I'm 29 and British by birth. My parents come from Spain and at home we've always spoken in Spanish, so in effect I'm totally bilingual. I completed a degree in English language and literature, but my real passion is interpretation (though not translations). I love the thrill that goes with it. How can I enter the field if I have no specific qualifications? Thanks for your help!

Im thinking to opt interpretimg as my career. I dont have any formal qualification in it and no experience at all. With few agencies i registered but i havent got any call from them .i failed in an interview for telephone interpreting which made me very disappointed. Should i go for a course? How to gain an experience ? I cant find any voluntary jobs near my area! How can i gain a voluntart experience in telephone interpreting?

Interpreters are required to convert spoken words from one language into another language in situations where people do not speak the same language. There are three different interpretation types including public service, simultaneous, and consecutive. The first type is for conversations of two persons or a group of people without needing headsets or other devices. The second type is used in conferences (real time interpreting) and the third type is for cases when the speaker says one or two sentences and then the interpreter speaks (press conferences).

An Interpreter usually performs many of the following tasks:
• Translating instantly one language into another.
• Working at meetings.
• Adapting terms for local language.
• Using electronic devices conferences.
• Assisting people in conversations with other persons having different languages.

Several job placements for Interpreters usually do not have specific academic requirements. It is recommended to have a degree in translation or modern languages. Another path for this area is having a degree in science, economics, engineering, business, technology, or law and then having a postgraduate training in interpreting. Entry requirements for these courses are usually two A levels and five GCSE´s (A
*-C) including languages or equivalent subjects.

There are some cases where candidates need advanced degrees for application process. Examples of these cases are United Nations and the European Union that require professionals with a Masters degree recognised by the Directorate General for Interpretation.