Dear Mike and all,
Thank you for sharing these various training resources, which look really useful for raising awareness about language and language learning. I second James' suggestion of taking a look at Bremer, Roberts et al.'s (1996) Achieving Understanding: Discourse in Intercultural Encounters, which is grounded in extensive research into interactions between migrant second language learners and first language speaking institutional staff in everyday institutional contexts. I particularly like that the authors of the book emphasise the greater responsibility of the majority language speaker to work to ensure communicative success in an interaction. These power dynamics in interaction are important, and it is all too easy for policymakers and others to focus on what ESOL learner can/should do, whilst ignoring what the professional/majority language speaker can/should do.
I recently wrote a blog for immigration law practitioners about communicating with clients who speak other languages, which stems from my own recent research on intercultural communication in immigration legal advice contexts. It's not training as such, but is written to provide an accessible overview for legal advisors of language-related issues and practical communication strategies: https://www.freemovement.org.uk/briefing-overcoming-language-barriers-in-lawyer-client-communication/.
Best,
Judith
Dr. Judith Reynolds
Dr. Judith Reynolds
Research Associate
ESRC Wales DTP Fellow
Cydymaith Ymchwil
Cymrawd DTP ESRC Cymru
School of English, Communication and Philosophy
Yr Ysgol Astudiaethau Saesneg, Cyfathrebu ac Athroniaeth
Cardiff University
Prifysgol Caerdydd
Room 3.36, John Percival Building
Ystafell 3.36, Adeilad John Percival
Colum Drive, Cardiff, CF10 3EU
Colum Drive, Caerdydd, CF10 3EU
Phone: +44 (0)29 2087 5408
Ffôn : +44 (0)29 2087 5408
Email: [log in to unmask]
Mae Prifysgol Caerdydd yn elusen gofrestredig. Rhif 1136855
Cardiff University is a registered charity. No 1136855
Y Brifysgol orau yng Nghymru 2018
Welsh University of the Year 2018
The Times/The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2018
Ebost: [log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message board [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of ESOL-RESEARCH automatic digest system
Sent: 28 May 2019 21:32
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: ESOL-RESEARCH Digest - 27 May 2019 to 28 May 2019 - Special issue (#2019-110)
There are 5 messages totaling 247270 lines in this issue.
Topics in this special issue:
1. Language awareness of front-line staff (5)
***********************************
ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds.
To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit
https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jiscmail.ac.uk%2Flists%2FESOL-RESEARCH.html&data=01%7C01%7Creynoldsj15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&sdata=8k96QfRq%2FxnvJq0Gccf1bhoCnuCwFvNeaCugGJF3CJ8%3D&reserved=0
To contact the list owner, send an email to [log in to unmask]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 May 2019 17:25:38 +0000
From: Mike Chick <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Language awareness of front-line staff
Hi everyone,
A colleague and I recently carried out research on the experience of resettled Syrian families in Wales.
Although not focused on this issue, one observation from the study was that service providers such as Job Centre staff / health care officials / housing officers etc. were often unaware of how the linguistic choices they made during client - provider meetings ( i.e. idiomatic / colloquial language, cultural references, slang, sarcasm etc.) affected the quality, and thus success, of the interaction.
I appreciate that intercultural communication is a large field but does anyone know if there are any training modules / guides etc. for staff when dealing with people who are not fluent in English? Or research that has been done in this area?
Equipping such front-line staff with, at the very least, an awareness of their language use would, I reckon, be a great help in many, many situations.
Thanks for any suggestions - through direct response or on the forum.
Mike
_______________________________________
Dr Mike Chick
Senior lecturer TESOL
University of South Wales / Prifysgol De Cymru
Tel: 01443 482324
[log in to unmask]
https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.southwales.ac.uk&data=01%7C01%7Creynoldsj15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&sdata=6C6jPZ%2F%2F0PP0KZQCUbXG2uzIe1PjrQPuqecrT4v9VdI%3D&reserved=0
***********************************
ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds.
To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit
https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jiscmail.ac.uk%2Flists%2FESOL-RESEARCH.html&data=01%7C01%7Creynoldsj15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&sdata=8k96QfRq%2FxnvJq0Gccf1bhoCnuCwFvNeaCugGJF3CJ8%3D&reserved=0
To contact the list owner, send an email to [log in to unmask]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 May 2019 17:45:52 +0000
From: Nafisah Graham-Brown <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Language awareness of front-line staff
Hiya Mike,
One of the aims of the VIME project was to have modules that could train frontline staff as Language Champions, people who could support in signposting migrants/refugees to leaning opportunities, through raising the awareness of those frontlines staff.
