Florida Court Interpreter Rule 14.100
The following terms have the meanings shown as used in these rules:
(a) Court Interpreter. Any person providing spoken language court
interpreting services during a court or court-related proceeding, except persons
performing such services without remuneration on behalf of persons demonstrating
an inability to pay in circumstances not requiring appointment of a court
interpreter.
(b) Certified Court Interpreter. A designation reserved for interpreters
who have completed all requirements for certification in accordance with these
rules and hold a valid certificate issued by the Office of the State Courts
Administrator.
(c) Language Skilled. A designation reserved for interpreters who have
completed all requirements in accordance with these rules, but who are seeking
certification in a spoken language for which there is no state-certifying
examination, and hold a valid certificate issued by the Office of the State Courts
Administrator.
(d) Provisionally Approved. A designation reserved for interpreters of
spoken languages for which a state-certifying examination is available, who,
although not yet certified, have passed the oral performance exam at a lesser
qualifying prescribed level and hold a valid certificate issued by the Office of the
State Courts Administrator.
(e) Duly Qualified Interpreter. An interpreter who is certified or
language skilled, or, if a certified or language skilled interpreter is unavailable, a
provisionally approved interpreter, as these terms are defined under subdivisions
(b) through (d) above.
(f) Court. Any county, circuit, or district court of this state or the
Supreme Court of Florida.
(g) Court Proceeding. Any hearing or trial presided over by a state court
judge, general magistrate, special magistrate, or hearing officer within the state
courts system.
(h) Court-Related Proceeding. Any event, including, but not limited to,
a deposition, mediation, arbitration, or examination, which occurs or could be
made to occur as a result of a court order, subpoena, or general law, and for which
the primary purpose is the communication or exchange of information related to a
claim or defense in or the settlement of a pending or impending court case.
However, a law enforcement investigation which does not yet involve the
participation of the prosecuting authority shall not be considered a court-related
proceeding.
(i) Limited-English-Proficient Person. A person who is unable to
communicate effectively in English because the individual’s primary language is
not English and he or she has not developed fluency in the English language. A
person with limited English proficiency may have difficulty speaking, reading,
writing, or understanding English.
(j) Board. The Court Interpreter Certification Board.
(k) Compliance Period. The two-year period beginning upon issuance
of a letter confirming registration or renewal of registration of a court interpreter.
(l ) State-Certifying Examination. A full or abbreviated board-
approved oral performance examination designed to objectively measure whether
candidates possesses the minimum levels of language knowledge and fluency and
interpreting skills required to perform competently during court proceedings.
(m) Written Examination. An initial qualifying or screening
examination designed to measure a candidate’s literacy in English, familiarity
with, and usage of, court-related terms, and/or knowledge of matters regarding
interpreter ethics and related professional conduct.
(n) Full Oral Performance Examination. An oral examination which
measures language knowledge and fluency in both English and non-English
languages, as well as the ability to successfully render meaning in target and
source languages in simultaneous interpretation, consecutive interpretation, and
sight translation of documents.
(o) Abbreviated Oral Performance Examination. An oral examination
assessing functional proficiency to competently interpret simultaneously in court
from English to a non-English language, and prerequisite to which a candidate
must satisfy board-approved oral proficiency interviews in both English and non-
English languages.
(p) Oral Proficiency Interview. A standardized language proficiency
interview assessing functional speaking ability in both English and non-English
languages.
(q) Modes of Court Interpretation. Simultaneous interpretation,
consecutive interpretation, and sight translation of documents in a court setting.
(r) Transcription. The process of preserving audio or videotaped sound
files in written form, duplicating the original, together with its translation into the
target language, and, when used for evidentiary purposes, produced in dual-
language format with the original and translation appearing side-by-side.
(s) Translation. Converting a written text from one language into
written text in another language.