Interpreter vs Translator

With globalization has come a plethora of opportunities for everyone to get the best of everything in the world. This is especially true in the medical and legal world. Today many people reside in foreign countries which increases the needs for interpretation and translations to help them to understand each other.  According to Pew Research Center, The number of foreign-born residents made up 13.6 percent of the U.S. population reaching 44,400,000 in 2017.

The Privacy Law and Rules require confidentiality; especially in the legal and medical industry. As such, interpreters and translators need to be certified or qualified and are required to sign a confidentiality agreement before providing the services.

The interpreters and translators play an important role in today’s world.  What are the differences between interpreters and translators?  This is a question many people, including naive Americans frequently ask.

Who is an interpreter?

An interpreter is a person who can verbally change what someone says from one language into another to convey the message. They act as a medium between two or more people for communicating with each other. An interpreter is a bilingual person if not trilingual or more.

They can do phone, video or on-site interpretation.

Who is a translator?

A translator is a person whose job is translating written words from one language to a different language. (Example: translators for document translation)

Some people can do both interpretation and translations. Some translators may choose to do written translations only as they may not feel comfortable with verbal communication.

Is it a good career option to think about?

Interpreters or translators as they are also called, is a great profession to be in if one likes to talk and help people. With the global ease of access in the medical and legal sector, the demand for interpreters or translators has steadily gone up.
Limited language speakers who have language barriers to communicate in the hospitals or Courts, the interpreters become the medium of communication.
Deaf people also need interpreters who can help them communicate in sign language.

Can a common person be an interpreter or a translator?

Yes, but it requires training and validated with certifications. With the proper training and certificates, opportunities will be available, especially in the medical and legal fields.  To be a professional interpreter, especially in the legal and medical industry, wherein you are getting paid for your services, one definitely needs to put in a lot of hard work into studying the terminologies and the general vocabularies. Being able to translate even the tiniest of nuances of the language.

How can interpreters play an important part for Limited Language Speakers?

For a limited language speaker, not understanding and speaking the local language well enough, an interpreter can be a boon in this situation to help.

Being an interpreter can not only be rewarding monetarily but can also be satisfying and gratifying, all because limited language speakers could communicate easily through you.

Click Languagers Website to learn more about how interpreters and translators can help a wide variety of industry.