Translators

Language Direct is a translation agency in London that has an employee database of thousands of translators, interpreters, linguists, editors, researchers, proof readers, and more.

Our enormous team has a translator in every town or city, so you can be sure that there is one close to where you live. Furthermore, this makes it easy to collaborate, coordinate and communicate with the translator and will save you time in case you need to have another document translated.

Our interpreters and translators in London come from various interpreting and translation associations, with the highest standards. As a result, we have listed below is a list of these associations and their qualifications for their member translators and interpreters.

•  Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIoL).
  • Qualifications from this association are useful when doing police and court interpreting services in London.
    • Certificate in Bilingual Skills (CBS)
    • Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI)
    • Diploma in Translation (DipTrans)
    • International Diploma in Bilingual Communication (IDBC)
    • Also need a Metropolitan Police Test (Met Test)
• Translators’ Guild.
• National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI).
  • Full Status
    • IoL Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI) / IoL CCI (forerunner to DPSI), OR
    • You also need a Metropolitan Police Test (post 1997), OR
    • Equivalent Level Interpreting Qualification at Honours Degree level
    • More than 400 hours of proven Public Service Interpreting (PSI) experience undertaken in the UK
  • Interim Status
    • IoL DPSI / IoL CCI or Metropolitan Police Test (post 1997) or equivalent level interpreting qualification at honours degree level, with NO HOURS required, OR
    • A degree partly studied in English with at least one interpreting and one translation component with required 400 hours of proven Public Service Interpreting (PSI) experience undertaken in the UK
  • Rare Language
    • Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE) or equivalent qualification
    • Annual review – requirement to provide proof of Continued Professional Development (CPD) such as appropriate training courses attended
    • 100 hours of proven Public Service Interpreting (PSI) experience undertaken in the UK. – reviewed annually

• Translators Association (TA).

  • The TA is a group within the Society of Authors.
  • Criteria for members:
    • Must also be a writer, illustrator or translator with at least one full-length work traditionally published (not at the author’s expense and not only as print-on-demand/ebook), broadcast, or performed commercially;
    • You have to have published or broadcast an equivalent body of recognised professional literary work (e.g. articles, short stories, poems, items in other media);
    • You must be an owner/administrator of a deceased author’s estate;
    • If you have self-published or have had a work published on a print-on-demand/ebook only basis, there has to be over 300 copies of a single title in print form or 500 copies in ebook form within a 12-month period.
    • There is also an annual membership fee.

  • Criteria for associates:

    • You also must have received an offer to publish or broadcast a full-length work in any format (not at the author’s expense);
    • Also must have received an agreement from a UK agent with no work published;
    • Furthermore, you must have had a work published on a print-on-demand and/or ebook basis and sold over 300 copies of a single title in print form or 500 copies in ebook form within a 12-month period;
    • Must have self-published a book and sold over 300 copies of a single title in print form or 500 copies in ebook form within a 12-month period;
    • You also must have been offered a contract which asks for a contribution towards the costs of publication.

• Association of Police and Court Interpreters (APCI).

  • They welcome applicants who work in the Criminal Justice System in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
  • There is also an interview and an annual membership fee
    • First degree or postgraduate qualification in a relevant subject
    • You also need a recommendation of competence and good practice from two referees
    • Three years experience as an interpreter within the CJS
    • Regular work for the police and the courts
    • Four hundred hours of proven experience for the Police and Courts and one hundred assignments
    • Full or Rare Language Status on the NRPSI in at least one language
    • High standard of conduct in the field with a solid ethical understanding
    • If you are an MPS listed interpreter, a reference will be requested which must be ‘clean’
    • Claimed membership of other professional bodies will also be verified by way of a reference
    • A work history clean of proven complaints within the CJS field
• National Registers of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People (NRCPD). Founded in 2009 based on registers used since 1982.
• Institute of Translation & Interpreting (ITI).

  • Conference Interpreters / Translators

    • A degree or equivalent qualification.
    • If applicant is without degree, he or she must have a minimum of 6 years’ relevant professional experience in translation.
    • A minimum of 3 years’ relevant professional experience in translation or interpreting.
    • In addition, you must have a minimum of 150 days of conference interpreting experience.
    • Provide recommendations regarding ability and good reputation.
    • In addition, you must pass in the ITI Membership Interview.
  • Interpreters
    • All criteria listed above,
    • In addition, police and court interpreters:
      • you must also have a current standard or enhanced disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau – dated within the last 3 years
      • A relevant qualification i.e. DPSI (Law), Met Police test or current full membership of the NRPSI
  • Associate
    • One professional reference
    • you also need one character reference
  • Student
    • Proof of attendance in a degree-level or post-graduate course in translation or interpreting.
• Association of Sign Language Interpreters (ASLI).
• National Union of Professional Interpreters and Translators (NUPIT).
• Society of Official Metropolitan Interpreters UK Ltd (SOMI UK Ltd).
  • A copy of your latest NRPSI abstract
  • In addition you need a copy of your MPS security vetting letter or a letter from LCS confirming that you are on
    the MPS Official list of Interpreters
• Professional Interpreters’ Alliance (PIA).
  • • Must be a registered Public Service Interpreters (PSIs) with NRPSI or another list approved by the National Agreement to become a full member.
    • In addition, you may apply for associate membership if you are not yet on the National Register, however you will not have voting rights in the association.
• Society for Public Service Interpreting (SPSI).
• Association of Professional Tourist Guides (APTG)
• Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) Interpreters Panel.
• International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC).

Call Language Direct today for trusted and reliable translators who are certified and accredited in London and in the UK.