Imagine your house is on fire. You frantically dial 911, but the operator hangs up because you spoke in Spanish. A terrifying thought, right? Unfortunately, this may have happened to Heriberto Santiago Jr. of Allentown, Pennsylvania on July 27, 2020.

 

Former 911 dispatchers have filed a lawsuit claiming that the operator who answered the call made no effort to connect with a translation service. As a result, Santiago and his nephew died in a house fire. The lawsuit goes on to allege that discrimination against Spanish speakers was a common practice at Lehigh County’s emergency call center. And while the country solicitor has dismissed the claim, the incident highlights the need for 911 interpreters.

 

The Vital Role of 911 Interpreters

 

Had the operator connected with a 911 interpreter, Santiago and his nephew may have survived. Santiago could have explained that his three story-home was on fire, and that he needed firefighters to arrive right away. Yet two people lost their lives partly because of a language barrier.

 

However, not just anyone who is bilingual can fulfill the role. 911 interpreters are actually specialized medical interpreters who undergo training to assist during these high-stakes calls. They must learn how to remain calm and accurately communicate in even the most stressful situations.

 

911 Interpreters at Boostlingo

 

Beyond language skills and nerves of steel, independent 911 interpreters who join our Boostlingo Professional Interpreters Network (BPIN) must meet the following requirements:

 

• A minimum of 60 hours of medical interpreter training.
• A minimum of three years of medical interpreting experience.
• Completion of required continuing education units (CEUs).
• Evidence of current HIPAA compliance, which must be updated every two years.

 

Interpreters must also follow our established protocol. Here’s how it works: someone makes an emergency call, and it’s routed to the requested language and type. The interpreter then answers the call with the greeting, “Hello my name is NAME and my ID number is NUMBER, and I am your language interpreter. How may I help you?”

 

If you’d like to learn more about the process, check out our blog Taking Emergency Calls: A Spotlight on 911 Interpreters.

 

Partner with Us

 

As you can see, 911 interpreters play an essential role in any jurisdiction’s emergency service. Providing an interpreter can make the difference between life or death when someone calls for assistance. Because of this, the interpreters in our BPIN network are among the best in the industry.

 

Want to learn more about how we can assist your emergency call center? Contact us today!

Despite the increasing demand for interpreters, those who hire them typically know little about the profession. As a result, numerous misconceptions about training, requirements, and costs continue to spread. To dispel some of the misinformation, we’re tackling three of the most common myths about interpreting.

 

1. Anyone who is bilingual can be an interpreter. While someone must be fluent in two or more languages to interpret, it’s only the first step. Professional interpreters typically complete a specialized interpretation program which includes a minimum of 40 hour of training on linguistics, best practices, and ethics. Medical interpreters and legal interpreters must also obtain federal and/or state certification and complete continuing education units to maintain it.

 

In addition to training, professional interpreters must adhere to a code of ethics and remain neutral. Asking an employee, friend, or family member to interpret can create a conflict of interest, and may be illegal in some situations.

 

2. Interpreters and translators are interchangeable. The words “interpret” and “translate” are often used interchangeably. However, the two roles are very different. An interpreter translates orally from one language to another, while a translator translates the written word.

 

In some instances, an interpreter will need to review a short document and translate it orally. This is known as sight translation, which is a hybrid of translation and interpretation. However, sight translation isn’t appropriate for longer documents such as a patient’s bill of rights. When you have a longer document or need a copy in another language, you should hire a professional translator.

 

3. Professional interpreters are too expensive. Depending on the specialization and language pair, an onsite interpreter can cost upwards of $100 per hour. For many organizations, the cost may make hiring someone seem out of reach. Yet the cost of not hiring a professional interpreter may be even greater. Interpreting mistakes—especially in the medical and legal fields—can lead to expensive, and sometimes catastrophic errors.

 

When budget constraints are an issue, remote options such as over-the-phone (OPI) and video remote (VRI) can serve as affordable alternatives to onsite interpreting. When you hire a remote interpreter, you’ll save time and money because you can connect with someone in minutes and forgo the transportation costs.

