22 Apr Dreaming of Federal Certification
Dreaming of Federal Certification
By Athena Matilsky
Dear Readers,
Happy Spring! We’ve gone from sleet and ice to muddy rain up here in Canada, but this week marks the beginning of warmer weather, and it’s possible we’ve almost seen the last of the snowflakes! I hope that wherever you are, you’re enjoying some flowers and sunshine.
As spring sets in and we look to summer, many of us are starting to think about the FCICE exams offered this year. The opportunity for federal certification is available to Spanish interpreters hoping to achieve this sought-after credential and expand their client base. The Written Exam will be offered next month, and the Oral Exam will be held in August.
The time to start preparing is NOW!
If you are not a Spanish interpreter, I still encourage you to read on for tips and tricks for levelling up your interpreting skills. Sadly, there is no magic pill to be had that will make us a better interpreter, but passion, discipline and dedication will make the difference.
THREE TIPS FOR LEVELING UP YOUR INTERPRETING SKILLS:
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- Pick your materials wisely. Look for study materials that have been curated for interpreters using simulated court proceedings by a reputable and properly credentialed member of our profession. Choose materials that have both transcript and audio, using the audio to interpret and the transcript to check your work.
- Use your materials wisely! The number one mistake I see students make is to only interpret a practice lab one time. That first time is a valuable “blind run” moment, when you practice your skills and see how good you are at handling unknown topics. You should treat those blind runs seriously, trying not to pause in the middle or spiral when you make a mistake. Practice breathing and keeping your composure. Expect mistakes, and carry on anyway.
However, once you finish, you are NOT done. You must then listen to your recording, look for patterns to your mistakes, note your strengths and weaknesses and then integrate what you have learned, again and again until you have developed new muscle memory and your brain knows what it feels like to interpret smoothly and faithfully. You can repeat a lab 10-15 times and still learn from the experience. I call this step “polishing.” - Pace yourself! You won’t get very far if you only practice once a week. However, you also won’t get very far if you burn out. Find colleagues in the community with similar goals. Join Facebook groups with others studying for the same thing to find others dreaming of federal certification. Take classes. Hold yourself accountable. Ask for feedback, listen carefully to the feedback and integrate the feedback.
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The final thing I’ll say is, don’t take “no” for an answer.
The year I passed the federal exam, a colleague was taking it for the fifth time. If she 
had stopped at four, she wouldn’t have made it. These skills take time and discipline to develop. They are not easy, and there is no shortcut. If you don’t care enough, find a different goal. But if this is your passion, go for it! I will be rooting for you.
Do you have other tips and tricks for levelling up your skills?
Share what has worked for you in the comments!
Keep the Conversation Going
If this topic resonated with you, be sure to check out our previous blog posts for more insights on the realities of our profession, and the evolving world of judiciary translation and interpreting:
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- A Matter of Due Process — When attorneys challenge not just accuracy but the process of interpreting, where does due process begin and end?
- Rethinking Reputation — Is reputation built by titles, or in the quiet moments where presence and empathy meet?
- Peer Observation and the Interpreter — What would change in our work if we stopped fearing observation and started using it?
You can find these and more in our blog archives!
Interested in sharing your insights with our community? Check out Writing for The NAJIT Observer to learn how you can contribute.
The images used in this post are sourced from Unsplash, Pixabay, AI generated, and/or credited to their rightful owner. They are used for illustrative purposes only.
Athena Matilsky fell in love with languages the year she turned sixteen. She majored in Spanish interpreting/translation at Rutgers University and also studied French. After graduation, she taught elementary school in Honduras and then returned home to begin freelancing as a medical and court interpreter. She later became a staff interpreter for the NJ judiciary. She has gone on to earn certifications as a healthcare interpreter and a federal court interpreter for Spanish and as a court interpreter for French. Most recently, she received her Master’s Degree in Conference Interpreting from Glendon at York University. She currently works as an interpreter and teacher, training students to acquire the skills necessary to pass state and federal interpreting exams. When she is not writing or interpreting, you may find her practicing acroyoga or studying French.