You might find the modules on here useful:
Languagevolunteers.com
Thanks,
Naffy
Get Outlook for Android<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Faka.ms%2Fghei36&data=01%7C01%7Creynoldsj15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&sdata=k7SpunpWQmu%2Fz%2Fwo5fvlxUtnizwInxA%2BFpjssyEEK3Q%3D&reserved=0>
________________________________
From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message board <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Mike Chick <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2019 6:25:38 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Language awareness of front-line staff
Hi everyone,
A colleague and I recently carried out research on the experience of resettled Syrian families in Wales.
Although not focused on this issue, one observation from the study was that service providers such as Job Centre staff / health care officials / housing officers etc. were often unaware of how the linguistic choices they made during client - provider meetings ( i.e. idiomatic / colloquial language, cultural references, slang, sarcasm etc.) affected the quality, and thus success, of the interaction.
I appreciate that intercultural communication is a large field but does anyone know if there are any training modules / guides etc. for staff when dealing with people who are not fluent in English? Or research that has been done in this area?
Equipping such front-line staff with, at the very least, an awareness of their language use would, I reckon, be a great help in many, many situations.
Thanks for any suggestions - through direct response or on the forum.
Mike
_______________________________________
Dr Mike Chick
Senior lecturer TESOL
University of South Wales / Prifysgol De Cymru
Tel: 01443 482324
[log in to unmask]
https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.southwales.ac.uk&data=01%7C01%7Creynoldsj15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&sdata=6C6jPZ%2F%2F0PP0KZQCUbXG2uzIe1PjrQPuqecrT4v9VdI%3D&reserved=0
*********************************** ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds. To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jiscmail.ac.uk%2Flists%2FESOL-RESEARCH.html&data=01%7C01%7Creynoldsj15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&sdata=8k96QfRq%2FxnvJq0Gccf1bhoCnuCwFvNeaCugGJF3CJ8%3D&reserved=0 To contact the list owner, send an email to [log in to unmask]
***********************************
ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds.
To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit
https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jiscmail.ac.uk%2Flists%2FESOL-RESEARCH.html&data=01%7C01%7Creynoldsj15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&sdata=8k96QfRq%2FxnvJq0Gccf1bhoCnuCwFvNeaCugGJF3CJ8%3D&reserved=0
To contact the list owner, send an email to [log in to unmask]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 May 2019 20:14:52 +0100
From: Judy Kirsh <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Language awareness of front-line staff
Hello Mike
During the Skills for Life Strategy in the early 2000’s, LLU+ London South Bank University (now Learning Unlimited) developed a two day front-line workers training course focusing on language, literacy and numeracy awareness. We delivered the course many times, including to NHS staff, and always received very positive feedback (often along the lines of ‘we need more of this sort of training!) As you correctly point out, most people are simply unaware of the effect of their language on those they are trying to communicate with.
Over the past few years Learning Unlimited has run volunteer and befriender training as part of various projects. Some of the materials would be suitable for front-line worker training - see https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.learningunlimited.co%2Ffiles%2FBefriender_Training_Toolkit.pdf&data=01%7C01%7Creynoldsj15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&sdata=6GEhy8KCKxyY%2FOPv4lFRwFRksYMrUwkxSh1OVx6BG7w%3D&reserved=0
Best wishes
Judy
Sent from my iPad
> On 28 May 2019, at 18:25, Mike Chick <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> A colleague and I recently carried out research on the experience of resettled Syrian families in Wales.
> Although not focused on this issue, one observation from the study was that service providers such as Job Centre staff / health care officials / housing officers etc. were often unaware of how the linguistic choices they made during client - provider meetings ( i.e. idiomatic / colloquial language, cultural references, slang, sarcasm etc.) affected the quality, and thus success, of the interaction.
>
> I appreciate that intercultural communication is a large field but does anyone know if there are any training modules / guides etc. for staff when dealing with people who are not fluent in English? Or research that has been done in this area?
>
> Equipping such front-line staff with, at the very least, an awareness of their language use would, I reckon, be a great help in many, many situations.
>
> Thanks for any suggestions - through direct response or on the forum.
