Tag Archives: Interpreter near me

Interpreters VS Translators: Why are they different?

Both interpreters and translators help our world to live and develop. They are bridging the gap between different languages, countries, and cultures. Thanks to the work of language specialists the world economy, the medical industry, and the legal sphere work like a clock. 

We are constantly talking about two job positions: interpreters and translators. It is time to define the differences between them!

So,

Interpreters do the talking.

Translators do the writing. 

But let’s dig in more.

Interpreter talks. 

Interpreters work with spoken or sign languages. They convert speech from a source language into a target language and vice versa. Interpretation also has different kinds, such as Over-the-Phone, Onsite, and Video-Remote interpretation. 

Interpretation is far more than having a decent knowledge of two languages. The language specialist should be aware of the cultural features, be tolerant and keep a calm tone of voice. 

Interpretation in two directions:

Nowadays, most interpreters work in two directions. That means interpreters transfer information both to and from the target and source languages. It is more common for Over-the-Phone, Video Remote interpretation. Meanwhile, Onsite interpretation can have only one direction. For example, Conference interpreters interpret from the source language to the target language and that’s it. 

Main types of interpretation:

Simultaneous interpreting is a type of interpretation when a language specialist listens to and comprehends the source language and simultaneously provides an interpretation in a target language. 

Such type of interpretation is widely used in the court, international meetings, and television news broadcasts. 

Consecutive interpreting allows the language specialist to listen to several complete sentences in the source language and then interpret them in a target language. Consecutive interpretation is the usual method of communication for OPI, VR interpretation, and small and face-to-face meetings. 

Specialization in interpreting:

To be effective, the accurate majority of interpreters choose their specialization. They often specialize themselves in certain areas like medicine, law, business, finance, technology, government, social services, or culture.

To provide high-quality services, the interpreter should always improve his or her knowledge in both languages he or she works with. 

 

Translator writes.

Translators work with written text, converting a message in the source language into a message in the target language. It is far more than replacing one word with another. The translator should see and understand the context, the cultural characteristics, moreover the translator should save the style and the tone of the incoming text. 

One direction, but a good knowledge of both languages:

Translators get the text in one language and translate it into another one. In most cases, they have one target language and it can be their native one. But sometimes, the translator can work with several languages, for example, he can work in such language pairs as English-Spanish and English-Portuguese. 

Specialization in translation:

The same as interpreters, good translators also have specialization in definite niches. This way they can continuously improve and deepen their knowledge in terminology and communication features in the languages they work. 

That’s the major difference between these two language jobs.

When you are searching for an interpreter near you or a translator near you, pay attention to their experience, specialization, and feedback from clients. Or you can consult with a specialist or a language provider about what type of specialist you need. For example, Homeland Language Services managers will be happy to find the best solution for you personally, or for your business. 

If you are a translator or interpreter, who is reading this text and searching for a job, please, follow our Career portal link and apply for your new career stage!

 

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Happy English Language Day

English Language Day is a must-have celebration for all interpreters and translators in the world.
From the very beginning, it was a quiet language on a small cluster of islands off the coast of Western Europe. It developed and spread all over the world during its’ history. It brings together everyone for trade and communication and serves as a second language in almost every nation. English has become the official language of nearly 60 countries.

Our colleague Milena Colombo, HR Talent Acquisition Specialist at Homeland Language Services, shared with us some interesting facts about her love story with English, the goal of our company and about the unique English word 😉

Watch this video together with us and find out what Milena told us.
If you want to know more about history of English Language Day, continue reading!

History Of English Language Day

The first mentions of the English Language were in the medieval England. The modern name of language derived from the Angles. The Angles were a West Germanic tribe that found its way to England, taking their name from the Anglia peninsula. English language has been taken on grammar, tones, and words from every language it has come into contact with.

English language became so powerful that it is now the Lingua France of the entire world. 

The interesting fact, English also stands as one of the most complicated languages to learn as a second language (it stands with Japanese toe to toe). 

