What do interpreters do?

Interpreters, sometimes called translators, translate verbal and written

communications between two or more individuals who may not speak the same
language. They may work in settings like hospitals, courtrooms and schools,
and their primary duties often include:

Translating words, documents and speeches from one language into another
Providing context, tone and meaning to their translated messages
Keeping translated information confidential
Identifying and explaining words with conflicting or confusing messages

What skills do you need to be an interpreter?

An interpreter should have superior grammatical knowledge and the ability to

interpret idioms, metaphors and nuances. They also must be a good and
compassionate listener and have the ability to connect with a wide range of
people. Interpreters should also have a cultural understanding of the languages
they interpret in order to detect customers or nonverbal cues.

Where can an interpreter work?

Interpreters can work in schools, hospitals, conference rooms and courtrooms.

Many work for interpretation companies, individual organizations or private
clients. A small percentage of interpreters also work for the government.

 Are there different types of interpreters?

 Community interpreters: Community interpreters are often needed at
community events, public or business meetings, social and government
agencies, new-home purchases, parent-teacher conferences and other
community settings. They interpret in one-on-one or group settings.
 Conference interpreters: This type of interpreter works specifically at
conferences with non-speaking attendees. They often work for organizations
that work with speakers of foreign languages. This type of interpreter often
works in international business or diplomacy and may be required to convert
two languages into one native language.
 Health or medical interpreters: These interpreters work in healthcare settings to
help patients communicate with doctors, nurses and other medical staff. They
must have in-depth knowledge of medical terminology and know common
medical terms in both languages they're speaking.
 Liaison or escort interpreters: These interpreters accompany foreign visitors to
the United States or U.S. visitors abroad. They must be able to interpret for both
formal and informal settings.
 Sign language interpreters: These interpreters facilitate communication between
people who are hard of hearing and deaf and those who can hear. These
interpreters must be fluent in both English and ASL.
 Here are two examples of objective statements for interpreters:
Driven foreign language interpreter with strong expertise in English and
Spanish. Seeking to provide translation services to a broader demographic.
Expert French translator with over 10 years of experience working as an
interpreter. Seeking to advance within the foreign translation field.

Interpreters use technical and interpersonal skills to translate one language to

another. Here is a list of skills that interpreters may use on their resume:
Verbal communication
Empathy
Research
Detail-oriented
Adaptable
Computer skills
Technical Skills: Spanish, Mandarin, Farsi, medical terminology, cultural
competency
Soft Skills: Interpersonal skills, active listening, communication, accuracy,
memory
Show your technical ability with these skills:
Languages (Spanish, Farsi, French, German, Mandarin, Arabic, Hindi, etc.)
Computer skills
Medical terminology
Industry-specific terminology
Cultural competency
Note taking
Research
Phone skills
...then add soft skills:
Interpersonal skills
Active listening
Spoken and written communication
Memory retention
Self-motivated
Clear speech
skills
Stress management
Professionalism
Time management
Multitasking
Confidence
Collaboration
Adaptability

Interpreters are responsible for facilitating communication by converting

messages from one language into another. They are responsible for transferring
messages from one language to another as accurately as possible and in a non-
judgemental or unbiased manner. Unlike translators, who work with written
communication, interpreters work with spoken communication. Some of their
primary responsibilities include:

Acting as an interpreter between people with diverse voices, accents, speaking

tempos and personalities
Interpreting with no omissions or additions
Providing interpretations of questions, answers, statements and explanations
Using technology, as needed, to provide interpretation from a distant location

Communication is a critical part of any job, and depending on the role,

you may need to communicate with colleagues, managers or customers.
Recruiters often look for language skills because they show your ability to
communicate with a diverse range of people. They also show hard work
and dedication to learning something new and challenging.

Knowing a second language shows cultural knowledge, which is an

important tool to have since businesses are globalizing across all industries.
Already knowing the language of a country that your prospective employer
works in can help your resume stand out. Besides being able to
communicate with their international partners, you may also know their
cultural customs and be able to interact with them in a culturally
appropriate manner.

Language skills can help advance your career in several ways. You can
build relationships directly with the employer’s international contacts
without going through a translator. As individuals and families mobilize to
new countries, small domestic employers will benefit from being able to
communicate directly with their clients. Regardless of the languages you
speak or your professional industry, language skills can help grow your
professional network, allow for more job opportunities and show your soft
skills

Regardless of the computer age we are human beings and communication

between us can never be replaced by a computer. The current situation in
the world may show us that a computer cannot transmit a nation's colour
or an emotion but only a speech and an emotional connection which enable
us to find a common language. On the other hand, computers are very
handy to memorise large amounts of information including linguistic
information but you cannot be sure that your computer may be hacked or
stolen or simply crashed. That's why I don't think a computer can ever
replace the work of an interpreter.
It is considered interpreters sometimes called translators, translate verbal and
written communications between two or more individuals who may not speak
the same language. Knowledge of foreign languages play a great role in our
lives for a couple of reasons:
Firstly, communication is a critical part of any job and depending on the role
you may need to communicate with colleagues, managers or customers.
Secondly, knowing second language show cultural knowledge, which is an
important tool and help to find a common language with speaker.
All in all, language skills can help advance your career in several ways: You
can build relationships directly with the employer’s international contacts
without going through a translator. Regardless of the languages you speak or
your professional industry, language skills can help grow your professional
network, allow for more job opportunities and show your soft skills.
As for me, I prefer this line of job cause of skills that I have and which I
would like to improve for example: an interpreter should have superior
grammatical knowledge. I really can get on with people with easily, so I
suppose that I’ll be pretty good and compassionate listener, so I have the ability
to connect with a wide range of people.
However, interpreters should also have a cultural understanding of the
languages, they interpret in order to detect customers or non-verbal cues.
As I know, there are different types of interpreters: community, conference,
health or medical, liaison or escort. Community interpreters are often needed at
community events, public or business meetings and other community settings.
Conference interpreters specialized at conference with non-speaking attendees.
Health or medical interpreters work in healthcare settings to help patients
communicate with doctors, nurses and other medical staff. Liaison or escort
interpreters accompany foreign visitors abroad.
Moreover, I wanna say that regardless of the computer age we are society and
communication between us can never be replaced by a computer. The current
situation in the world may show us that a computer cannot transmit a nation's
color and emotions.
On the other hand, computers are very handy to memorise large amounts of
information including linguistic information but you cannot be sure that your
computer may be hacked or stolen or simply crashed. That's why I suppose that
computers can never replace the work of an interpreter or translator.

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