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Interpreters and Translators
What’s needed for actual access to courts
The Future
• -More languages• -More places• -More often
NumbersOf the 7,000 languages in the world about 350 languages have over a million speakers.
Politics, Economics and War
• Have created immigrant and refugee flows larger than any time in history.
• Many speak less common languages
NationwideThe US LEP population increased by over 80 percent from 1990-2010
NEEDSLEP populations can’t access our legal system fully without skilled interpreters.
Quality Challenges
• New languages• Supply in all languages• Learning curve issues• Lack of testing tools
The biggest misperception
Bilingualismis all that’s
needed
CONDUIT
The idea that interpretation occurs WORD for WORD as if words spoken into a pipe come out verbatim at the other end in another language is completely wrong.
When someone says, “Be careful, it’s raining Cats and Dogs!”
No one fears being beaned by either a cat, or a dog falling from the sky.
Meaning, clarity, and culture are interwoven.
The term ”life sentence” varies depending on what the legislature has decided that “LIFE” means
Interpreter skills must go well beyond being bilingual.
SHORT TERM MEMORY
LISTENING SKILLS UNDERSTANDING
SKILLS INTERPRETING
SKILLS SPEAKING SKILLS
Interpreters cannot interpret anything they don’t fully understand
Interpreters use JUDGEMENT in choosing which words will carry a message into the other language.
Language is humanities most complex behavior.
In 2009 Washington tested many interpreters: six attempted the Arabic tests; none passed. Twelve took the Korean tests; none passed. Forty-nine took the Spanish tests; five
passed.
For ten years running, everyone had failed the Vietnamese test.
Barriers come in many “packages”
Language ability and interpretation capacity aren’t enough. There are other “complications.”
Cultural Blindness
Asking for a Somali translation seems straightforward, until you realize differing ages and ethnicities who identify as Somali don’t necessarily read the same script.
Interpreters shouldn’t be related to parties
Screening may be more difficult that you’d think.
蔣介石 Is a famous person.
A transliteration of the name his parents gave him:
JIANG Jieshi (Mandarin: Pinyin)CHIANG Chieh-shih (Mandarin: Wade Giles)TSEUNG Kai-shek (Cantonese)CHIANG Kai-shek (His own romanization, part
Wade-Giles part Cantonese
The same Characters spoken in different dialects produce a different English Romanization.
Extra-linguistic issues
•Religion•Political•Gender
A Cambodian might feel a Khmer Rouge
interpreter could be a barrier. A Tutsi, might feel a Hutu would be a barrier. A Croatian might not want a Serbian
interpreter. A year ago a Russian speaking Ukrainian
might have worked fine for a Russian. Should Palestinians interpret for Saudis? Who will be appropriate for the Syrians? Should a male interpret for a sexually
assaulted female?
Other “complications”
Legal Terminology mastery without procedural knowledge can derail trials.
What’s been done
• Commissions– Testing– Assessment of needs– Policy development– Monitoring
• Skills• Continuing Education• Ethics
Adequacy• Certified and Registered interpreters
– Differences in the meaning of terms– State to State languages differ– Testing tools– Monitoring
Coordinators• Creation of Interpreter Supply• Development of resources• Education of interpreters• Monitoring
– Accuracy– Timeliness– Procedural abilities– Specialization– Use of tone– Use of gesture– General decorum
CoordinatorsEducation of users
-Correct language?Requester/witness labeling issues
-Appropriate Request?Sight translationNon-interpretation tasks
-Can it be done?Schedule issues/timingEnough time (translation: jail calls etc.)