 

How Boostlingo Can Help

 

As you can see, professional interpreters—whether onsite or remote—play an essential role in communication and industry compliance. However, you may be unsure of how to find one that meets you needs. That’s where we come in.

 

With the Boostlingo interpretation platform, you can connect with an interpreter either over the phone or via video remote in minutes. All you need is an internet connection and a computer or tablet for video calls. Plus, you’ll get access to the Boostlingo Professional Interpreting Network (BPIN), which includes over 10,000 interpreters who speak over 200 languages.

 

Think Boostlingo is right for you? Start your free trial today!

Nestled on the island of Hispaniola, Haiti is known for its beautiful beaches, rich cultural heritage, and resilient people. Yet due to the triple tragedy of natural disasters, gang violence, and COVID-19, thousands of Haitians are fleeing their homeland. Even those who make it to the U.S. still face shurdles before establishing a permanent home. One of those hurdles? The lack of access to Haitian Creole interpreters.

Although French is an official language of Haiti, only 5 to 10% of Haitians are functionally bilingual in both languages. And while Haitian Creole traces its roots back to French, they aren’t mutually intelligible. That means French interpreters are typically unable to accurately interpret for Haitian Creole speakers.

French vs. Haitian Creole

Haitian Creole wouldn’t exist without French. In fact, the two languages share about 90% of the same vocabulary. Yet Haitian Creole differs from contemporary French in several significant ways. Here are just four:

• Pronunciation. Haitian Creole is based on 17^th Century French, which is why pronunciation differs from contemporary French.
• Vocabulary. Haitian Creole vocabulary has been influenced by Spanish, Portuguese, West African languages—and more recently—English. Many cognates also have different meanings.
• Grammar. Verbs aren’t conjugated in Haitian Creole. The tense is understood based on the presence or absence of a tense marker that precedes the verb. Genders for nouns are also largely absent.
• Spelling. Haitian Creole has its own orthography.

Given these major differences, it’s easy to see why a French interpreter would struggle when working with a Haitian Creole speaker. The problem lies in the fact that there are roughly 274 million French speakers worldwide compared to 10 to 12 million Haitian Creole speakers.

Haitian Creole and Remote Interpreting

Fortunately, remote interpreting options have made it easier than ever to connect with a Haitian Creole interpreter, regardless of location. Both over-the-phone (OPI) and video remote  interpreting (VRI) serve as fast, affordable alternatives to onsite sessions. With remote interpreting, you can connect with a Haitian Creole interpreter in minutes—which is especially important in settings such as healthcare. It can also help you assist Haitians who need to access legal aid, social services, and more.

With the Boostlingo Unified Interpretation Platform, you not only gain access to OPI and VRI options, but the Boostlingo Professional Interpreting Network (BPIN) as well. Haitian Creole is just one of over 200 languages available, and that includes On-Demand 24/7 service for OPI. (We recommend pre-scheduling VRI calls.)

Think Boostlingo may be right for you? Contact us today to start your free trial!

Did you know? September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month! Established in 1988, it commemorates the contributions, cultures, and heritage of Hispanic Americans. In honor of this occasion, we’re highlighting the works of influential Latin American interpreters and translators throughout history.

 

Marina “La Malinche” (c. 1500 – 1529)

 

A Nahua woman from the Mexican Gulf coast, Marina served as an interpreter, advisor, and negotiator for the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. She was given to the Spanish by the Tabasco Indians, and would go on to play a vital role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire.

 

Born Malintzin, she was later baptized as a Catholic and named Marina. She also gave birth to Cortés’s first son, making her the symbolic mother of Mexico. To this day, she remains a controversial figure as both a victim of conquest and a traitor to her homeland.

 

Gaspar Antonio Chi (c. 1531 – 1610)

 

Also known as Gaspar Antonio de Herrera, Gaspar Antonio Chi was a Mayan noble and interpreter for King Charles V of Spain. He primarily interpreted between Spanish and Mayan languages, but also understood Latin.