>
> Mike
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________
> Dr Mike Chick
> Senior lecturer TESOL
> University of South Wales / Prifysgol De Cymru
> Tel: 01443 482324
> [log in to unmask]
> https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.s
> outhwales.ac.uk&data=01%7C01%7Creynoldsj15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4
> a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&
> ;sdata=6C6jPZ%2F%2F0PP0KZQCUbXG2uzIe1PjrQPuqecrT4v9VdI%3D&reserved
> =0
>
> *********************************** ESOL-Research is a forum for
> researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into
> teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson
> at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education,
> University of Leeds. To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit
> https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.j
> iscmail.ac.uk%2Flists%2FESOL-RESEARCH.html&data=01%7C01%7Creynolds
> j15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684
> 856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&sdata=8k96QfRq%2FxnvJq0Gccf1bhoCnuCwFvNeaC
> ugGJF3CJ8%3D&reserved=0 To contact the list owner, send an email
> to [log in to unmask]
***********************************
ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds.
To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit
https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jiscmail.ac.uk%2Flists%2FESOL-RESEARCH.html&data=01%7C01%7Creynoldsj15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&sdata=8k96QfRq%2FxnvJq0Gccf1bhoCnuCwFvNeaCugGJF3CJ8%3D&reserved=0
To contact the list owner, send an email to [log in to unmask]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 May 2019 19:47:30 +0000
From: James Simpson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Language awareness of front-line staff
Hi Mike, all
Thanks Judy for the link to training materials.
I couldn't agree with you more, Mike, that for more successful interactions in institutional encounters 'Equipping ... front-line staff with, at the very least, an awareness of their language use would, I reckon, be a great help in many, many situations.'
For research into the real interactional challenges faced by adult migrants in institutional and gatekeeping encounters, a good place to start is the work of Celia Roberts and colleagues. Here are some references. Achieving Understanding is a really important influential book, particularly Ch 8, which has implications for practice. Celia's TESOL Quarterly paper with Melanie Cooke is also important.
Bremer, K., Roberts, C., Vasseur, M., Simonot, M. & Broeder, P. (1996). Achieving Understanding. Harlow: Longman.
Gumperz, J. (1982). Discourse Strategies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Roberts, C., Davies, E. & Jupp, T. (1992). Language and Discrimination: A Study of Communication in Multi-Ethnic Workplaces. London: Longman.
Roberts, C. & Cooke, M. (2009). Authenticity in the Adult ESOL Classroom and Beyond. TESOL Quarterly 43/4, 620-642. https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%2Fj.1545-7249.2009.tb00189.x&data=01%7C01%7Creynoldsj15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&sdata=4nvoQy%2BmLOJpV7klfIQCqWTkEnqOAOEJrffhZ2utN3s%3D&reserved=0
Cheers
James
From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message board [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mike Chick
Sent: 28 May 2019 18:26
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Language awareness of front-line staff
Hi everyone,
A colleague and I recently carried out research on the experience of resettled Syrian families in Wales.
Although not focused on this issue, one observation from the study was that service providers such as Job Centre staff / health care officials / housing officers etc. were often unaware of how the linguistic choices they made during client - provider meetings ( i.e. idiomatic / colloquial language, cultural references, slang, sarcasm etc.) affected the quality, and thus success, of the interaction.
I appreciate that intercultural communication is a large field but does anyone know if there are any training modules / guides etc. for staff when dealing with people who are not fluent in English? Or research that has been done in this area?
Equipping such front-line staff with, at the very least, an awareness of their language use would, I reckon, be a great help in many, many situations.
Thanks for any suggestions - through direct response or on the forum.
Mike
_______________________________________
Dr Mike Chick
Senior lecturer TESOL
University of South Wales / Prifysgol De Cymru
Tel: 01443 482324
[log in to unmask]
https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.southwales.ac.uk&data=01%7C01%7Creynoldsj15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&sdata=6C6jPZ%2F%2F0PP0KZQCUbXG2uzIe1PjrQPuqecrT4v9VdI%3D&reserved=0
*********************************** ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds. To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jiscmail.ac.uk%2Flists%2FESOL-RESEARCH.html&data=01%7C01%7Creynoldsj15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&sdata=8k96QfRq%2FxnvJq0Gccf1bhoCnuCwFvNeaCugGJF3CJ8%3D&reserved=0 To contact the list owner, send an email to [log in to unmask]
***********************************
ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds.
