Sign language interpreting courses teach the student how to understand and effectively interpret the language of sign. Colleges offer associate of arts and bachelor degrees and certificates in sign language. While most continuing education courses are for informational purposes only, college certificate and degree programs are designed to teach students the skills needed to be able to take the national certification exams to become certified sign language instructors and interpreters.
Sign language interpreter courses are offered at colleges and universities throughout the United States. Community centers, such as The Deaf Action Center Louisiana, provide interpretation instruction classes for the general population. To find a sign language interpreter course in your state, contact your local community center or the colleges and universities in your area. The website "Multilingual Books" offers a list of training programs in the United States and British Columbia. (See Resources.)
Talk to any sign language interpreters you know and ask where they received their training. If there is a State School for the Deaf in your state, call and ask questions about training. Once you have found a school near you, research the programs offered and the graduation rate, to make sure that the program is successful in that it has a high percentage of graduates.
For students attending sign language interpreting courses, financial aid may be a concern. Colleges and universities offer a variety of financial assistance for their students, including grants and student loans. Community centers with continuing education classes may not offer financial assistance but are usually less expensive than college or university programs. Scholarships for sign language interpreting students are not very common, although a few states, such as Colorado, Florida and Minnesota, offer scholarships for students in this program.