Training

Language Bank has all the resources you need to become a professional interpreter. This is a great opportunity to make a difference in people's lives while earning excellent wages, enjoying flexible hours, competitive pay, and extensive training. Wondering how to get started in this growing field? With our own in-house training program, we make it easy!

Join an Info Session

About Our Courses

During our 60-hour and 80-hour training programs, the curriculum teaches students to develop the skills and knowledge base they need to deliver accurate and complete interpretation in health care, legal, and social service settings. This training is taught by our own highly experienced trainers who take pride in delivering a quality educational program. Our trainers are active interpreters in the field who bring their expertise and real-life experiences into the classroom.

60 and 80 Hour Courses     |     100% Online     |     750+ Graduates   |    Top Interpreter Training for 12 Years

Language Coaches are Here for You!

A unique component of our courses is a practice module where language-specific coaches* will work with students in person, mastering terminology, correcting homework, providing expertise, and conducting realistic role-plays that help prepare students for the real world of interpreting.
(* as long as there is a coach available for the particular language)

Join a Free Interpreter Training Info Session

Do you have what it takes to become an interpreter?

Join an informational session, held every Friday at 11 am, to learn more about our classes and interpreting as a career.

Medical Icon (1)

Medical Interpreter Training

An online training course for bilingual individuals interested in joining the growing field of professional medical interpreting. The curriculum uses the demand control schema (DSC) method during realistic role-plays and lively discussions giving students the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge base they need to deliver accurate and complete interpretation in health care and social service settings. Through this training, participants will have the opportunity to work on medical vocabulary with a language-specific coach (as long as there is a coach available for a particular language).

This is a 60-hour course, delivered in a synchronous and asynchronous format, that exceeds the minimum 40-hour of training and meets the guidelines and standards required by the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (NBCMI) and the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI).

LEARN MORE AND ENROLL IN CLASSES

legal Icon

Legal/Court Interpreter Training

This 80-hour course will provide participants with the specific skills and knowledge necessary to become interpreters in the courts and legal settings. The course will introduce participants to the roles and responsibilities of court/legal interpreters, including ethics, standards and procedures, and court/legal terminology in English and their target language. Students will also gain an understanding of New Hampshire’s Judicial Branch, the most common court forms, and linguistic intervention protocols for court/legal interpreters.

Sign Up for Class Updates

Student Eligibility

In order to be eligible for the training, candidates must meet all requirements, including but not limited to:
  • Be a minimum of 18 years of age
  • Attend Information Session
  • Complete the online registration form and pay the $100 registration fee.
  • Language proficiency testing will be conducted on all candidates.
  • Mandatory attendance to one of the advising/orientation sessions
  • Pay the $600 course fee
  • Provide proof of at least a high school diploma/GED from the U.S. or its equivalent from another country
  • Have access to a computer throughout the course. The computer should be audio and video capable. It must have an integrated web camera or a portable one.
  • Tuition Reimbursement Eligibility: Please contact us for eligibility based on spoken language(s) and your residential location

Training process

Please note that the trainings are 60+ and 80+ hours long and in order to successfully complete it you must attend all class sessions and receive a passing score on the final written and oral exams.

Once your application is submitted and reviewed, eligible candidates will be eligible to attend the respective course if the following criteria is met:

  1. Must attend one of the mandatory advising/orientation sessions. Link details will be provided two (2) days prior to the session.
  2. Successful completion of our Bilingual proficiency assessment.

What Students Are Saying

Icon of a person

Dina, Medical Interpreter Student

"I could not be more appreciative because through this course I learned a lot about the interpreting skills, the medical vocabulary and the standard of practice. I really appreciate the time and the hard work that Alexandra did with every single one. She was listening to all of us and responded to our emails very quick. I would like to thank everyone who supported this course in any way for the fabulous work. And I would like to encourage these kinds of learning classes especially for the immigrants and refugees."

Photo of Veronica, a Medical Interpretation student

Veronica, Medical Interpreter Student

"Language Bank’s medical interpreting course was excellent. The instructors were top notch; very thorough, organized and professional. The class is very challenging, but the instructors make sure everyone understands the material thru a lot of classroom participation. I recommend this training to anyone looking to become a medical interpreter."

Icon of a person

Suave, Medical Interpreter Student

"I would like to thank you for a thorough and well-organized training that you gave us. The material that you provided and the discussions that were conducted were motivating. What I personally liked about the training is that it was challenging (several late nights and early mornings were involved) and fun at the same time. It was my pleasure and honor to be part of the training and I look forward to another opportunity to work together in the future. Please thank on my behalf Catherine and everyone who was involved in the preparation and execution of the training, and a special thank you to the Massachusetts Office of Refugees and immigrants for paying for our tuition."

