Cafe Lingo

Today we start a series of posts spotlighting professional organizations for interpreters and translators. There are many benefits to joining a professional organization such as being listed in a member directory, receiving access to free or discounted classes, and opportunities to network with colleagues. The latter is especially important now – in the era of social distancing and cancelled events, it can be hard to find ways to connect with fellow interpreters. This is where professional communities come in – and today, we are learning about one such community: Northwest Translators and Interpreters Society (NOTIS), a Chapter of the American Translators Association (ATA).

About NOTIS 

Having started as an informal group of ATA members in Washington state, the Northwest Translators and Interpreters Society held its inaugural meeting at the University of Washington on June 4, 1988. As of today, NOTIS has 575 active members in the five states it covers (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska), which makes NOTIS the biggest chapter in the ATA. 

Member benefits include being listed in the online member directory, getting access to a members-only job board, an opportunity to be published in the NOTIS newsletter and blog, opportunities to attend NOTIS events free or at a reduced members-only rate, and a chance to win a NOTIS Translation/Interpretation Scholarship. 

To find out what makes NOTIS a community worth joining, we interviewed Shelley Fairweather-Vega, NOTIS president and freelance Russian to English translator.

Who should consider joining NOTIS? 

Shelley Fairweather-Vega: “Everyone who works in any language field in the Pacific Northwest! We’re the professional home of interpreters and translators at all stages of their careers (students to retirees), working in all fields (medical to literary), working in all kinds of settings (tech companies to courts, freelance and in-house). We often work alone, and time with our colleagues is priceless. NOTIS brings people together to compare notes on language services across different languages and fields. By learning more about the work our colleagues do, we gain a better perspective on our own work and discover more possibilities for our own future careers. 

The benefits of a robust local organization are more obvious when we can get together in person. In pre-COVID times, every NOTIS workshop or happy hour brought in colleagues new to the field or new to the organization, who were always happy to discover this professional community waiting for them.

Now, with events all online, it’s more difficult to get a sense of that local camaraderie. But it’s still there. We have not seen a dropoff in membership since the pandemic hit, even though some of our members have experienced a drop in income during these difficult times. That tells me that our members value belonging to NOTIS and intend to stick with us until we can see each other in person again. And meanwhile, our online events have been extremely well-attended. NOTIS offers trainings that other organizations are not providing, everything from small literary translation workshops to sessions on very specific medical terminology for interpreters, court interpreting skills to discussions on vicarious trauma. Membership is inexpensive – student membership is just $15 per year, and individual professional membership is $45. We always welcome new members.”

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on Latino communities across the United States. In a recent NPR interview, Dr. Joseph Betancourt of Massachusetts General Hospital cites two troubling statistics: Latinos are hospitalized at 4X the rate of White Americans and make up 26% of the deaths.

Why the Coronavirus Hits Latino Communities Harder

Several factors, including the virus’ long incubation period, have created a perfect storm, according to Dr. Betancourt. First, Latinos are more likely to be essential workers, which increases their risk of exposure. They also tend to live in densely populated areas and often live with extended family, making it easier for the virus to spread.

However, these aren’t the only reasons COVID-19 has taken a stronghold. Unfortunately, Latinos are also more likely to:

• Suffer from pre-existing conditions such as diabetes and asthma.
• Have less access to healthcare.
• Face immigration issues that deter them from seeking care.
• Experience language barriers in healthcare settings.

How to Improve Healthcare Outcomes

While investment in public health and changes to immigration policy are necessary for long-term improvements, there are several ways healthcare providers can help today. Dr. Betancourt recommends:

• Getting public health messages out in ways the Latino communities understand, preferably from trusted speakers.
• Building trust by acknowledging mistakes experts have made, such as discouraging the use of face masks.
• Making healthcare more culturally and linguistically competent.

That last point is especially important for healthcare professionals who are battling Coronavirus on the front lines. Medical interpreters have traditionally arrived onsite to help patients and healthcare providers communicate, yet that’s not longer a safe option during the pandemic. Here’s where telehealth and remote interpreting come in.

