Association of Community Interpreters

16/09/2026

Join Us for Our Upcoming Webinar

Interpreters' Journey – Expectations vs Reality
Wednesday 23 September 2026 | 6:00pm

What happens after qualification? What does interpreting really look like as a career?

Join us for an honest and thought-provoking discussion with three interpreters who have taken different professional paths within the industry.

Our speakers will share their experiences of:

• Gaining higher qualifications
• Entering the profession
• The realities of day-to-day interpreting work
• Challenges encountered along the way
• Career progression and diversification
• Balancing expectations with reality
• Where their professional journeys have led them today

Whether you are newly qualified, currently working towards professional qualifications, or already established within the profession, this webinar will provide valuable insight into the many different directions an interpreting career can take.

Attendance fee: £10
You can make your payment here:
https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/7AAEGKMUWW72L

The registration link will be provided one we receive the payment.

We look forward to welcoming you.

02/07/2026

Upcoming Specialist Webinar Series – Childbirth: The Interpreter's Perspective

Are you interested in developing your knowledge of interpreting in maternity and childbirth settings?

Join us for our specialist two-part webinar series presented by Mara Ricoy.

📅 Session 1: Wednesday 22 July 2026 | 6:00pm
📅 Session 2: Wednesday 26 August 2026 | 6:00pm

Across two engaging sessions, we will explore:

• Why context matters in maternity interpreting
• Pregnancy and antenatal care
• Labour and delivery
• The early postnatal period
• Special situations
• Perinatal mental health
• Specialist terminology and practical interpreting considerations

Whether you already undertake healthcare assignments or are looking to expand your expertise, this webinar series offers valuable insight into one of the most rewarding and challenging areas of public service interpreting.

One registration gives you access to both sessions.

Cost: £20 for both webinars

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/OpRlLhAbSJytPiJxngVYsg
Payment: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/86DCEPTBP3G2E

Please note that Zoom links will be sent to registered participants approximately two days before each session.

If you have any questions, simply email us at [email protected], and we'll be happy to help.

We look forward to welcoming you!

06/06/2026

Join Us for Our Upcoming Webinar

Interpreters' Journey – Expectations vs Reality
Wednesday 24 June 2026 | 6:00pm

What happens after qualification? What does interpreting really look like as a career?

Join us for an honest and thought-provoking discussion with three interpreters who have taken different professional paths within the industry.

Our speakers will share their experiences of:

• Gaining higher qualifications
• Entering the profession
• The realities of day-to-day interpreting work
• Challenges encountered along the way
• Career progression and diversification
• Balancing expectations with reality
• Where their professional journeys have led them today

Whether you are newly qualified, currently working towards professional qualifications, or already established within the profession, this webinar will provide valuable insight into the many different directions an interpreting career can take.

Attendance fee: £10

If you would like to attend this webinar, please send us a message via our page, and we will provide you with the registration and payment link.

We look forward to welcoming you.

27/05/2026

With AI and machine translation tools becoming increasingly accessible, it is easy to assume that language barriers are no longer a problem. However, in her article "When Results Matter: The Value of Professional Translators and Interpreters", Sara Robertson explains why professional interpreters and translators remain essential, particularly in healthcare, legal, and other high-stakes settings.

AI can generate fluent and convincing text, but it does not truly understand context, culture, intent, or the real-world consequences of mistakes. Professional interpreters bring cultural awareness, ethical judgement, accountability, and the ability to accurately convey meaning—not just words.

The article highlights concerns about AI "hallucinations" and translation errors, which can have serious consequences when accuracy matters. In healthcare, poor communication can affect patient safety. In legal settings, inaccurate interpreting or translation can impact access to justice and fair participation in proceedings.

Rather than replacing professionals, technology works best when it supports qualified interpreters and translators who remain responsible for the outcome. Human expertise, professional ethics, and accountability continue to play a vital role where the cost of getting it wrong is simply too high.

As community interpreters, what is your experience? Have you encountered situations where technology could not replace professional judgement, cultural understanding, or the human element of communication?

Read the full article here:
https://www.iti.org.uk/resource/when-results-matter.html
When Results Matter: The Value of Professional Translators and Interpreters
By Sara Robertson

Machine translation is now widely accessible, but CEO Sara Robertson explains why professional expertise remains essential when accuracy, nuance and cultural sensitivity count.

23/05/2026

Looking to expand your knowledge, gain practical insight, and connect with fellow interpreters?

Join us for two upcoming ACIS webinars designed to support interpreters at different stages of their professional journey.

Interpreters' Journey – Expectations vs Reality
24 June 2026 | 6:00pm

What happens after qualification? What does interpreting really look like as a career?

Hear from three interpreters as they share their experiences of gaining higher qualifications, entering the profession, overcoming challenges, diversifying their work, and building sustainable careers. An honest discussion about expectations, realities, and the many different paths an interpreting career can take.

Included in ACIS Full Membership. Directory Only Members and non-members can attend for £10.

