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Ontario Council on Community Interpreting
At OCCI, we aim to foster extensive collaboration among stakeholders to accomplish the common goal of professionalizing the community interpreting sector.
Becoming Accredited
Learn the benefits of Becoming Accredited as a Community Interpreter and the steps to apply.
Interpreter Resources
Access valuable tools, guidelines, and best practices to support your work as a professional interpreter. Stay informed and enhance your skills with our curated resources through our Interpreter Hub.
OCCI News
Stay up to date with the latest news, updates, and developments from OCCI. Explore industry trends, upcoming events, and important announcements through our Newsletter
About Us
Our Mission & Vision
The Ontario Council on Community Interpreting is dedicated to overseeing and standardizing the accreditation of interpreters in Ontario’s community and public service sectors. Our vision is of an Ontario where every individual has equitable access to public services, regardless of their spoken language.
OCCI unites four essential stakeholder groups: interpreters, consumers, trainers and testers, and interpreting service providers.
Interpreters
Consumers
Trainers and Testers
Service Providers
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Community Interpreting
What is Community Interpreting?
“Bidirectional interpreting that takes place in the course of communication among speakers of different languages. The context is the provision of public services such as healthcare or community services and in settings such as government agencies, community centres, legal settings, educational institutions, and social services. Other terms have been used to describe community interpreting such as “public service interpreting”, “cultural interpreting”, “dialogue interpreting”, “institutional interpreting, “liaison interpreting” and “ad hoc interpreting”. However, community interpreting remains the most widely accepted term in Canada.”
What is the difference among “interpretation”, “translation”, and “sight translation”?
Interpretation is the conversion of a spoken message from one language to another while preserving the message as faithfully as possible.
Translation is the process of transposing the meaning of a written text from one language (source) to the other (target) while retaining the elements of meaning, form and tone.
Sight translation is the conversion from written material in one language to a spoken version in another language. It also occurs when an instant oral version is required of a written text.
Accredited Community Interpreters are qualified to provide interpretation and sight translation. It is recommended for sight translations that the interpreter be provided with the written material in advance and time to prepare for the sight translation.
Does the OCCI accredit translators?
Hiring/Working with Professional Community Interpreters
What is a professional interpreter?
As defined by the National Standard Guide for Community Interpreting Services:
“A fluently bilingual individual with appropriate training and experience who is able to interpret with consistency and accuracy and who adheres to the Standards of Practice and Ethical Principles.”
How do I know if the interpreters I work with are qualified?
According to the National Standard Guide for Community Interpreting Services, a community interpreter is required to have succesfully completed an interpreter training by a recognized institution, passed a language proficiency test, have documented experience in the field, and have post-secondary education.
If the interpreter you are working with was booked through an Interpretation Service Provider (ISP), the ISP has the responsibility to ensure that all interpreters hired or contracted are qualified professionals capable of performing the specified task. To read more about the responsibilities of ISPs, please refer to the National Standard Guide for Community Interpreting Services.Familiarize yourself with interpreter credentials.
What should an Interpreting Service Provider do if an accredited interpreter is not available?
In the event that an Accredited Interpreter is not available, the Interpreting Service Provider should:
- Use professionally skilled, competent interpreters who are otherwise qualified by education, training and experience to carry out the assignment successfully.
- Use “on dossier” processes to select the most competent interpreters on file.
- Assign the most qualified interpreter possible based upon the nature of the assignment and the language in question.
- Properly monitor, assess and modify on an ongoing basis the interpreter’s data status based upon performance.
- Advise the consumer of qualifications of the interpreter being assigned.
What can I expect the interpreter to do?
Maintenance of Role Boundaries
20. The interpreter’s role is to enable communication between parties, who speak on their own behalf and make their own decisions.
21. The interpreter does not advocate on behalf of any party.
22. The interpreter does not enter into the discussion, give advice or express personal opinions about the matter of the encounter, or show reactions to any of the parties.
23. The interpreter does not filter communication, mediate, or speak on behalf of any party.
24. The interpreter avoids unnecessary contact with the parties. Prior to the encounter, the interpreter may initiate contact to ensure understanding of the language, to confirm details of an appointment, and to convey any information about the encounter needed by the non-English speaker.
25. The interpreter does not perform services other than interpretation services for any party.
26. The interpreter utilizes the least obtrusive mode of interpretation.
27. The interpreter protects her or his own privacy, well-being and safety. Interpreters strive to perform their professional duties within their prescribed role and refrain from personal involvement.
Can I ask the interpreter to complete my patient/client's form?
No. While our National Standard Guide on Community Interpreting Services does not explicitly state that an interpreter may not render anything in a written form, interpreting is defined as specific to “spoken communication”, meaning that the source message may be delivered in the target only in an oral/spoken form.
The following is a recommended best practice when a form must be completed by/for a client/patient with limited English proficiency with an interpreter present:
- An agency person (service provider, staff, volunteer, student) must be present along with the client and interpreter.
- The interpreter provides sight translation and interpreting, the client provides their information, the agency person clarifies any questions or issues related to the form being filled out and captures responses on behalf of the client.
The majority of community interpreters are immigrant women. OCASI recognizes the importance of improving working condition standards for immigrant women in the community interpreter field.”
Debbie Douglas Executive Director, OCASI (Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants)
Our Publications!
Working with your Professional Interpreter
In response to a TC-LHIN one-time funding opportunity, Access Alliance and HIN proposed a project aimed at educating two segments of the public about the role of professional interpreters in healthcare:
- Limited English Proficient (LEP) clients and family members receiving care from Health Service Providers (HSPs)
- Specific linguistic communities facing language barriers when accessing services
The result was this brochure, translated into 15 languages, answering such questions as:
- What does an Interpreter Do?
- Who is a Professional Interpreter?
- Do I need an interpreter?
- How Do I Get an Interpreter?
- How do I ask for help?
…and other questions related to best practices about language support.
To order copies, please click here for the order form.
Ontario Council on Community Interpreting
At OCCI, we aim to foster extensive collaboration among stakeholders to accomplish the common goal of professionalizing the community interpreting sector.