Translation vs. Interpretation

How schools provide Translation and Interpreting Services

Before I began working in schools, I was not completely aware of the differences between an interpreter or a translator. As a new ESL coordinator, I took on the responsibility of coordinating translations and interpretation of meetings for all necessary languages. As a bilingual educator, I was also able to provide Spanish interpretation and translation simultaneously. I remember sometimes I was introduced as an interpreter but other times as a translator. It was then when I decided to figure out what both terms (interpreter and translator) meant to learn the differences and to help others understand the differences as well.

Translation

According to the google dictionary translating is to express the sense of (words or text) in another language. Translating refers to the process of expressing written communication from one language to the other. In most school districts, the translation of documents is often done by a bilingual staff member that's assigned to translate documents. The translation of documents is often much more expensive than interpreting because translation is much more time-consuming. Most individuals and companies charge translation of documents by charging a certain amount per word in the document. For example, by running a word count in the document that's to be translated and then multiplying the number of words in a document times the fee per word. The translation of a document can sometimes cost up to .35 cents per word. Most schools would often have the following documents translated: school registration forms, emergency cards, brochures, flyers, field trip forms, school code of conduct, and some parts of a website may appear in another language most spoken language in the school or district. These documents and forms are often the most used documents by schools, helping facilitate a communication barrier for parents. As of 2014, there were 39.3 million Spanish only speakers in the US. It is one of the reasons why translated documents are mostly provided in Spanish and only sometimes in other languages. Some shortcuts or free ways to translate often used by some schools are online translation companies such as google translate. Although this is sometimes necessary, it is not often recommended and can sometimes result in more problematic than helpful. There have been times when families have received google translated documents that have been offensive or impossible to understand. It is why most schools prefer to provide sight interpretations or over the phone interpretation instead.

Interpretation

According to the google dictionary, interpreting is to translate orally or into sign language the words of a person speaking a different language. I see why some people would often confuse interpreting and translating but note that interpreting refers to oral language, and translation refers to written language. Some official documents are now beginning to use the word "sight" to refer to sight translation when referring to in-person interpretation. Interpretation costs can vary depending on the language. For instance, Spanish interpretation is often the most less costly language because it is a language much more available and easier to find when needed. Other languages, such as Hindi, Swahili, or Farsi, are often more costly. These other languages are not as easy to find and, as a result, can cost up to $150 an hour. In schools, interpreting is a service provided to non-English speaking families during parent-teacher conference meetings, IEP meetings, parent events, and school-related meetings. Sight interpretation must be pre-arranged so that an interpreter is scheduled to attend the meeting or event ahead of time. The provision of interpreting services must be paid by schools and has proven to be very beneficial to parents.

Over-the-Phone Interpretation

Many schools are now using over-the-phone interpretation. Over-the-phone interpretation is a more modern interpreting service that allows schools to provide immediate interpreting services over the phone. It is a great resource to use in case of an emergency when a parent walks in with questions or concerns, or to schedule meetings with parents that may need an interpreter.

As an interpreter and a translator, I have had the opportunity to support many non-English speaking families. It is always rewarding to see how my services as an interpreter can help bridge a communication gap that impacts the education of bilingual students in the US.