How to Safely Bridge the Language Gap

Boostlingo’s over-the-phone interpreting and video remote interpreting options make it easy to connect with a qualified Spanish-speaking interpreter in seconds. Patients can speak with a medical professional in their native language at home via telehealth or in a hospital setting, without putting the interpreter at risk.

Our new video conferencing feature allows multiple parties in different locations to join the call to ensure the best possible outcomes. For example, a doctor who’s treating a patient with a pre-existing condition may want to invite a specialist to the call. Or a caretaker may need to speak with a doctor or nurse about treatment options and precautions to take. Plus, it’s easy to use! Our HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform requires no installation, and users never need to login. Because we’ve designed it with limited-English speakers in mind, your patients no longer have to shy away from telehealth.

Want to learn more about how Boostlingo can help you improve patient care? Contact us today to schedule your free demo!

The demand for interpreters in the United States is projected to rise by 19% through 2028. That means now is the perfect time to either start your career or sharpen your skills. And one of the best ways to skill up is to specialize in one or more fields. However, fields such a medical and legal interpreting have a range of requirements you may need to meet.

Let’s take deeper dive into legal interpreting to cover the education, training, and credentials you’ll need to succeed in the field.

Education and Training for Legal Interpreters

Courts and other employers often require legal interpreters to hold a bachelor’s degree. Some legal interpreters have a degree in foreign languages, translation studies, or legal studies, but you can enter the field even if you studied another subject.

Many colleges and universities throughout the United States offer interpreting certificates, which require a set number of training hours to complete. (These programs are different from state certifications).

You can also enroll in training programs and workshops offered by state courts, local and national interpreting organizations.

If you want to become a court interpreter, you’ll need to train to perform the three mayor types of court interpreting: sight translation, consecutive interpreting, and simultaneous interpreting.

Court Interpreter Credentialing

There are two types of court interpreting certifications: state and federal. Here’s a quick overview of the requirements for each.

State Court Interpreter Certification

Although the requirements vary from state-to-state, you’ll need to pass a written and oral exam in English and a foreign language. State courts offer these exams. Many states also recognize certification through the Consortium for Language Access in Courts as well as the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators.

However, certification exams aren’t available for every language. If your state doesn’t offer a certification for your language, you may qualify to become a registered court interpreter.

Federal Court Interpreter Certification

Becoming a federal court interpreter is a challenging, yet rewarding process that can open the door to new opportunities. But here’s the catch—certification is only available for Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Navajo. If you speak one of these languages, you’ll need to take a written exam and an oral exam separately.

If you don’t speak one of these languages, you can become a professionally qualified interpreter. To do so, you’ll need to:

• Pass the U.S. Department of State conference or seminar interpreter test.
• Pass the United Nations interpreter test.
• And be a member in good standing of the Association Internationale des Interprètes de Conférence (AIIC) or the American Association of Language Specialists (TAALS).

Preparing for the Future

Once you’re ready to take the state or federal interpreting certification exam, there are plenty of resources to help you prepare. The National Center for State Courts’ self-assessment and study tools are a great starting point.

And if you’re already a working legal interpreter, check out Boostlingo’s interpretation platform. You can manage your onsite schedule, take on-demand phone requests, and more.

Too many people don’t pay enough attention to their ear health until it is too late. For interpreters, their ability to listen is the foundation of their job, and anything that impedes this could have huge ramifications for their chosen career. With many interpreters today working across a screen or using a headset to communicate, this puts their hearing at an increased risk of various conditions. In fact, one of the more common and serious conditions is acoustic shock syndrome, with recent reports showing that it is having an increasing impact on interpreters in political arenas.

What is acoustic shock syndrome?

To the uninitiated, it’s a condition that can arise after being exposed to loud sounds for extended periods of time. People describe it as feeling as though they have been electrocuted in the ear. If symptoms persist, it can result in far graver issues, including loss of hearing and even emotional reactions like post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression.

What are the symptoms of acoustic shock syndrome?

Most of the symptoms associated with acoustic shock syndrome occur due to the strong muscle contraction in the middle ear after exposure to what is perceived as a traumatic sound. People who experience it report symptoms like headaches, tinnitus, ear pain, nausea, jaw and neck pain, fluttering noises in the ear, poor balance, hypersensitivity, and fatigue.

