So why is it important for interpreters to make a commitment to life long learning or professional development?
Background 1:
Responses that you may or may not have considered in your own response include:
It is expected in our field. As interpreters, we are constantly finding ourselves in new situations, many times dealing with new concepts and the most current ideas in a particular area. It is important for us to be current on as much information we can, which enhances the interpreting work we do. If you are an interpreter working in an educational setting, a commitment to learning and knowledge is valued and expected.It's required in our profession. The RID code of ethics addresses this in the following tenet:
Interpreters / transliterators shall strive to further knowledge and skills through participation in workshops, professional meetings, interaction with professional colleagues, and reading of current literature in the field.
The RID also has a formal Certification Maintenance Program for certified interpreters, requiring 8 CEUs (80 hours) every 4 years to maintain certification. They also have a continuing education tracking program for pre-certified interpreters called the ACET program. If you'd like more information on those, you may go to the RID website at www.rid.orgThe NAD gives interpreters certified by their organization three options for maintaining their certification: retake the test every 5 years; document 700 hours of employment as an interpreter annually for 5 years; or attend 25 hours of continuing education activities each year for the 5 year cycle. More information about this can be obtained from the NAD website: www.nad.org
It's needed for survival! We are living in a time when technology, not to mention other things, are changing so rapidly it is hard to keep up at times! Chafin Seal's point earlier applies here too - if we don't take charge of our own learning and continue to learn, we will find ourselves left behind, uneducated or undereducated.
