Spoken Language and American Sign Language Interpreters
Education
ContextGlobal interpreters must meet the following minimum requirements:
Spoken Language Interpreter
- Bachelor’s degree OR an associate’s degree and five years of experience, OR experience that outweighs a bachelor’s degree.
Deaf Interpreter
- CDI designation from RID/NAD
ASL Interpreter
(must meet one of the three sets of criteria below)
- Bachelor’s degree in ASL interpretation from an accredited post-secondary institution and/or program with NIC designation or NAD III designation
- Actively obtaining CEUs
OR
- Associate’s degree/bachelor’s degree in ASL interpretation
- Passed the written RID/NAD NIC exam, has a VQAS score of at least I-III/T-III, has a ASLPI score of at least 3.5 OR has an EIPA score of at least 3.5
OR
- CODA/SODAs who are actively pursuing a degree in ASL interpretation at an accredited post-secondary institution/program
Acronyms
ASLPI: American Sign Language Proficiency Interview
CDI: Certified Deaf Interpreter
CEU: Continuing Education Unit
CODA: Child of a Deaf Adult
EIPA: Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment
NAD: National Association of the Deaf
NIC: National Interpreter Certification
RID: Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
SODA: Sibling of a Deaf Adult
VQAS: Virginia Quality Assurance Screening
Background Checks
ContextGlobal’s clients require thorough background checks.
Interpreters should expect the following:
- You will be fingerprinted and asked to provide personal information.
- The information will be sent to the FBI for clearance.
- The process takes three to four days.
- If you don’t pass your background check, you will be referred to an investigator, who will ask for additional information on items that need review before approval.
- You are not allowed to work for ContextGlobal until you pass this background check.
Please provide all requested information promptly to expedite processing.
Please complete a background check and drug test
Step 1:
Please follow the instructions on the Clearance Application link below.
- Application Type: Contractor
- School/Department Name: select any school
- Ensure you complete the MDAT Process Form
Step 2:
Fingerprinting
Questions regarding this process can be directed to info@contextglobal.com.
Additional Qualifications
Some clients require additional security requirements for interpreters. ContextGlobal will inform you if the client in question requires them. These qualifications are:
Mandated Reporter
Many of ContextGlobal’s interpreters work with children. As a way to help children in need, all interpreters are required to take a course on how to identify signs of child abuse or neglect. District of Columbia Public Schools has created this course, which you can access here.
Please complete the Post Test here. You will receive a certificate after completing the course.
Please email it to contextglobal@bill.com or fax it to (800) 331-9512.
Montgomery County Public Schools Requirements
ASL interpreters who work with MCPS must meet the following requirements:
- Abilty to sign to voice
- Abilty to voice to sign
- Abilty to sign and interpret in legal and confidential environments
- Knowledge of school-related and academic vocabulary
- Ability to interpret telephone calls
- Ability to interpret interactions between employees and office staff
- Ability to interpret school-wide events, including student theatrical events, concerts, orientationa and graduations
- Ability to travel to a variety of locations within Montgomery County
- Must arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the assignment
- Must remain at the job for the standard waiting time of 20 minutes for each hour in the event that the client does not show up
- Must wear appropriate attire to all assignments
- Must follow Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) Code of Conduct in all settings
- Preferred certifications: RID, NAD, EIPA 4-5
Forms & Processes
To be an approved interpreter supplier for ContextGlobal, please complete the forms below. Email scanned PDFs of the forms to contextglobal@bill.com or fax to (800) 331-9512.
- Please complete all DocuSign Agreements
(Master Service Agreement & IRS W9) - Certifications
- Emergency Contact Form
- Mandated Reporter Certificate
- Fingerprint/Background Clearance
Download form checklist as a PDF by clicking the button below.
Contracting as an Entity?
If you are contracting as an entity other than an individual, we need proof that the individual signing for the entity is an officer of the same corporation and has the right to sign for the entity. Acceptable proof includes:
- A copy of last year’s federal tax return or properly executed board protocol showing the individual is an officer of the company
- An official state filing showing that the individual is an officer of the entity
- A copy of the entity’s bank letter.
On Assignment
Setting Up Interpretations
Arrival at Interpretations
The client expects the interpreter to arrive 10 minutes before the assignment is scheduled to begin. If you are not there 10 minutes early, you will be considered late and may receive discounted pay. We have asked our clients to inform us of any late arrivals.
If for some extraordinary reason you are running late, we expect you to call the Point of Contact (POC) to let them know you are on your way, prior to the 10-minute early arrival time. Please plan for bad traffic and leave plenty of time for travel.
Dress Code and Behavior During Interpretations
Please keep in mind that you are representing not only yourself, but ContextGlobal as well. Therefore, please dress appropriately in business casual attire. Jeans, T-shirts, shirts without collars and footwear such as flip flops, sneakers and sandals are not appropriate attire.
