The Need for Interpretation Services in America is Growing
The need to overcome language barriers has become a common occurrence in America. The opportunity presents itself every day while conducting business, treating a patient, or dealing with legal matters. More and more as our population grows and people immigrate to new countries, we are faced with situations in which we need the aid of professional interpretation services in order to effectively facilitate communication between individuals who do not speak the same language. Our communities are filled with various cultures and languages, and the diversity will only continue to grow. This means that businesses, healthcare providers, and government organizations will need to accommodate the language needs of their limited English proficient (LEP) customers, patients, and clients. So much so, that it is now the law, under the Affordable Care Act, Section 1557, for medical facilities to provide professional interpreters and information about language access free of charge and in a timely manner, in order to better treat LEP patients.
Diversity can strengthen a community by merging contrasting thoughts, concepts, and cultures; however, as with any societal change there will be a multitude situations faced which need new solutions in order to be resolved. Interpretation services are now more popular and proliferant than ever before; language service companies have devised various interpretation solutions that will bridge language gaps across all industries. When a successful interpretation is completed, everyone involved walks away feeling confident in the fact that everything they said, and that was said to them, was clearly understood. Whether it is on-site interpretation, over-the-phone interpretation or video remote interpretation (VRI), there are many ways in which you can ensure you are optimizing your interpretation experience in order to receive the best and most precise outcome.
Before the Interpretation
Preparation for every interpretation may not be feasible due to the circumstances, however if there is an opportunity in which one is able to have a brief conversation with the interpreter before the session (known as a pre-session) then it would be a good idea to spend a few moments going over important details that may help during the actual interpretation, such as:
- Names and correct pronunciations.
- Background on the businesses or facilities, including confidentiality policies.
- Specialized industry information, terminology, or jargon that will be used.
- Establish a positive rapport with the interpreter.
- Discuss expectations for the interpretation session.
During the Interpretation
While you are participating in an interpretation session keep in mind these suggestions that can help you to ensure you’re getting the most out of your interpretation experience:
- Introduce yourself to the interpreter as well as the LEP individual.
- Face and speak directly to the LEP individual, the interpreter is there only to facilitate communication – focus on making eye contact and engaging with the LEP individual as if the interpreter is not in the room at all.
- A professional interpreter will speak in the first person in order to minimize confusion. You should also speak in the first person directly to the LEP individual. For example, don’t tell the interpreter to ask the LEP individual how they broke their arm, instead say, “How did you break your arm?”
- Use short and concise sentences and try to avoid any idioms or colloquialisms that are only locally used and understood.
- Do not oversimplify important information that you are providing the LEP individual. The interpreter is trained, and in some cases certified, so say what you need to say.
- Allow the interpreter time to speak; this may mean pausing every so often in order to allow enough time for the conversion of the conversation to take place. The interpreter may need time to organize the information to ensure a successful interpretation.
- Check with the interpreter to make sure you‘re not speaking too fast or too slowly.
- Try your best to be sensitive to the person whom you are speaking’s culture and attempt to avoid any body language or words that may be offensive.
- Due to the consecutive nature of most interpretation sessions, you need to factor in extra time in order to complete the session as it will take longer than a single language exchange. If time is critical, a simultaneous interpreter is your better option.
- Do not carry on side conversations with the interpreter, this can muddy the waters and allow room for error, as well as create an appearance of bias.
- Speak clearly and enunciate your words, the interpreter must understand what you’re saying in order to interpret it correctly.
- Do not say anything that you do not want interpreted. The interpreter’s job is to interpret everything that they hear including off comments, side conversations, and profanity.
Interpretation services provide an immediate understanding of the spoken word in another language. Interpreters take pride in helping people communicate with one another and have great skills, however these helpful tips will ensure that you are doing everything you can to provide the best environment for a successful interpretation. Niki’s Int’l Ltd. is a language service provider who can provide your business, healthcare facility, or organization with a number of professional interpretation services. Niki’s Int’l Ltd. is dedicated to ensuring that their clients experience seamless communication with their interpreting services; their experienced interpreters will always be prepared to deliver excellent services for any of your interpretation needs. Additionally, their strict quality control processes assure that they match your needs with the most qualified interpreter for you.
Niki’s Int’l Ltd. is a WBENC-Certified Women Business Enterprise with 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.