National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters

What is NAATI?

NAATI is a national standards body owned by the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments of Australia. It is a company limited by guarantee under the Commonwealth Corporations Law 2001.

NAATI is also an advisory body for the Translation and Interpreting (T & I) industry in Australia providing advice and consultancy services on T & I standards, accreditation, role and conduct of Translators and Interpreters and T & I skills in various settings.

What does NAATI do?

• NAATI sets and maintains the standards of translation and interpreting at four accreditation levels.
• NAATI accredits translators and interpreters who meet the specified standards.
• NAATI conducts translator and interpreter accreditation tests in various cities in Australia and New Zealand. It also provides similar tests for overseas candidates who are unable to sit for the tests in any Australian city.
• NAATI approves T & I courses at tertiary institutions in Australia.
• NAATI assesses T & I qualifications obtained from overseas tertiary institutions.
• NAATI provides advisory services relating to T & I service delivery.
• NAATI provides a Directory of Accredited and Recognised Translators and Interpreters available for work.

What is NAATI Accreditation?

NAATI accreditation is the only qualification officially accepted for the profession of translation and interpreting in Australia. All government Translation and Interpreting (T & I) services require translators and interpreters to be NAATI accredited whenever possible.

NAATI accreditation has been instrumental in providing quality assurance to recipients of T & I services and to giving credibility to agencies that employ accredited practitioners.

Why NAATI Accreditation?

In Australia, translation and interpreting requires practitioners to have a wide range of skills which enable them to work in situations ranging from general conversations through to those where a thorough knowledge of specialised subjects and terminology is required. Because of the range of tasks and associated level of skills required, NAATI has developed an accreditation system which recognises the diversity of skills required in the workplace.
See NAATI standards.

NAATI accreditation at each particular level attests to the fact that the holder has met the minimum standard required to competently perform tasks associated with this level. The minimum standard for professional practice in Australia is NAATI accreditation at the Translator and Interpreter level (formerly level 3). NAATI accreditation is the only qualification officially accepted for the profession of translation and interpreting in Australia.

Today, most public and private translation and interpreting agencies require NAATI accreditation at the Translator and Interpreter level or above as the first criteria for recruitment. A lower level of accreditation (eg. Paraprofessional Interpreter) may be acceptable for low demand languages where the supply of accredited practitioners is limited.

NAATI accreditation has been instrumental in providing quality assurance to recipients of Translation and Interpreting services and in giving credibility to agencies that employ accredited practitioners.

Levels of Accreditation for Auslan Interpreters:

Paraprofessional Interpreter (formerly known as level 2)
This represents a level of competence in interpreting for the purpose of general conversations. Paraprofessional Interpreters generally undertake the interpretation of non-specialist dialogues. Practitioners at this level are encouraged to proceed to the professional levels of accreditation.

Interpreter (formerly known as level 3)
This is the first professional level and represents the minimum level of competence for professional interpreting. Interpreters convey the full meaning of the information from the source language into the target language in the appropriate style and register. Interpreters at this level are capable of interpreting across a wide range of subjects involving dialogues at specialist consultations. They are also capable of interpreting presentations by the consecutive mode. Their specialisations may include banking, law, health, and social and community services.

Methods of Accreditation

NAATI accreditation may be obtained by:

• passing a NAATI test; or
• completing successfully a course of studies at an Australian institution approved by NAATI; or
• providing evidence of specialised qualifications in translating and/or interpreting obtained from a recognised training institution overseas, or membership of a recognised international professional association.

For Further Information:

National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (National Office)
PO Box 4040 Hawker ACT 2614
Ph: (02) 6255 1888
Fax: (02) 6255 1889
Email: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
Internet Address: www.naati.com.au

Source: www.naati.com.au