Who is susceptible to incurring acoustic shock syndrome?

The most vulnerable to acoustic trauma are usually those who are repeatedly exposed to noise levels over 85 decibels. This includes people who work with loud industrial equipment, those who frequently attend concerts and festivals, those who frequent and work at gun ranges, and professionals who have to wear headsets for extended periods, like interpreters and call center representatives.

Who to see for acoustic shock syndrome?

If you are experiencing one or more of the above symptoms it is vital that you see a specialist as soon as possible. Today many medical professionals now study these types of conditions at degree level, and often as a specialist subject. Those who take a course in communication sciences and disorders, whether as a bachelor’s or master’s degree, will be trained in different areas of audiology. Indeed, these audiologist graduates are needed today more than ever, as an estimated 40 million Americans struggle with speech, language, and/or hearing disorders. Not only can they help with treating the condition if you have it, but they can also help in guiding you on how to communicate to those who may also have this disorder. Something an interpreter could easily encounter.

How can one avoid acoustic shock syndrome?

It’s no secret that hearing loss cannot be reversed. The best thing you can do now is to protect your ears from loud noises and avoid experiences where you’ll be exposed to higher decibels. You may also want to look into using headsets that are specially designed to protect hearing. There are a plethora of high-quality headsets on the market with built-in amplifiers that provide some degree of protection from excessive noise. They are engineered to lower the sound automatically when high pitched tones are detected.

For more information on how those with limited English-speaking skills can have access to healthcare, our post on telehealth will help them and their interpreters ensure they get the best treatment they need.

Written exclusively for Boostlingo.com

by Cassandra O’Grady

Some of the more common appointments healthcare interpreters can encounter are physical therapy (PT) and, to a lesser extent, occupational therapy (OT). These two kinds of therapies often go hand in hand (pun intended!) and can take place in pediatric, adult, and geriatric medicine, on an inpatient and outpatient basis. Both of these therapies might be helpful for a wide range of conditions as well as for patients recovering from a surgery, trauma, or illness. 

Considering the variety of settings and conditions associated with physical and occupational therapy, interpreters assisting during such appointments can expect to encounter, among other things, terminology related to the musculoskeletal system, childhood development and learning, descriptions of pain, commands, exercise equipment, and therapeutic tools and devices.

To help interpreters prepare for interpreting during physical and occupational therapy appointments, Boostlingo has put together some resources: from background knowledge to glossaries and videos, so read on to learn more! 

• Physical and occupational therapies are sometimes confused because of a certain overlap between the two and because these types of services might not be as common in other countries. So, start by reading this helpful article explaining the similarities and differences between physical and occupational therapy, as well as examples of situations in which both of these therapies might be used. 
• Get started on your glossary with these handy mini-glossaries for PT and OT. 
• Next, watch this Ted Talk which describes how occupational therapy can be used to help recover from a traumatic brain injury using a real-life story of a patient’s recovery. This story is both inspiring and informative, and you can turn on subtitles to help you with translating terminology used in the video – and to make it easier to add it to your glossary! 
• Read this blog post by Liz Essary, a Spanish interpreter, with hints and tips on preparing for and interpreting during physical therapy sessions. 
• Watch these video demos of physical and occupational therapy sessions, As you are watching, note down the words and phrases you think might pose a challenge for interpreting. You can also use these videos to practice your consecutive and simultaneous interpreting skills. 
  • After the Burn: Physical and Occupational Therapy
  • Occupational Therapy Evaluation After a Knee Replacement
  • Occupational Therapist Home Visit – Fall Prevention
  • Physical Therapy Evaluation After Knee Replacement Surgery

Conclusion

Professional medical interpreters are expected to possess a breadth of healthcare background knowledge and be proficient in medical terminology. In addition, interpretes engage in continuous professional development to make sure they are staying up-to-date on the latest developments in their field. Preparation for interpreting in common areas of healthcare is part of each interpreter’s continuous professional development, and after reading this article, you are that much more prepared to interpret during occupational and physical therapy sessions!