The Interpreter Strip shows you can communicate in another language or in sign language. It's a way to help others and bridge cultures. Wear it proudly on your uniform so people know you can help translate.
Why it's worth it
Speaking another language, or signing, lets you help in moments that matter: giving directions to a family at a park, helping a new student find their way at school, or welcoming a visiting Scout from another country. The Interpreter Strip on your uniform tells people you can bridge that gap. It's also a skill colleges, employers, and the military look for.
Start this week
- Decide which language you'll use, or American Sign Language, and list people you know who are fluent.
- Ask a language teacher or relative to practice a five-minute conversation with you, with a parent or classmate around.
- Choose a short speech to translate and time two minutes of it.
- Find a 200-word article or story in your language at the library and translate a paragraph a day.
Requirements · 4
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab).
- Requirement 1
Hold a five-minute conversation in the language
Tip: Practice talking with a family member, friend, or teacher who speaks the language. Pick everyday topics like school or hobbies.
For example: Talk about everyday topics for five minutes: your school day, your favorite food, your last campout, and your weekend plans. Ask questions back so it's a real conversation and not a speech.
- Requirement 2
Translate a two-minute speech or address
Tip: Listen to a short speech or video and practice translating out loud. Start with slower speakers.
For example: Choose a two-minute passage, like part of a famous speech or a short school assembly talk, and translate it out loud while someone reads it slowly. It's fine to pause between sentences.
- Requirement 3
Write a letter in the language (doesn't apply to sign language)
Tip: Write a short letter to a pen pal or relative. Ask a fluent speaker to look it over.
For example: Write to a relative or a teacher: introduce yourself, describe a recent campout, and ask two questions. Have a fluent speaker check the grammar and spelling, and fix what they mark.
- Requirement 4
Translate 200 words of written text
Tip: Choose a short article or story and translate it carefully. Have a teacher or fluent speaker review it.
For example: Two hundred words is about the length of a short news article or a few paragraphs of a story. Translate it on paper, then compare with a fluent speaker's version to see what you missed.
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
A community cultural center or Deaf community event
You'll hear or see the language the way people really use it, with all its slang and speed.
How: Have a parent check the calendar for public events, classes, or festivals, and go together.
Where it can lead
- Interpreter or translatorHelps people communicate in courts, hospitals, schools, and businesses.
- ASL interpreterInterprets between spoken English and American Sign Language in classrooms, workplaces, and events.
- Military linguistUses language skills for the armed forces, often with paid training.
- Foreign Service officerRepresents the U.S. at embassies abroad, where language skills are a big advantage.
Ask yourself
- Why do you want to share this language, and who has it connected you with?
- What's hardest for you to translate: jokes, idioms, or fast speech?
- When could your skill help someone at a Scouting event or in your community?
- How does knowing another language change the way you think about people learning English?
Good questions to ask a language teacher or fluent speaker
- What mistakes do learners of this language make most often?
- How do you translate an idiom that doesn't exist in English?
- What's the best way to keep improving outside of class?
- Which careers use this language every day?
Helpful reads
For leaders & parents
- Help Scouts find a qualified person, like a language teacher, to review their work.
- Invite Scouts with this strip to help at events where translation is needed.
People & places that can help
- School language teachers — Can help you practice and review your work.
- Public library — Language books, videos, and practice materials.
- Local cultural center or deaf community center — Places to practice with fluent speakers or signers.
- Interpreter Strip (opens in a new tab) — Scouting America's official requirements for the strip.
- National Association of the Deaf: ASL (opens in a new tab) — What American Sign Language is and why it matters to the Deaf community.
- NIDCD: What Is ASL? (opens in a new tab) — A clear explanation of American Sign Language from the National Institutes of Health.
- U.S. Department of State Careers (opens in a new tab) — Jobs in diplomacy where speaking another language is a real asset.
Pairs well with
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Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.