WHEN IS IT USED?
Community interpreting is offered when citizens come into contact with public authorities.
Community interpreting may be offered at public services such as:
- Tax offices
- Hospitals and healthcare facilities
- Educational authorities
- The police
- Aliens Directorates
- The Asylum Service
- Municipal and regional authorities
- The Manpower Employment Organisation, and so on.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
If one considers that there is an innate inequality in relations between citizens and the state, which places citizens at a disadvantage compared to government departments, one can immediately understand why community interpreting is so vital. All the more so when the citizen does not speak the country’s language. The community interpreter is there precisely to balance out this inequality and to safeguard the rights of citizens by ensuring that their voice is heard and that their requests and concerns are properly conveyed to public officials. Taking into account the special challenges of the current period (e.g. migration, globalisation, free movement of goods and labour mobility), one could even say that community interpreting is essential for the problem-free democratic organisation of a country.
WHY SHOULD IT BE DONE BY PROFESSIONALS?
Given the critical nature of the issues concerned, there can be no doubt that community interpreting requires professionalism.
Professional community interpreters:
- have adequate knowledge of the working languages and know how to transfer information accurately
- are informed about specialised issues such as medical or legal issues and can handle the relevant special language and terminology.
- are impartial, translate conversations in a neutral manner without taking sides.
- maintain strict confidentiality.
- are familiar with the relevant code of conduct and able to handle difficult and sensitive situations in a consistent manner.
Dealing with state bureaucracy can be painful one way or the other. If linguistic problems are added to that, the situation becomes even more complicated. To guarantee effective communication and ensure you are properly informed by the authorities, handle your affairs with the assistance of a community interpreter.
