In June 1995, the capital city of Canada, Toronto, hosted the First International Conference on Community Interpreting. So where did community interpreting begin? Language and community interpreting date much further back than 1995.
In fact, it can be traced back to Ancient Egypt to the 3rd millennium BC. The first records of community interpreting and linguists being key participants in the community refer to a community interpreter supervisor that played an important role. And these records were found in an Egyptian prince’s tomb.
Other records tell us that this community interpreting was mainly linked to public administration. There are also records of these services throughout the middle ages. Their importance has always been relevant. So, where did community interpreting begin? In ancient times! Some of the very first interpreters helped the Pharaohs better communicate with their people.
What is the Meaning of Community Interpreting?
Community interpreting is an interpreting service that is generally offered at community-based events. The service provides services for communities of many different ethnic minority groups which allow them access to services where language barriers are a barrier. Professional interpreters have high levels of cultural competence and have always been key participants in historical events including World War II.
Where Did Community Interpreting Begin Being Recognized as a Career?
Australia recognized community interpreting as a profession in the early 70s. America only started acknowledging it as a solid career between 1980 and 1990. Today, becoming a community interpreting is a specialized career!
Community interpreting is a specialized interpreting style that’s facilitated in many communication settings. The purpose of community interpreting is to facilitate communication between two groups of people that don’t speak the same language. This is vital to implement important community services. And without the help of community interpreting, it would not be possible.
Naturally, a community interpreter must be a linguistic expert with deep knowledge of public services to translate conversations. In most cases, immigrants and refugees are the groups that rely most on community interpreting. Therefore, community interpreting is a vital resource for LEP (Limited English Proficiency) communities to gain access to social security, family services, and healthcare services.
More often than not, a community interpreter offers language services through simultaneous interpreting. However, it is not uncommon for them to be involved in remote and video interpreter services either.
Is There a Difference Between a Language Interpreter and a Community Interpreter?
Language interpreters are also known as intercultural mediators. These professionals are fluent in multiple languages so that they can translate back and forth between groups. And almost all interpreters specialize in just one specific field or industry. This is where the community interpreter comes in. Community interpreting is a specialized branch of language interpreter services.
Understanding the Role of a Community Interpreter
As you might understand by now, a community interpreter translates messages between groups of people that don’t speak the same language. In most cases, a community interpreter uses simultaneous interpreting. Their jobs often contain multiple important underlying roles. On top of being fluent in the source and target languages, a community interpreter also specializes in the public service they facilitate communication for. Furthermore, they also have a deep understanding of cultural sensitivities, which is of major importance for breaking the language barriers.
The language barrier is a major obstacle when it comes to improving public services. And therefore, many of these services cannot be implemented or improved without the help of a professional community interpreter.
Where Can You See Community Interpreters in Action?
Community interpreters work in a multitude of areas and social service settings to promote language access. Community interpreters often work for a non-profit organization. Some of the most common settings of community interpreting include:
Refugee and Resettlement Centers
Most people passing through refugee or resettlement centers as asylum seekers speak a language other than the operators of the organization. With the help of a community interpreter, asylum seekers can communicate without difficulties, and their needs can be addressed. New research shows that asylum seekers have a much higher chance of successfully resettling with the assistance of an interpreter within these social services settings. Professional interpreters have cultural competence, and thus, understand the intricacies of social norms and nuances.
Legal Settings
Many community interpreters specialize in the legal setting because this is where clear communication is of critical importance. Community legal interpreters work in-and-outside of the courtroom, including lawyer’s offices, immigration offices, and police stations or prison and detention centers.
Educational Institutions
You’ll often spot a community interpreter working within an educational setting. Sometimes, they are part of the educational team that assists with teaching children and adults that are not proficient in the same language as their teachers. These linguists facilitate communication between teachers, students, and counselors to help create a better learning environment for everyone involved. Community interpreting is especially important for individuals trying to learn the native language.
Medical Environments
Another common area of work for community interpreting is the medical and health care sector. Language barriers are a massive problem when it comes to getting access to health care services. And when a community interpreter is on call for medical interpretation, it’s much easier to ensure everyone has language access and access to care when and where they need it most. Community interpreters in this field often work in hospitals, clinic groups, and rehabilitation centers.
Hiring a Community Interpreter for Consecutive or Simultaneous Interpreting
Community interpreting services have the ability to knock the language barrier issues down. There is a multitude of ways in which community interpreting can be beneficial. And since community interpreting helps facilitate multilingual communications, it can also bring communities closer together.
At Day Interpreting, we understand the value of language interpreting. Language diversity and cultural nuances never have to be a roadblock to effective communication. As a trusted language service provider to thousands of organizations across the world, it has been our mission for 15 years to provide the best quality interpreting services. Our commitment to excellence in customer service and interpretation technology backs up our core mission.
Day Interpreting is a leader in interpreter services and is ready to help you with whatever your interpreting needs might be! Get in touch with us today to learn more about our community interpreters and our full suite of professional interpreting solutions! From in-person to telephone interpreting, our representatives are ready to help you provide language access to those that need it most.
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