. Applicants who do not
have an application form should type or print the following information
on an 8\1/2\ x 11 paper:
1. Name.
2. Mailing address, including zip code.
3. Daytime telephone number.
4. Evening telephone number.
5. Testing location requested (City and State).
6. Date of birth.
7. Social Security Number.
8. Special arrangements necessary because of physical disability or
keeping of the Sabbath.
9. I did/did not take the Spanish written and/or oral examination in
1993.
10. I.D. number of exam (if known).
11. Enclosed money order, cashiers check, or personal check payable to
University of Arizona Federal Court Project.
Exam Procedures
Each applicant will receive an admission ticket to the exam shortly
before the exam date. It will list the exact location of the exam. Each
applicant must present the admission ticket and a photo identification:
driver's license, passport, work/student identification, etc., to be
admitted to the exam.
III. Qualifications
Sucessful completion of the written examination is the first step
in the process of receiving certification or ``otherwise qualified''
status. There is no formal educational requisite, either in languages
or interpreting, for successfully completing the written examinations.
However, the difficulty of the written examinations are at the college
degree level of proficiency in both English and the target languages.
Successful completion of the oral portion of the examination normally
would require prior training or professional experience in simultaneous
and consecutive interpreting and sight translation. Qualification as
``otherwise qualified'' will require additional credentials and
experience as an interpreter.
IV. Duties
Certification or ``otherwise qualified'' status will not
necessarily lead to full-time employment as a staff or contract
interpreter. Most of the requirements for court interpretation services
in the Federal courts are met by independent interpreter contractors on
an as-needed basis. However, where full-time interpreters are needed,
only certified interpreters are eligible for appointment.
As the federal courts require full-time salaried interpreters,
these interpreters will be chosen from the eligibility lists. The
annual salary range is JSP-10 to JSP-14 ($31,898-$76,733) for full-time
salaried interpreters. For certified interpreters who provide services
as independent contractors, the fee is $250 per day.
Court interpreters perform all or some of the following duties: (1)
Interpret verbatim in simultaneous and consecutive modes a foreign
language into English, and vice versa, at arraignments, preliminary
hearings, pretrial hearings, trials, and other court proceedings; (2)
transcribe and translate electronic sound recordings; and (3) sight
translate or translate in written form technical, medical, and legal
documents and correspondence for introduction as evidence.
Dated: June 6, 1994.
Robert Lowney,
Acting Chief, District Court Administration Division.
[FR Doc. 94-14219 Filed 6-10-94; 8:45 am]
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