ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief description of ideas of best practice of interpreters in some countries where interpreting in legal, health, educational and social service settings is relatively well established as a profession. Community interpreting is typically bi-directional, that is, the same interpreter works in the two languages in question. Health care, mental health, educational, social service and legal interpreting are frequently given as sub-categories, and community interpreting as a more general concept. There are professional associations for sign language interpreters, which, as a rule, are associated with societies for the Deaf. The professionalization process manifests itself in the emergence of interpreters' associations, educational programmes and certification examinations. The instability and stress of the labour market has sometimes made community interpreters refrain from putting effort and time into achieving professional qualification, that is, when and if professional training is available, and afford able.
