The role of the interpreter in an education setting can include performing a variety of different tasks. For instance, the interpreting may take place in a classroom in which the interpreter may need to interpret the teacher's lecture for a student, or vice-versa. More often, however, education interpreting is found between a school's faculty and staff and the parents of the students. This can occur during parent/teacher conferences, or on a larger scale at a school assembly. While many foreign-born students who came with their parents to America have learned English, the parents of these students have often received no training in the English language, and therefore require interpreters to be present whenever there is interaction between the parents and the faculty and staff.

Research interpreting also falls under the category of education interpreting. This form of interpreting involves facilitating communication between researchers and their subjects. For example, research interpreting is often used when researchers conduct interviews among immigrants.