To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit
https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jiscmail.ac.uk%2Flists%2FESOL-RESEARCH.html&data=01%7C01%7Creynoldsj15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&sdata=8k96QfRq%2FxnvJq0Gccf1bhoCnuCwFvNeaCugGJF3CJ8%3D&reserved=0
To contact the list owner, send an email to [log in to unmask]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 May 2019 21:31:04 +0100
From: Bradley Dalton-Oates <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Language awareness of front-line staff
Dear Dr. Chick,
My name is Bradley Dalton-Oates, and this is my research interest. I served as a medical translator in a teaching hospital in Rome from 2012-2016. I was also a lecturer of mandatory ESOL courses required for medical/nursing students at Sapienza University of Rome. I do find that medical staff are massively unprepared for language barriers in medical care. I've done a Master's thesis on the subject- if you'd like it I can send it along so that you can poach the resources from the bibliography to make your own manual. Though I'm American I now live in the UK (I'm currently on maternity), and run a charity called Twig: The Medical Translation Database ( Twig: UK Charity Commision <https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbeta.charitycommission.gov.uk%2Fcharity-details%2F%3Fregid%3D1176773%26subid%3D0&data=01%7C01%7Creynoldsj15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&sdata=snQHNhDmT1AKGp%2F%2BQsQZzLtJo0FpRXS9Orf75cxU%2BBc%3D&reserved=0>
).
The database is currently under construction and should be finished in the next 6 months. The idea is to have bilingual medical professionals contribute and translate questions in a database something like a wiki so that monolingual medical professionals can use them when needed. The only difference between us ans a wiki is that our translations would be in not only written, but audio & video formats as well. Anyone interested in the project is welcome to contact me- I haven't been in the UK long and always like input especially about the immigrant/provider/NHS triangle. I really can't stress how excited I'd be to hear from medical professionals on this front or other stakeholders.
In any case, this is an extremely difficult field to study, thus the lack of handbooks and such for medical providers. Communication between doctors and patients is private, and as such it's difficult to study when things 'go wrong' (unless they end up in a medical malpractice case). Non-English speaking patients can have a high level of reverence for doctors, and as such are less likely to ask follow up questions, less likely to 'press' a doctor to explain or rephrase, and more likely to just answer with a 'yes'
when they genuinely don't understand. Some work has been done with simulating patient/doctor/translator interactions (using actors), but it's not super common. Lots of really good information comes from the Deaf community (in your case BSL) because very often you see the cracks in training that medical staff have just from BSL/English. If the BSL speakers in your area are having a tough time, I'd wager the immigrant community is probably struggling even more. It would be helpful if non-English speaking patients filled out satisfaction forms at the end of consults, but as they don't physicians tend to give themselves glowing reviews when in reality the patient has hardly understood anything!
I'm attaching some papers you might want to read (I've also attached my own, but that's an optional read). They're the ones I'd give medical staff anywhere to start on.
*Otherwise, if I were to create my own rules for your situation, they'd be as follows:*
1. Contact an English-speaking cultural mediator who is also Syrian to ask about common problems this patient pool faces.
2. Otherwise, procure a Syrian-speaking translator from your phone bank or translation bank.
3. Medical professionals often assume that the same translator will follow the same patient to future consults,t his isn't the case! They also tend to assume that the patient will work out their follow-up appointments with the translator as they're leaving their current appointment. This isn't the case either! So the patient/translator/doctor need to figure out future steps for patient together in the office before everyone clears off.
4. Medical professionals often give patients pamphlets in their own language or websites. This is not super helpful, as the terminology on the pamphlet may not be clear tot he patient, and if the website is in English patients may have a difficult time navigating it.
5. Using a family member to translate is a HORRIBLE idea, and ethically even more horrendous if a minor child is used. This used to be common practise but is less and less the case now. In Rome there have been *many* cases of human trafficking/child abuse that have been covered up by fake family members who attend consults as 'translators'. Genuine family members may not have the terminology, and studies show that they often change the translation to shield their loved one from bad news.
6. Offer female patients a same-sex doctor and highlight that female chaperones are also available for consults.
7. State exactly what every procedure entails- what the patient can expect- even if that procedure is something simple like an x-ray. This is something doctors already commonly do for children.
8. Plan 2-3 times the consult time that you would for an English-speaking patient. Translators do not speed things up the way medical professionals wish they would.
9. Medical professionals should NOT speak to the translator, chat at length etc. They should speak to the patient, maintain eye contact with the patient, etc.