What interesting facts do you know about English language?

 

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What is the Over-the-Phone Interpretation?

Over-the-Phone interpretation or OPI is a three-way call interpreting service. The interpreter works during the conversation between two parties who speak different languages. The biggest benefit of this service is that it can be provided remotely. 

Homeland Language Services is one of the fastest-growing private Interpreting companies in the United States of America with more than 500 interpreters. A big number of specialists in this team are over-the-phone interpreters. That is the reason why we are talking about them here today. 

What is Over-the-Phone interpretation used for?

Due to globalization, country boundaries took a step backwards and communication superseded them. The communication stepped on the first one. People need to communicate with each other even if they don’t speak the same language. This can happen due to different reasons: immigration, relocation, international activity, or business. Lots of countries are becoming multicultural every day and this process needs new solutions. And one of such solutions is Over-the-Phone interpreting services. 

Nowadays, they are used mostly in the medical and healthcare field, in legal and government, in educational and in social industries. Less English Proficiency (LEP) people need to get the services and the organization is interested in adequately providing the required aid. To overcome the language barrier, they are searching for reliable language services providers. By gaining such a partnership, you get the interpreting services on your fingerprints. There is no reason to wait for a language expert, to accommodate him and pay for all travel expenses and the job itself. Clients are getting their interpreters on the phone at any time, at any location in the world.

That’s why OPI is vital for emergencies like when there is an accident, a crime, or difficult medical situations with people speaking other languages than English. There are lots of cases when fast and comprehensive interpretation saves a person’s life.

Who is an Over-the-Phone interpreter?

The interpreter, who provides OPI service, works with consecutive interpretation. He is connected to the call with the help of a special software (VoIP or Skype for Business, for example) on his computer or laptop. Each interpreter is equipped with a good headset with noise cancellation, stable internet, and paper for note-taking. The interpreter in Homeland Language Services works for two parties: one of them speaks English and the second one – a foreign language. The main role of a language specialist is to listen carefully to speaker 1 and transfer messages to speaker 2 in the appropriate language and vice versa. 

There are two types of accessing to OPI: automated and Operator-led. 

The automated one uses an Interactive voice response application. The application converts the keyed Dual Tone Multi-Frequency data (or just the word) into a request to connect with the needed language interpreter. The system works with unique language combinations that the calling party uses as a code for the request.

The operator-lead type works due to the customer’s relations team. The specialists gather the information from the client or calling party and connect him to the right interpreter. This method is more typical for emergency services when the caller has no idea which language code to use.

People can use the OPI service when both parties are located in different places. Moreover, two parties, speaking different languages, can be in the same room. They just need to call an interpreter and turn on the speakerphone. Such a variant is commonly used in medical facilities: when the doctor and the patient are in one room.

Different industries currently have a high need for professional language experts. Therefore, there is a rise in demand for Over-the-phone interpreters on the market. If you are an interpreter and you have experience, you can try working as an OPI in a language provider agency, such as Homeland Language Services. Our company values each staff member who helps a lot during the onboarding process and provides internal training and the possibility to get new certifications for your career development. Also, the benefit of working with us as OPI is that you can do that from any country in the world because the OPI positions are 100% remote. To know more follow our Career portal. 

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How to become an interpreter?

If you have a strong knowledge of English, or if it is your Native Language, or you also know American Sign Language, you can think about a career as an interpreter. Nowadays, interpreting services have high demand all over the world. Moreover, due to technological development, you can work remotely from any country. 

We are happy to share several tips on how to become an interpreter and a story from Homeland Language Services’ interpreter to inspire you. 

Interpreters are responsible for transferring messages from one language to another accurately. The interpreter acts between two parties with different voices, accents, and tempos. Meanwhile, the interpreter should stay neutral and transmit information without omissions or additions. The interpreter has to handle the communication according to the interpreting protocol in order to ensure transparency.

