Australia Sets New Standards for Translators and Interpreters:
The National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI), a company jointly owned by the nine governments of Australia, has made acute changes to the current accreditation system for professional translators and interpreters. A system in place for the past 40 years, will be replaced January 2018, with an updated reform transitioning professionals from accredited to certified. NAATI CEO Mark Painting said, “This will level the playing field by ensuring all practitioners will need to meet the same requirements (via recertification) to continue holding their credential.” Robert Foote, NAATI Manager of Development states, “The goal of the organization is to serve the needs of the Australian community by ensuring that there is a pool of highly skilled translators and interpreters.” The need for the reform stems from the growth in diversity within Australian communities through the recent years, something America has been dealing with for a while.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics, released a 2016 Census report, of the 6,163,667 people living in Australia who were born overseas, nearly one in five, 18%, had arrived since the start of 2012. Over 300 different languages are spoken in Australian homes, meaning one in five, around 21% of Australians speak a language other than English at home. After English the five most common languages spoken at home in Australia were Mandarin with 596,711 speakers, Arabic with 321,728 speakers, Cantonese with 280,943 speakers, Vietnamese with 277,400 speakers and Italian with 271,597 speakers. Migration is an ever expanding situation, however, when people set up shop in new countries, language barriers can complicate communication in everyday interactions.
How America is Dealing with the Increase in Language Diversity:
The growing diversity Australians are now experiencing is a situation Americans have been facing for years. Diversity in America has prompted many laws to be put in place in order to protect the rights of limited English proficient (LEP) individuals living in the States. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, are laws in America aiming to observe the needs of people with limitations and disabilities, while prohibiting discrimination. These laws are helping to ensure LEP individuals are extended the right to communicate successfully while receiving services offered in mainstream American society. Healthcare facilities, dental offices, legal and courtroom settings, schools, banks, pretty much anywhere you may need to interact and a language barrier can prevent communication from happening. Many American businesses, facilities, and organizations have partnered with professional language services companies in order to gain access to interpreters and translators who can ensure communication is effectively facilitated.
Partnering with a Language Service Company, Provides a Link to Bridge Language Gaps:
Language services such as on-site, telephone or video remote interpretation (VRI) are aiding LEP individuals in almost every industry across America. Perhaps an LEP individual is having a heart attack and is being rushed to the emergency room, upon arrival an interpreter can be accessed within minutes using VRI or telephone interpretation. These services are providing a solution to break down language barriers that can cause substandard care and possible malpractice within healthcare facilities. LEP individuals who find themselves in legal situations can have a court interpreter present to ensure all parties involved are on the same page. Small misunderstandings in a court of law can be detrimental to the outcome, it’s important people have the ability to understand and be understood regardless of the language they speak. It’s dire in this age of cultural diversity, that a standard is implemented to be observed in order for professional translators and interpreters to work in the field. Creating a standard can ensure when language services are called on, the professional providing the service is in fact, qualified to handle the task. The demand for professional translators and interpreters in growing in many countries because of the increase in diversity seen in recent years. The attempt to regulate and standardize the language industry in Australia reflects the growing need for professional linguists and the essential language services they provide.
Niki’s Int’l Ltd. is a WBENC-Certified Women Business Enterprise with over 20 years of language service experience. A global network of highly skilled interpreters and translators are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for on-site, telephonic and video remote interpretation services. Our linguists are available in over 350 languages and dialects, and our network includes certified interpreters and translators. Our work is guaranteed with a $1 Million Errors & Omissions policy, so that you can be confident that your project will be completed with the highest level of quality and professionalism within the field. For more information contact us at 1-877-567-8449 or visit our website at www.nilservices.com.