This evaluation is designed to provide both individual Interpreters and prospective employers with a basic, yet realistic, assessment of an interpreter’s skill set. Results will be provided via e-mail within two weeks.

An Overview
Interpreters who have not taken a certification test or who have yet to pass, can for a nominal $99.00 fee, determine if they are ready to test or if there has been enough significant improvement to warrant testing again. In some areas throughout the USA, due to a shortage of certified Interpreters, employers may be faced with hiring interpreters who are on the path to certification. But without a means to assess these candidates, it is difficult for them to ensure the quality of interpreting they can expect to see. The Sign Language Interpreter – Skills Evaluation (SLI-SE) is a tool designed for these types of situations.

How SLI-SE Works
We require a 3-to-3½ minute video clip of the candidate, interpreting in a setting relevant to the purpose of their assessment. For example, if an interpreter is hoping to achieve a score of 3.5 or 4.0 on an assessment for K-12 interpreting, the subject should provide a clip of themself interpreting K-12 content. Suppose a college is considering hiring an interpreter? The video clip should then show the subject interpreting post-secondary content.

In your signing sample, PLEASE INCLUDE live content (i.e. Lectures, Presentations, Classroom Instruction, Group Discussions, etc). PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE repetitive content (i.e. the Pledge of Allegiance, Songs, Listed Rules, etc) or content that may contain long periods of silence (i.e. Medical Appointments, Job Interviews, Physical Ed, etc).

The evaluation results will be sent via e-mail and will indicate at which of the following skill levels our Evaluators consider the interpreter to be performing at:

• Advanced Level Interpreting Skills
• Entry Level Interpreting Skills
• Developing Interpreting Skills
• Conversational Language Skills

The results e-mail will also include a brief description of the strengths and weaknesses noted in the video clip. This will serve as a valuable aid in helping interpreters identify where to focus their energies for improvement.