What To Look For In A Spanish Interpreting Service

By Beryl Dalton


With globalization, there will be times when you need to communicate with people who don't speak any English at all or whose English is not good enough for them to express complicated ideas. Especially people from the Latin American countries don't often speak English since their language is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world too. This is why it's important to choose the best Spanish interpreting service for your communication needs.

In parts of the USA, Spanish is also a good language to communicate in with local communities, many of which are made up of immigrants. The country now has more speakers of the language than Spain does. In many parts of Miami FL, it's the predominant language and you won't be able to conduct business if you speak English only or don't make use of the services of an interpreter.

There is a big difference between a translator and an interpreter. A translator focuses on the details and uses different resources, including dictionaries, to faithfully reproduce the text in a different language. An interpreter, however, works with the spoken word. He or she needs to change whatever is being said into the target language almost immediately. There is no time to look up words or phrases and instead of the details, the interpreter looks at the main ideas.

There are many different reasons why you might need an interpreter to help you. In a city with a large Hispanic population, government services often have interpreters on their payroll to help with new immigrants or with law enforcement. In the private sector, everyone from doctors to shopkeepers may need to communicate with clients who cannot speak English very well. If you do business with companies from Latin America, you'll need an interpreter for day-to-day transactions but also for meetings and conferences.

The first thing to look for in a potential interpreter is whether the person can actually do the job. Court interpreters and medical interpreters usually need specialized certification. For business or other purposes, however, formal certification is not as important as suitable experience. You only need to look at the person's references and their previous clients.

Your chosen interpreter should have experience in your specific field. While a court interpreter may be highly qualified, he or she does not necessarily know business terms, for instance. There are also different kinds of interpreting and if you want someone to accompany a business delegation, the right candidate will know how to deal with groups on a face-to-face basis. In a conference setting, the best person is one who knows the technology involved.

You also need to remember that Spanish speakers come from vastly different backgrounds. Each country has its own particular expressions and accent and you may want to choose an interpreter who comes from the same cultural background as the people you're going to be dealing with. For example, if your clients are mainly Cuban, it makes sense to pick an interpreter with Cuban ties.

There are different places where you can look for the services of an interpreter. Many language agencies can be found online. Most are also listed in the Yellow Pages. If you're unsure, contact a professional organization such as the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Florida for advice.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment