Engaged Interpreting
About the Engaged Interpreting Training
California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (CRLA), in partnership with our collaborators, is building a network of skilled interpreters with a commitment to language justice. This 50-hour introduction to community legal interpreting is open to aspiring and experienced interpreters of all levels. Graduates will receive a certificate of completion and may have opportunities for paid interpreting work with CRLA.
This training does not certify participants for court or healthcare interpreting, though many of our graduates go on to pursue formal certification.
Collaborators
- Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño (CBDIO)
- Centro Profesional Indígena de Asesoría, Defensa y Traducción, A. C. (CEPIADET)
- Instituto de Traductores e Intérpretes en Lenguas Indígenas en el Estado de Guerrero (ITILIG)
- Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA)
- Mixteco Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP)
Cost
There is a $300 sliding scale fee for the training. Scholarships are available. Fees and scholarships will be decided later on at the time of registration.
Priority Languages
Amharic, Amuzgo, Arabic, Azorean Portuguese, Chatino, Farsi, Dari, Hmong, Khmer, K'ich'e, Korean, Mam, Mixteco, Náhuatl, P’urhepecha, Pashto, Q'eqchi', Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Tigrinya, Triqui, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Zapoteco.
Priority Counties
Colusa, Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Madera, Monterey, Riverside, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Ventura, Yuba.
Dates and Times
The training is 100% remote learning through live classes on Zoom, mandatory practice sessions in language teams, homework, and self-directed study. Active participation in all sessions is required.
The training includes two cohorts that meet separately, one with instruction in English and one with instruction in Spanish.
Cohort A: Instruction in Spanish, August 7 - December 11, 2024
- Classes meet every Wednesday, 4:00 pm - 6:30 pm Pacific Time
- Participants will meet 1 hour per week in language teams on a self-selected schedule
Cohort B: Instruction in English, August 8 - December 12, 2024
- Classes meet every Thursday, 4:00 pm - 6:30 pm Pacific Time
- Participants will meet 1 hour per week in language teams on a self-selected schedule
Before You Apply
Please read the application thoroughly. Before you apply, make sure:
- Do you speak a priority language on the list?
- Do you live in a priority county in rural California OR are you associated with one of our collaborators?
- Do you want to work with CRLA as an interpreter?
- Does the training schedule work for you to attend live classes on Zoom?
About Language Justice at CRLA
CRLA established the Language Justice Initiative (LJI) in 2019 to build on our legacy of collaboration with linguistically marginalized communities. The LJI advances equity for people who use non-dominant spoken and signed languages. The initiative helps ensure inclusive services for immigrant, Deaf, and Indigenous clients, promotes multilingual outreach and education, and strengthens systemic advocacy for language rights.
