Excerpt from: Language and Culture
|
 |
| November 06, 2006 | | Connie Camelo, Director of Interpreter Services at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, explains her job and the skills necessary for successful medical language interpreting. | “What are some of the most common misperceptions about your work?
'That every bilingual person can be an interpreter. That’s not the case at all. Our interpreters have to pass a 92-hour training program and have both verbal and written fluency in the language. We also tell people that the demand is across many languages, not just one. Our most frequently used services involve interpreters for Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese and Albanian.'
What makes a good interpreter?
'They have to have a basic level of medical terminology in both languages to enroll in our training program, which is 52 hours in the classroom and another 40 working with a staff member. You also have to understand the patients’ culture and the American culture. It’s also important to be able to adjust to sudden and unexpected changes. They also have to be good communicators, mediators and have excellent interpersonal skills.'”
Extract from the Worcester Telegram
Ms. Camelo clearly defines why interpreters must have professional training and familiarity with their subject matter as well as excellent language skills. At Language Translation Inc. in San Diego, our interpreting service works only with highly qualified professionals who follow a strict Code of Ethics while performing their professional duties. Whether your subject is software, technology, engineering, law or medicine, Language Translation Inc. provides interpreters who will match your specific requirements and needs. “We speak your language...and theirs.”
Betty Carlson | | |
|
|
