Once in a while, an Open Day on the Interpreting profession has taken place at the European Commission premises. One of the meeting rooms of the European Commission, equipped with thirteen interpreting booths, was open to the public to try and be an interpreter for a day or just listen to the professional interpreters who talked about their profession. It was an initiative to raise awareness of the wonders of the interpreter’s profession among the general public, and all the people who had been interviewed were very impressed and curious about interpreters. Particular focus was given to simultaneous interpretation and the difference between interpreting (oral) and translation (written).
It is important to understand how other people see us and our profession. It is important to remember that not everyone understands how interpretation works, therefore the need for a briefing before a session becomes immediately clear.
There is also a video online showing the difference between two situations, one in which appropriate language assistance is not provided at a healthcare facility in the US, and another one in which the LEP patient is treated with the appropriate care.
In the first scene, a Vietnamese speaking person arrives and the receptionist cannot even identify what Asian language he speaks, so he is unable to receive medical assistance. In the second scene, the receptionist has a template with the names of different Asian languages, so the patient can point to his own language and a Vietnamese interpreter is immediately called to assist the patient.
The video is surely helpful for a medical interpreter, especially for explaining the problems that may occur to a provider who does not understand the role of a qualified interpreter at a healthcare facility.
In need of an Italian interpreter in Rome for English, Spanish, or Portuguese? Call +393336841604 or contact info@speakando.net.
