The Top 5 Deposition Interpreter Rules

  

The United States is a diverse country with many different languages spoken. While many American people are bilingual or multilingual, some residents know little to no English. If they ever get involved in a legal proceeding, they bring a language barrier along with them. You can only conquer this barrier with a deposition interpreter.  

 

Some unique rules and standards must be followed when you use interpreters at depositions. These rules are usually established by the local city and state of where the deposition takes place. A deposition interpreter’s overall responsibility is to provide an accurate interpretation regardless of which words are spoken. All the interpreted statements are entered into official legal records and used as evidence in a court of law.  

 

For this reason, deposition interpreters and attorneys must abide by the general rules of an interpreted deposition. Sometimes there can be actual legal consequences for anyone who fails to do so.  

 

Below are the top 5 deposition interpreter rules. 

 

1) No Changing Words 

 

A deposition interpreter is expected to translate the exact words of verbal or written statements at a deposition. They are not allowed to edit statements or add new information to them.  

 

The interpreter must give an accurate word-for-word interpretation of the languages spoken. They wouldn’t get away with changing the words because both the foreign language and the interpreted English language get recorded. Someone could always review the records and see if any interpreted statements were apparently changed on purpose.   

 

2) Terminology Specialization 

 

A deposition interpreter needs to specialize in interpreting industry-specific terminologies, such as law or medicine. It all depends on the nature of the deposition and the details of the case involved. 

 

For instance, if the deposition relates to a legal proceeding revolving around medical malpractice, then a deposition interpreter with knowledge of medical terminology will be required. If the legal terminology needs to be interpreted, a separate interpreter with these skills might be required. 

 

3) No Over talking or Fast Talking 

 

The deposition interpreter needs time to listen to the person speaking and repeat the interpreted version of their words. No one should talk over the interpreter or interrupt their translation because it will be more difficult for them to do their job correctly. One person should speak at a time, followed by the interpreter’s translation of the words.  

 

Failure to follow this rule might create an inaccurate or incomplete interpretation of all the words spoken. If any person or attorney intentionally spoke over the interpreter, they might face legal consequences or warnings. The interpreter would not be blamed in this type of situation, though.  

 

4) Certified Interpreters Only 

 

An attorney cannot choose just any interpreter to translate words in a deposition. It needs to be a certified interpreter who received their certification from an accredited organisation. An official certification proves the interpreter is knowledgeable in their field because they received the proper education to do the job right.  

 

If you were to use an uncertified interpreter for your deposition, their translations’ validity might face scrutiny in court by the opposing side. Do not let yourself fall into that trap. A certified interpreter is the best way to avoid any disputes about interpretation validity. 

 

5) Respect Ethical Guidelines 

 

Deposition interpreters have to respect specific ethical guidelines of the deposition. For instance, the interpreters must remain unbiased and impartial at all times. There cannot be any conflict of interest whatsoever. Interpreters have the follow the same ethical guidelines as court reporters and stenographers.  

 

Like Languagers, we know Confidentiality is important. Deposition interpreters have an obligation not to discuss what happened at the deposition unless they get permission to do so.   

What makes ASL interpreter services unique?

 

American Sign Language (ASL) is the primary language for many deaf individuals in America. Many of them heavily rely on ASL interpreter services, especially for business interactions such as interviews and work meetings. Today we will discuss what ASL interpreter services are and their importance in today’s world. 

Let’s first define what an interpreter is. Interpreters know multiple languages and can act as a bridge between two or more people who want to talk but face some sort of communication barrier. Spoken language interpreters help out in medical settings and legal proceedings, just like ASL interpreters do. What makes ASL interpreter services unique is that their deaf clientele can never fully function in our world. Deaf people have a severely limited ability to hear and cannot catch onto the English language like foreigners who settle in America. Because of this, the relationship between an ASL interpreter and the deaf community members they serve is absolutely crucial. These professionals will often interpret for these people throughout their careers and will build ties with many deaf community members. 

How to hire ASL interpreters 

Interpreting agencies hire ASL interpreters, often in the form of independent contractors. There are interpreting agencies that offer their services in multiple languages and other agencies that focus solely on ASL interpreting. Either way, these agencies typically follow similar business models. Whenever someone needs to set up interpreting services, they have to contact an agency if they don’t have staff ASL interpreters on hand. That person will tell the agency what time the appointment is and get all the details worked out on behalf of the deaf person. Next, the agency contacts their interpreters and asks around until an interpreter accepts the assignment. If no one can accept the job, the agency has to get back in touch with the person who requested the interpreter services and figure out how to best proceed on a case by case basis.  

 

Interpreting agencies are the ones who assign work to their interpreters. These will either be assigned individually to a specific interpreter or on a first come, first served basis if a request gets sent to everyone on the list. Most of the time, these interpreters can either accept or reject any offer of an assignment. It can be challenging to get ASL interpreter services for a last-minute appointment, especially if the location is far away from where the interpreter lives. That’s why rural communities often struggle to find interpreters that can be available at any moment. Unless there are ASL interpreter services available within their immediate vicinity, it is rare for rural areas to get an in-person ASL interpreter services. Long commutes are not immediately reimbursed to the interpreters in these scenarios while they work for agencies.  

Video Relay Service (VRS) technology 

 

ASL interpreter services are there to help those who cannot hear gain access to communication. The advent of Video Relay Service (VRS) technology has allowed the deaf community to gain better communication access over the phone. Several VRS call centers use ASL interpreter services to interpret calls and leave messages for deaf people. VRS callers can be anyone and everyone located within the United States. Whenever a deaf person wants to call a non-deaf individual, their call automatically connects with a VRS interpreter before connecting to the person on the other end. In this way, the deaf person can see the ASL interpreter interpret back and forth between English and ASL during the call. VRS is not the only service available that can work in that capacity. For example, languagers.com offers web video conferencing interpreter services. Since many of us have to work from home and connect to virtual meetings via Zoom and other web conferences, this is a beneficial service to have at our disposal readily.  

 

Languagers.com hires highly skilled and qualified ASL interpreters to offer their services. They can help out in capacities pertaining to medical care, insurance, government, education, business, and legal settings. Languagers.com is available 24/7, and their company evaluates their interpreters regularly to check on their level of proficiency, education, and certifications. All interpreters comply with HIPPA standards and always keep the information they hear confidential. No matter if you request an on-site, phone, web video conferencing, or online conference meeting through them, rest assured all of that information will remain confidential with any ASL interpreter that is working. These ASL interpreter services can do 2-way, 3-way, or 4-way remote interpreting over live web video conferencing, and you can use either a cell phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer to access a session. 

 

Today’s world relies even more heavily on technology and remote communications. ASL interpreter services on languagers.com can also provide top-notch professional services in several capacities.  

How ASL language is different from English 

 

Professionally certified ASL interpreters always seek out continuing education opportunities to help them learn industry-specific jargon and concepts and understand how to best portray those concepts in ASL. ASL is a visual language and is entirely different from English. That’s why it is crucial for interpreting agencies to provide the most qualified personnel for any required task. Interpreter services are essential and easily accessible now, thanks to the online web video conferencing technologies that continue to improve. We hope that what you have learned today has provided you with helpful information regarding ASL interpreter services. An interpreter’s job is not easy, but deaf individuals can get proper communication access through the services of a qualified, certified interpreter.