If you work in the Minneapolis social services and healthcare fields, you know how critical it is to be able to communicate with non-English speakers. In many cases, immigrants finding a new home in Minneapolis require assistance with finding a home, getting necessary medical treatment, and learning what social services they may eligible for receiving. Relying on non-professional interpreters who may only know a few words or phrases in a particular language increases the risk of miscommunication, inappropriate medical treatments, and medical errors. In addition, interpreters unfamiliar with cultures of non-English speaking individuals may inadvertently say things or make gestures that are insensitive to a culture’s societal norms.
Is There a Difference Between a Translator and an Interpreter?
If you are looking for healthcare and social services interpreting in Minneapolis, you want a professional who can listen to a non-English speaker and understand precisely what they are seeking to communicate. Interpreters should not just repeat what someone is saying word for word. They should be capable of understanding the nuances and deeper meanings of languages as they relate to the speaker’s background, culture, and ethnicity.
Translators specialize in reading and translating written documents. If you have a medical report or a social service document written in a non-English language that you need to be translated, contact our translation and interpreting services today to learn more about what we offer.
The Language Banc provides healthcare and social services interpreting in Minneapolis as well as across the U.S. We also offer Internet-based, video, and telephonic interpretation methods to extend services beyond onsite interpretation needs. Healthcare professionals and social service workers should not rely on unlicensed, untrained interpreters when it involves critical health and social services needs of immigrants or people who are not proficient English language speakers.
Find out more about our translation and interpreting services in Minneapolis by contacting The Language Banc today.