Dear All

 

Ideally an interpreter will hold the DPSI Diploma in Public Service Interpreting especially in the health option.  The problems come with the rare languages and dialects and when a language does not have a written form.  With the best will in the world the Institute of Linguists cannot accredit every language and dialect or offer all languages for examination every year.  Even the Certificate of Bilingual Skills, a lower level to the DPSI, includes translation/reading skills.  See page 3 of this link for the current list  http://www.iol.org.uk/qualifications/DPSI/EntryCard.pdf

 

People who speak a dialect which does not have a written form cannot take the DPSI unless there is a related written language which they can use and then they may prefer to take the more established and academic language in their exam as it probably offers greater status and more opportunity to work.  So it is difficult to build up a body of interpreters trained to a sufficient level to be able to adjudicate in rare and unwritten languages/dialects. 

 

So whatever protocols etc you have there will be occasions when, due to the lack of qualified interpreters available in a particular language, it may not be possible to always stick to it. 

 

Example of a false friend incident where a word sounds familiar but catches you out … GP and Italian woman patient and mix up so the patient had a smear test when she was trying to complain of a pain in the neck – the one next to her head not the womb one - cervix being from the Latin for neck.

 

Regards - Penny