10. Medical professionals should remember that the patient has never seen the translator before in their lives. Remember this when asking the patient to undress, etc.
11. If you're a doctor that's a doodler, doodle more!
12. SLOW DOWN. Even the translators at the Nuremburg trials were told to speak at 60 words per minute (one word per second), which is easily understandable. As I remember the speed for books on tape is something like 120, normal speech 160. So 60 would be super slow, but good for patients.
If you want to see what 120 looks like, watch episodes of the US television series Mr. Rogers Neighborhood- this speed was deemed to be perfect for comprehension in small children in English. ( Minutes 1:30-3, but slower still for an ESL patient! <https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DUfDSOs8xBTQ&data=01%7C01%7Creynoldsj15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&sdata=ti%2Fv0OfVX3lJc0qpxM6%2BYj38gh1aJmJOP7i7HMPGc%2BQ%3D&reserved=0> )
*From Twig giudance. Linguistically, here's what we want from a medical translator (common problems), even if you're just modifying your own English for a ESL patient, or using a computer translation system:*
*ORIGINAL QUESTION TO TRANSLATE*
*WHAT WE WANT OUR MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS TO ACCOMPLISH:* (I would find direct translations of the questions/statements on the left to be incomplete. I’m hoping our translators will create something more patient-friendly, as illustrated below. I’m hoping our verifiers would fail direct translations (left column) and pass translations similar to those
below.)
*Adaptation of syntax and word choice to a lay audience:*
“Acute overdose could lead initially to hypoglycaemia and subsequently to hyperglycaemia.”
“If you have used too much of this medicine, initially your blood sugar may decrease and become too low. Subsequently, it may increase and become too high.”
“Long-term overdosing could result in signs and symptoms of gigantism and/or acromegaly consistent with the known effects of hGH excess.”
“Prolonged overdose may result in a greater than normal growth of ears, nose, lips, tongue and cheekbone.”
*Contextualization*
“Do you take any over-the-counter medication?”
“Do you take any medication, such as Tylenol, cough syrup, vitamins, or supplements?”
“Are you having an allergic reaction?”
“Are you suffering from swelling, itchiness, difficulty breathing and/or rash after eating certain foods or using certain products?”
*Eponyms (terms named for people or places, but not necessarily translatable from one language to another):*
“Does anyone in your family suffer from Lou Gehrig disease?”
“Does anyone in your family suffered from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?
The symptoms can include muscle weakness, muscle twitching, and stiff muscles.”
[In other languages this can be called Charcot’s disease]
“Have you ever suffered from Lyme disease?”
This would need to be translated into a native language, possibly similarly as I have done above.
*Acronyms*
“Have you ever suffered from COPD?”
“Have you ever suffered from COPD? This is a general term used to describe progressive lung diseases including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and refractory (non-reversible) asthma.
This question could be further simplified if the translator felt that a prospective patient in the target language wouldn’t understand words like emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and refractory (non-reversible) asthma.
“Would you be willing to undergo a CT scan?”
“Would you be willing to co for a CT scan? This is a computerized tomography exam, similar to an x-ray. We would be happy to have you see a technician of your same gender or to have a chaperone accompany you.”
In this case the medical translator is serving more as a cultural mediator.
“Do you have an RX for this?”
“Has a physician given you a prescription for this medication?”
*Latin vs. Anglo-Saxon*
“Have you ever had varicella or pertussis?”
“Have you ever had chicken pox or whooping cough? These are typically childhood diseases.”
“You have an excess of adepose tissue in you abdominal region.”
“You’ve got a bit too much fat around your tummy area.”
*Polysemy (one word with multiple meanings)*
“You’ve got a bit of a discharge in your eye.”
“There is some liquid flowing from your eye.”
[discharge has two meanings in medical English]
“We’ll discharge you tomorrow.”
“We’ll let you go home tomorrow.”