ASL interpreters should always follow the Registry for Interpreters of the Deaf guideline that states an interpreter needs to exercise care when choosing clothing and appear in an unobtrusive manner, e.g., refrain from colored nail polish, excessive facial hair and bright colors that are visually distracting.
As an interpreter, you should develop a good rapport with the clients, but you must maintain boundaries and act professional. This means that during the session, you are to facilitate communication but not participate. You will interpret everything that is requested from you, but you may NOT comment or react in any way. Please be aware of the sensitive material being discussed and avoid disclosing it outside of the session. In that same light, please don’t take any pertaining material home.
After the session is finished, please don’t agree to a follow-up interpretation. If someone asks you to come back, ask them to submit an official interpretation request, listing your name as the preferred interpreter. This is the only authorized way to schedule interpretations.
Evaluations
You will need to bring an evaluation form to every interpretation.
Interpretation Evaluation Form
If you’re unsure of which form you will need for your assignment, please verify with your ContextGlobal representative.
After the assignment, it is your responsibility to supply the paper form for the client to sign, in most cases the Point of Contact (POC). Make sure that all fields are completed, especially start and end times. If someone else tells you that you can leave the assignment, you must talk to the POC prior to leaving. Only the person who ordered the services can dismiss you.
If the interpretation is cancelled upon arrival, have the POC sign the interpreter evaluation form with the note “cancelled on-site.” In all cases, unless a specific exception is made in writing, the evaluation form is a requirement for payment.
If you forget to have your evaluation forms signed, you will need to go back to the school to obtain a signature.
Terminology and Glossaries
To assist you with the terminology, we have prepared a glossary with a list of educational terms that may come up during interpretations. The glossary currently features English-Spanish and English-French interpretations, but it may serve as a reference for other languages. You can access them here:
English-French Glossary
English-Spanish Glossary
Some of this terminology is very technical, so try to explain the term when possible rather than providing a literal translation. For example, the term “cultural literacy” should be translated into Spanish as “conocimientos básicos sobre la cultura” (basic knowledge about culture). This makes it easy for someone with a basic education to understand. Overall, the goal is for someone with a 9th grade education to understand what is being discussed.
Billing
Invoicing
- Vendor name and address
- Invoice date
- Services provided
- Date of service
- Amount due
- Language, hours and days or units for the interpretation
You may use either ContextGlobal’s Invoice Form for Interpreters or your personal invoice.
We will only mail checks to the address listed on your W-9. It is your responsibility to make sure your address is updated. No address will be changed in our system unless accompanied by a W-9 form. Keep in mind that the W-9 needs to contain your current information. The IRS has asked us for clarifications on several W-9s, so make sure yours is correct.
Once all paperwork is completed, you must email your invoice and evaluation form together to contextglobal@bill.com or fax to (800) 331-9512. If emailing, the files must be in PDF. INVOICES NOT SENT USING THIS PROCEDURE WILL NOT BE PROCESSED, AND THERE WILL BE DELAYS OF PAYMENT. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL CONTEXTGLOBAL BE HELD LIABLE FOR LATE PAYMENTS IF THIS PROCEDURE IS NOT FOLLOWED.
If we have to process invoices repeatedly from any one vendor, we will charge a $15 fee per invoice, as it costs us time to process non-compliant paperwork. This fee may be discounted from the invoice amount.
All invoices and evaluation forms must be submitted within 72 hours of the assignment’s completion. ContextGlobal issues payment 30 days after receiving the proper documentation, so please submit forms promptly to avoid payment delays. Please note that if paperwork is not sent in within three days, a $10 per day penalty may apply. Any invoice submitted 90 days after service may not be processed for payment.
Minimum Payment and Cancellation Policy
For all on-site interpretations, you are guaranteed a minimum of two hours’ payment, even if the assignment lasts less than that time. If an assignment lasts longer than the scheduled two hours, you can charge for an additional half-hour after 15 minutes and a full additional hour after 30 minutes.
For all virtual interpretations, you are guaranteed a minimum of one hour payment, even if the assignment lasts less than that time. If an assignment goes over the scheduled one hour, you can charge for two hours (1hr 15min = 2 hours).
E-Payments
ContextGlobal strongly encourages e-payments. If you wish to receive electronic deposits directly to your bank, please email a voided check with your or your company’s name to contextglobal@bill.com, or fax it to (800) 331-9512. Sending a voided check to ContextGlobal authorizes us to make a direct deposit to your bank institution. After you complete an assignment and we process the payment, you will receive an email notification that the check is on its way. If you don’t choose this option, you will receive checks via regular mail.