Interpreting Services Department

• The health care professional introduces herself/himself and makes certain that the client knows the name of the interpreter.
• The health care professional should communicate with the client and family, not with the interpreter.
• Culturally appropriate eye contact, gestures, and body language toward the client and family are important to enhance rapport and understanding.
• Speak only a few sentences at a time, then ask the interpreter to translate for you. It is important that you complete whole sentences, as the interpreter must convey the concept to the patient and not your actual words. This can be a time consuming process but is necessary for intercultural understanding. In turn, ask that the client speak slowly and allow for adequate translation back to you.
• Remember that as a health care professional, it is your responsibility to be assured that the client understands what has been said. This means that he or she can repeat what was said back to you for clarification and verification.

• Avoid interpreters from a rival tribe, state, region or nation.
• Be aware of sex/gender differences between interpreter and client.
• In general, an older, more mature interpreter is preferred to a younger, less experienced one.
• Be aware of socioeconomic differences between interpreter and client.
• Ask the interpreter to interpret as closely to verbatim as possible.

• Be polite and formal.
• Proceed in an unhurried manner. Pay attention to any effort by the client or family to communicate.
• Speak in a low, moderate voice. Avoid talking loudly. Remember that there is a tendency to raise the volume and pitch of your voice when the listener appears not to understand. The listener may perceive the health care professional as shouting or angry.
• Use any words known in the patient's language. This indicates that the health care professional is aware of and respects the client's culture.
• Use simple words, such as pain instead of discomfort. Avoid medical jargon, idioms, and slang. Avoid using contractions. Use nouns repeatedly instead of pronouns.
  Example:
  Do not say, "Does he have pain?"
  Do say, "Does Conrad have pain?"
• Pantomime words and simple actions while verbalizing them.
• Give instructions in the proper sequence.
  Example:
  Do not say, "Before you rinse the bottle, sterilize it."
  Do say: First, wash the bottle. Second, rinse the bottle."
• Discuss one topic at a time. Avoid using conjunctions.
  Example:
  Do not say, "Are you cold and in pain?"
  Do say, "Are you cold?" (while pantomiming) "Are you in pain?"
• Validate the client's understanding by having him or her repeat instructions, demonstrate the procedure, or act out the meaning.
• Write out several short sentences in English and determine the person's ability to read them.
• Try a third language. Many Indo-Chinese speak French. Europeans often know three or four languages. Try Latin words or phrases if you are familiar with them.
• Ask whom among the client's family and friends could serve as an interpreter.
• Obtain a phrase book from the library or bookstore, make or purchase flash cards, etc.