Become a Cued Language Transliterator


Cued language transliteration converts one language from the spoken mode of communication to the cued mode, making all phonemes of that language uniquely visible on the hands and mouth. Additionally, transliterators provide visual access to environmental sounds. The profession of transliteration requires skills beyond the ability to cue fluently. It has its own tenets and ethics, many of which are similar to those required for sign language interpretation. 

As with interpreting from one spoken language to another, sign language interpreting consists of understanding the meaning and intent of one language, then expressing words/signs of similar meaning in the other language. Transliteration provides a change from one modality to another within the same language, retaining verbatim content down to the phoneme level. The professional performing this service is called a Cued Language Transliterator (CLT). 

For information about formal CLT training, visit our partner, Language Matters, Inc. (LMI)

National transliterator assessments are offered through two sources, both of which are independent and unaffiliated with the NCSA: the Testing, Evaluation and Certification Unit (TECUnit) and the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) Diagnostic Center at Boys Town National Research Hospital. Additionally, check with your state’s Department of Education or Department of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to determine if one of these, or any other assessment or screening of CLT proficiency, is required.

TECUnit offers a number of services for transliterators, including the Cued Language Transliterator National Certification Examination (CLTNCE), a pass/fail assessment designed to establish a minimum national standard of practice. In addition, TECUnit produces the Cued Language Transliterator State Level Assessment (CLTSLA) for state agencies choosing to assess the transliterators they hire. The national certification exam evaluates more areas of CLT competency than the state level assessments, which are intended primarily for educational environments. Therefore, certification at the national level fulfills and exceeds state evaluation requirements. For more information about CLT testing, evaluation, and certification services, visit the TECUnit website.

The EIPA Diagnostic Center at Boys Town National Research Hospital offers products and services aimed at interpreters/transliterators who work in K-12 settings. In 2010, they began offering a Cued American English version of the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA-CS). For more information on the EIPA-CS, visit the EIPA website.