As someone who frequently trains and consults regarding interviewing people of diverse cultures, I greatly appreciate this discussion of interpreting. From what I can tell, access to telephone and in-person interpreters is much more established in the U.K. than in the U.S., where--except for New York City and parts of California--it's pretty random, depends on the agency, etc. EVEN in New York City and California, actually, access to quality interpreting is far from assured.
I am wondering if people can discuss any situations where telephone interpreting might be preferred. I have spoken with people who were part of small ethnic communities in rural areas, for instance, who prefer the anonymity of telephone interpreting for sensitive issues. Has this been your experience, too, or have your interpreting services somehow overcome this barrier?
Thanks for the great discussion!
Lisa Fontes, Ph.D.
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA USA
Author: Interviewing Clients Across Cultures
Guilford Press
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