If your business or organization works with non-English speaking or Limited English Proficient (LEP) customers or employees, you likely have a need for an interpreter. Interpretation involves the “rendering of spoken or signed information from a source language to a target language in oral or signed form, conveying both the register and meaning of the […]
Here at Affordable Languages we’ve worked with numerous interpreters. Over time we’ve identified the core skills that make a great interpreter. Here they are: Punctuality: This one is pretty straightforward, so I don’t really need to get into too many details. A good interpreter will show early, at the right place, ready to begin interpreting […]
I recently came across an article regarding the use of interpreters in the medical field and its impact on the patients’ well being. Sometimes when resources are not available or when medical providers are not aware of the services provided by their institutions, there is a misconception that anyone who is bilingual can render a […]
The need for professional interpreters is growing exponentially in today’s global marketplace. Whether you are a business owner who needs to speak with international investors, a clinician in an emergency room or urgent care setting, or an attorney who needs to communicate with witnesses who are not native English speakers, professional interpreters are an essential […]
May is known as a time for new growth and it’s been a busy month at Affordable Language Services. Because of the increasing requests for our interpreting services, we have been adding to our interpreting team, including staff interpreters, recruiters and scheduling. As you can imagine, everyone here has been busy keeping our customers happy […]
Are You Bilingual? Use your skills to help people communicate! One in five people residing in the United States is bilingual. That’s 80 million people! But did you know that almost 9% of the population only has Limited English Proficiency? 9% may seem like a small number, but in reality 9% of America is over […]
Skype recently announced the first working approximation of Douglas Adams’s famous Babel fish: The Babel fish is small, yellow, leech-like, and probably the oddest thing in the universe. It feeds on brain wave energy, absorbing all unconscious frequencies and then excreting telepathically a matrix formed from the conscious frequencies and nerve signals picked up from the speech centres of […]
On March 17th, 2014, twenty-four medical interpreters graduated from the Bridging the Gap Program. There were seven languages represented in the training: Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Turkish, Nepali, French, and Japanese. Bridging the Gap is a well-recognized medical interpreter education program with a presence in 31 states, the District of Columbia and Qatar. Why is it […]
What would you do if an individual walked into your place of work and did not speak English? Would you know if this person is legally entitled to an interpreter? Better yet, would you provide the individual an interpreter, or would you turn them away because you were not able to communicate with them? Many […]
There are a myriad of questions you could ask to determine if a medical interpreter is capable of doing a good job. During the patient encounter, of course, you can’t audit their performance because you don’t know the language—that’s why you need them in the first place! So here are some straightforward questions you can […]