*...Eliminate all use of phrasal verbs in English. Not only can they have multiple meanings in English, but their two-word structure is difficult for non-English speakers (i.e., they can be split up)A verb can be composed of two words in English. This is easy for a computer to translate when the two words are together in a sentence, but more difficult when the verb is divided.Example:The doctor carried out the exam. (carry out = to complete)the doctor carriedthe exam out. This can be more difficult when the verb in question has multiple meanings (polysemy, see above)to break
down- to become upset OR to degradeto drop off- to fall asleep OR to reduce in quantity/valueto get around- to move about OR to find an innovative way to do somethingto pick up- to catch a disease or the opposite of to drop off (e.g. he picked up his prescription)to take off- to remove something, especially clothes OR what an airplane does (i.e., the opposite of to land)to work out- to come to a conclusion OR to exerciseto turn up- to arrive OR to increase (e.g. in volume)To make matters more confusing, sometimes we use these as nouns in English: e.g., The doctor did a follow up. Rather than use its verb form: He followed the patient’s tests up....Try to simplify multiple word adjectives and nouns, eg:*
*Compound nouns and adjectives (a noun or adjective made up of multiple words, for example office desk)*
Computers are hit-and miss with these, because they need to identify that a set of words have a single unique meaning. For example a computer might translate ‘wine glass’ as a glass filled with wine and not a glass used for wine. However sometimes these have even more than two words and it becomes difficult for computer programs to do…
end expiratory pressure (noun)
check up (noun, sometimes a verb)
breast-feeding (noun or adj)
bone marrow biopsy (noun)
blood-brain barrier (noun)
bed rest (noun)
basal cell carcinoma (noun)
symptom-free (adj)
over-the-counter medication (noun)
surgeon general (noun)
physician of record (noun)
nail bed (noun)
matter-of-fact (adj)
long-suffering (adj)
late stage breast cancer
Anyone reading this is welcome to use the guidance above in internal mail, conversations, etc, but please ask me if you decide to publish it.
Kind Regards,
Ms. Bradley Dalton-Oates
https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=www.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fdaltonbradley&data=01%7C01%7Creynoldsj15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&sdata=X1qB%2BuGMzejSxX5V3laN%2BzMXxRpm2pfkak%2F0WnYw5DM%3D&reserved=0
I'm sending you along some papers which I think may get you started. This lecture may help monolingual people understand the kind of work that translators do, and Brenda Nicodemus writes almost exclusively about medical translation:
https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D6XWmBcoTpPg%26feature%3Dyoutu.be&data=01%7C01%7Creynoldsj15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&sdata=EQ4QcRV0fVeeqvxTg6SMuN4K%2B8qVsKEY%2FFKG87SQRr4%3D&reserved=0
On Tue, May 28, 2019 at 6:27 PM Mike Chick <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> A colleague and I recently carried out research on the experience of
> resettled Syrian families in Wales.
> Although not focused on this issue, one observation from the study was
> that service providers such as Job Centre staff / health care
> officials / housing officers etc. were often unaware of how the
> linguistic choices they made during client - provider meetings ( i.e.
> idiomatic / colloquial language, cultural references, slang, sarcasm
> etc.) affected the quality, and thus success, of the interaction.
>
> I appreciate that intercultural communication is a large field but
> does anyone know if there are any training modules / guides etc. for
> staff when dealing with people who are not fluent in English? Or
> research that has been done in this area?
>
> Equipping such front-line staff with, at the very least, an awareness
> of their language use would, I reckon, be a great help in many, many
> situations.
>
> Thanks for any suggestions - through direct response or on the forum.
>
> Mike
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________
> Dr Mike Chick
> Senior lecturer TESOL
> University of South Wales / Prifysgol De Cymru
> Tel: 01443 482324
> [log in to unmask]
> https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.s
> outhwales.ac.uk&data=01%7C01%7Creynoldsj15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4
> a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&
> ;sdata=6C6jPZ%2F%2F0PP0KZQCUbXG2uzIe1PjrQPuqecrT4v9VdI%3D&reserved
> =0
>
> *********************************** ESOL-Research is a forum for
> researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into
> teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson
> at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds.
> To join or leave ESOL-Research
***********************************
ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds.
To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit
https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jiscmail.ac.uk%2Flists%2FESOL-RESEARCH.html&data=01%7C01%7Creynoldsj15%40CARDIFF.AC.UK%7C351f4a1c858d487c80b608d6e3ab86c3%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1&sdata=8k96QfRq%2FxnvJq0Gccf1bhoCnuCwFvNeaCugGJF3CJ8%3D&reserved=0
To contact the list owner, send an email to [log in to unmask]
------------------------------
End of ESOL-RESEARCH Digest - 27 May 2019 to 28 May 2019 - Special issue (#2019-110)
************************************************************************************
***********************************
ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds.
To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ESOL-RESEARCH.html
To contact the list owner, send an email to
[log in to unmask]
|