Childbirth: The Interpreter's Perspective
22 July 2026 & 26 August 2026 | 6:00pm

Presented by Mara Ricoy, this two-part specialist webinar series will explore interpreting in maternity and childbirth settings. Topics include pregnancy, labour, postnatal care, perinatal mental health, specialist terminology, and the unique challenges interpreters may encounter in these sensitive healthcare environments.

Included in ACIS Full Membership. Non-members can attend both sessions for £20.

Registration details will follow in due course.

If you have any questions, please contact us via our page or by email at [email protected].

19/05/2026

🎨🌍 Join the Monthly Cultural Exchange Open Day! 🌍🎨

Looking for something fun, creative and family-friendly this half-term? Come along to the Greenwich Vietnamese Women (GVW) Group’s Cultural Exchange Open Day on Thursday 28 May 2026, 11am-3pm at Woolwich Common Community Centre, SE18 4DW.

Enjoy a welcoming community atmosphere with art, crafts and cultural activities for all ages, including:
• Vietnamese Calligraphy
• Make a 3D Origami Swan
• Family-friendly arts and crafts activities
• A chance to meet new people, learn new skills and celebrate different cultures together

This event is open to everyone. Donations for non-members are pay-what-you-can (£3-£10), and GVW members attend for free.

Children under 14 must attend with a parent or legal guardian.

Book your place here:
Eventbrite Booking Page - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/monthly-cultural-exchange-open-day-may-2026-tickets-1989838403229?aff=oddtdtcreator

You are welcome to share with friends, family and your local community networks.

12/05/2026

Level 3 interpreters — what jobs do you accept, and where do you draw the line?
This topic often creates uncertainty, especially for interpreters who are relatively new to the profession.
Many assignments may initially sound straightforward when offered by an agency, but once you arrive, the reality can be very different. What appears to be a routine appointment can quickly turn into a highly sensitive safeguarding discussion, a mental health assessment, or a situation involving complex procedures and serious consequences for the service user.
One of the most important professional skills interpreters develop over time is recognising not only what they can do, but also what they perhaps should not do based on their qualifications, experience, confidence, and understanding of professional boundaries.
Level 3 Community Interpreting qualifications can provide an excellent foundation for work within many community settings, such as GP appointments, school meetings, housing matters, routine local authority appointments, and community support services. However, Level 3 interpreters should not be accepting legal, court, or police work, as these settings require specialist knowledge, higher-level qualifications, and a clear understanding of complex legal procedures and terminology.
There are also situations that can sit in a grey area, particularly within social services, safeguarding, mental health, or family-related work, where interpreters may need to make careful professional judgments about whether they have the competence and experience required for a particular assignment.
The reality is that agencies do not always fully explain the nature of an appointment beforehand, and newer interpreters may feel pressure to accept work because they want experience, need the income, or simply do not yet feel confident enough to say no.
Looking back, many experienced interpreters can probably identify assignments they accepted early in their career that they would decline today.
Where do you personally draw the line when it comes to Level 3 work?
Have your boundaries changed with experience?

05/05/2026

What’s one mistake you made early in your interpreting career?

Most interpreters remember their first assignments—and, often, the lessons that came with them.
Starting out can be challenging. Whether it’s stepping outside your level of competence, struggling with turn-taking, over-explaining, or not being fully clear about your role, those early experiences often shape how we work today.
I still remember one of my own early assignments. It was a supervised contact session conducted via video. At the end of the session, the supervisor asked me to send over my notes. I had taken handwritten notes during the assignment, so I shared those. I was then told that handwritten notes were not accepted and was asked to type them up and resend them.
At the time, I had limited experience and followed the request.
Looking back, there are a few important issues with this situation:

- As interpreters, our notes are working tools, not official records. They are typically not meant to be shared or relied upon as evidence.

- Typing them up after the event introduces the risk of inaccuracy, as notes are not verbatim records.

- There was a lack of clarity around my role - I was asked to produce a written account of the session, which went beyond interpreting.

- I also didn’t feel confident enough at the time to question the request or seek clarification.

It was a valuable lesson in understanding boundaries, professional responsibility, and the importance of being clear about what we can and cannot do within our role.
Looking back, I would now politely explain that my notes are for my own use only and that I cannot provide a written record of the session. If a written report is required, this should be prepared by the appropriate professional responsible for the session.
What about you?
What is one mistake you made early on that taught you something important - and what would you do differently now?

02/05/2026

During our recent webinar “Tweak Your CV for Interpreting Success”, one question came up that clearly resonated with many of you — how much should interpreters actually charge?

In this short video, Alhan takes a look at interpreter rates, what influences them, and how to approach pricing your work in a way that reflects both your skills and the realities of the market.

31 likes, 3 comments. "Interpreter & Translator Rates: What You Should Really Charge"

23/04/2026

Ever Wonder Where the Word “Interpreter” Comes From?

➧ Nimdzi Insights ≡