 

During his sessions with Charles V, he recounted life under colonial rule and provided vital information about geography, the Mayan people, and cultures in the Yucatan. Chi also served as a primary source for Diego de Lana’s book Relacíon de las cosas Yucatan, which catalogued Mayan words, phrases, and hieroglyphics.

 

Jorge Luis Borges (1899 – 1986)

 

Jorge Luis Borges was an Argentinian fiction writer, poet, essayist, and translator. He is best known for his short story collections, which helped introduce Argentinian literature and culture to the wider world.

 

A gifted translator, Borges translated “The Happy Prince” by Oscar Wilde into Spanish when he was just nine years old. He went on to translate the works of Edgar Allen Poe, Franz Kafka, and Virginia Woolf, among other authors.

 

Gregory Rabassa (1922 – 2016)

 

Born to Cuban emigres in Yorkers, New York, Gregory Rabassa was a literary translator and university professor. He translated both Spanish and Portuguese literature into English.

 

Rabassa is best known for translating works by major Latin American novelists such as Julio Cortázar, José Amado, and Gabriel García Márquez—including his seminal novel One Hundred Years of Solitude. He received a PEN Translation Prize in 1977 and the PEN/Ralph Manheim Translation Prize in 1982.

 

He also taught at Columbia University and Queens College in New York City for many years.

 

Are there any Hispanic linguists you’d like to celebrate this month? Let us know in the comments!

Despite efforts to assist vulnerable Afghans during the U.S. evacuation of Afghanistan, tens of thousands remain in danger. Those who assisted U.S. and NATO troops—including interpreters—are among the highest risk of being arrested or killed by the Taliban.

 

As part of our commitment to the interpreting community, we’ve compiled information on how interpreters and other refugees can resettle in the UK and how our readers can help them.

 

For U.S. resources, click here. For Canadian resources, click here.

 

Government Programs

 

Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy

 

Great Britain has announced plans to accept 5,000 Afghans during the first year of its Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP). The program, which will remain open indefinitely, offers relocation and other assistance to current and former Locally Employed Staff in Afghanistan.

 

Under this policy, any current or former Locally Employed Staff directly employed by HMG whose life is at risk can apply for ARAP. This is regardless of employment status, rank or role, or length of time served.

 

Eligible Afghans can apply through an online form, regardless of their current location—including Afghanistan.

 

Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme

 

The country also plans to accept up to 20,000 Afghan refugees in the long term under the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme. This scheme aims to resettle Afghan nationals who are most vulnerable, including women, girls, and religious minorities. The British government is urgently working to open this route and will announce further details once they’re available.

 

How You Can Help

 

If you’d like to help Afghans who are resettling in the UK, here are three organizations that are accepting donations and need volunteers.

 

Refugee Council

 

Founded in 1951, the Refugee Council works directly with refugees in the UK. The organization helps them integrate into their new communities, provides mental health services, and assists children who have arrived alone.

 

If you’d like to donate online, you can do so here. You can also host fundraising events or volunteer.

 

Care4Calais

 

The volunteer-run charity Care4Calais works with refugees in the UK, France, and Belgium. It provides direct aid through donations of clothing, shoes, cell phones, and other essential items.

 

You can donate items at your nearest drop off location or purchase a welcome pack, which will be given to an Afghan refugee in need. If you’d like to volunteer, contact [email protected].

 

British Red Cross  

 

The British Red Cross, which is on the ground in all 34 of Afghanistan’s provinces, is also collecting donations to assist Afghans who have relocated to the UK. Staff and volunteers are providing emotional support and essential items, including clothing, blankets, hygiene products, and baby supplies.

 

If you’d like to donate to, click here. You can also get involved by raising funds or by volunteering.

 

Remember, whether it’s donating, volunteering, or simply sharing this information, the smallest action can make a big difference!

 

As the situation remains fluid, we encourage you to leave information about any other legitimate organization in the comments. We will keep this article up-to-date as the humanitarian crisis unfolds.