About Our Trainer

Karyn Velazco

Interpreter Training Manager

Karyn joined Language Bank as a Spanish interpreter in 2010 and transitioned to the Language Bank Interpreter Trainer in June of this year. Language Bank is fortunate to have Karyn and her years of experience now working to train new interpreters.

Karyn grew up in a bilingual home and spent much of her childhood in metropolitan Lima, Peru. College brought her back to the States in rural Ohio. Since graduating she has interpreted for 20 years. One of her first interpreting positions was in 1993 as a volunteer interpreter at UMass when the hospital was just starting their interpretation program.

Due to her bilingual and bicultural experiences, Karyn is driven to facilitate communication and empower interpreters. Karyn is dedicated to training aspiring interpreters and providing ongoing education for those already in the profession.

Karyn’s commitment to her work is complemented by her passion for mentorship, where she guides and supports individuals on their journey to becoming skilled interpreters.  Karyn combines her linguistic talents with her desire to make a positive impact, ensuring that language does not become an obstacle in our diverse community.

Fun Fact About Karyn: Karyn home-schooled her children from grade school till they went to college! Now she is using all those teaching skills in working with Language Bank’s interpreters.

Contact Karyn

Do all students become medical interpreters?

It is clear that not all bilingual candidates have the potential to become trained medical interpreters and a careful selection process of our training candidates is required to ensure that all of the trainees selected into the training are capable of its successful completion. The Language Bank expects that a candidate entering the training program in medical interpretation will have the potential to successfully complete the training achieving all the competencies, skills and proficiency required of a professional medical interpreter.

Do you offer online classes?

Yes! At this time, all of our classes are online.

How much does a course cost?

Language Bank Medical/Legal Training Tuition Schedule for 2022:

Each course costs $800*. There will be a $100 registration fee for each course application.

Accepted candidates must pay the training fee in full by the established due date to secure their spot for that particular session.

*At this time, Language Bank is not accepting financial aid for course tuition.

Do you accept credit transfers?

  1. Language Bank does not offer or accept the transfer of credit from programs or courses from other schools, institutes, or training providers OR
  2. Previous education and training cannot be applied to the programs offered by the Language Bank.

View our policy here.

How do I find out when a new class starts?

Sign up for our mailing list here!

Training information including dates and times for the course, registration and orientation sessions are published on the Language Bank website. All candidates are required to complete the online registration form accompanied with a non-refundable registration fee. The initial selection process consists of reviewing the registration form to determine whether the application criteria has been met. Students who meet the initial criteria are required to register for a full course during the period officially designated for registration. Students will refer to each course or schedule outline for next available enrollment dates.

What do we talk about in the advising/orientation session?

During this orientation session, course logistics, expectations, and workload will be explained. We will also explain the process for the 3rd party foreign language testing.

Will I need to take an English proficiency test?

All candidates will be tested in English and the target language prior to admittance to the training.

What if I want to withdraw from the class?

A student who wishes to withdraw from a course must do so in writing to the Language Bank training Administrator.

If I withdraw from a course will I receive a refund?

The Language Bank refund policy is as follows:

  • Language Proficiency assessments are non-refundable. Candidates who miss their scheduled assessment time will be charged a $100.00 rescheduling fee if they choose to reschedule.
  • Before the first day of the course, 100% refund*
  • After attending the first day of the course, no refund
  • Full refund will be automatically processed for courses which have been cancelled. In the case of cancellation, related course fees will be refunded.

*Note: All refunds will be less $100 application fee that is non-refundable

All refunds shall be paid within 30 days upon written notifications from a student or cancellation or withdrawal; and students receiving benefits from federal programs shall be subject to federal refund policies, rules and regulations.

What grade do I need to pass?

Trainees must receive a passing score of 75% or above on both the final written and oral assessments to be considered as having successfully completed the course and to receive the training certificate.

When do I receive my training certificate?

Language Bank shall issue the training certificate within 30 days of the student’s successful completion of the course and having met all the above requirements including payment of all the course fees. No certificates will be issued to trainees that do not successfully complete the training.

Can I miss any classes?

Trainees are allowed to miss up to two (2) classes in a training session. There will be no makeup for missed time.

Where can I submit grievances?

Formal grievances may be submitted by the student in writing to Language Bank Administrator Alexandra Baer at LBtraining@thelanguageBank.org. The student must specify the nature of the grievance and describe any previous attempts to resolve the issue/grievance. Any formal complaint must be filed within 30 calendar days of the issue/grievance.

If a student is not satisfied with the resolution after consulting with the office, the student may then contact the New Hampshire Department of Education, Office of Career School Licensing at 101 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH 03301, or by phone at 603-271-6443.

LB Join Our Team (4)

Already a trained interpreter? Join Our Team

Language Bank always has openings on our team for trained, professional interpreters living in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, or nearby areas. Visit the recruiting website of our parent organization, Ascentria Care Alliance, to view and apply for current openings!

VIEW POSITIONS