Steps to become an interpreter:
  1. 1. Get an educational background. A lot of companies require interpreters to get a bachelor’s degree.
  2. 2. Get the experience. For the first time, you can volunteer at hospitals or non-profit organizations. 
  3. 3. Get the interpretation training and certifications. Certifications from the American Translator’s Association or Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters are not obligatory for getting the job, but they verify your professional skills. 
  4. 4. Apply for a job. Update your resume, write a cover letter, find open positions for interpreters and apply to them. Besides, there is a choice of positions for professional interpreters. You can be an over-the-phone interpreter, video remote interpreter, onsite interpreter, or ASL interpreter. Choose, what better suits you. 

And here is an inspiring review about interpreter’s job from our language specialist Camila Fernandez from Argentina:

“Working as an interpreter caught my attention because I love helping people and I am fond of languages and translating; so I thought this position suited me. After one month of training, I was ready to work. However, it was not easy and it still isn’t sometimes. I face different scenarios every day due to the vocabulary and situations according to the different people.

There were times when I felt like surrendering but had I taken the chance, I would not be where I am right now: I have grown both as a professional and as a person because of how much I have learned at my job. Failure has helped me improve.

Hence, as Ray Bradbury said, “love what you do and do what you love”, try to find your vocation in life. Life is much better when you follow and work on your dreams. Looking back, I know that younger me would be proud of myself for accomplishing my objectives and for working hard. I guess I was cut out to be an interpreter after all.

Thank you for giving me the chance to tell my experience as an interpreter. I really like being part of this team!”

We hope that this article will inspire you to get a new profession and start your new career stage!

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interpretation services in Washington

Interpretation Services in Washington Became More Popular

The job market is changing every year. But now due to technological development and new pandemic rules, changes are constant. We found the information from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics that in 2019 there were 77,400 interpreters employed in the USA, working in the education, medicine, law, and business field. It is the data that was collected two years ago. Can you just imagine how this number has grown during this time? How many offers does a person receive when googling “Interpreter near me”?

The majority of interpretation services in Washington and anywhere else are remote. Language specialists work remotely with flexible or fixed schedules. Today there are lots of different language companies or agencies. Moreover, professionals sometimes choose to work as individuals or freelancers. Data shows that the highest number of interpreters, though, are officially employed workers. We can’t count the independent freelancers with contracts who provide interpretation services in Washington from all over the world. 

It is said, that the number of interpreters and translators all over the world will definitely grow by 2029. Here we are talking about an increase of 20%! It’s one of the highest rates on the American labor market. Global migration tendencies result in a higher number of non-English speakers living in English-speaking countries such as the United States of America. That’s why the job of the interpreter will be of immediate interest for a long time in the future. 

Nowadays, interpretation services are provided with the help of several devices. For example, for the healthcare industry, the most popular is Over-the-Phone interpretation. Most of Washington’s Hospitals that use interpretation services are satisfied with communication with interpreters on the phone line. It is very comfortable to set up the appointments, conduct first-time visits, make the laboratory work or the procedure. 

Among others, interpretation services include Video remote interpreting services. This year it was noticed that Video remotes services were often used in schools and universities. Education became online for some period of the academic year and it was vital to keep the close contact between students and teachers alive. Additionally, teachers are calling parents of students also with the help of video remote interpretation services. 

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, onsite interpretation services in Washington are also in need. Sometimes the request to find an “Interpreter near me” means to get the interpreting services physically in one place. For instance, it can be the court session for the less-English proficient person. He definitely needs the help of an interpreter in the building of the court, not by the telephone line or video call. Onsite interpreters can provide their clients with two types of services: simultaneous and consecutive interpretation. Both occur in real-time, but during simultaneous one, both parties speak naturally without pauses, and consecutive interpretation gives the interpreter a word between speeches of two parties. 

Today we talked about interpretation services in Washington, and you see that this language niche is quite modern and can be helpful in any life situation with the help of a device or the physical presence of a professional interpreter.

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