Welcome to Hennepin County Interpreter Training

1. Welcome to Hennepin County Interpreter Training Click here to Exit. Click here to Continue. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

2. Click here to Continue. Click here to go to Previous Slide. Overview Communication is the very heart of all relationships and interaction. When those trying to communicate come from different cultures, speak different languages, and can’t understand each other at all, what happens? For many immigrants, refugees and some “native” Americans, language and cultural differences become a barrier to accessing quality services from the county. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

3. It is the job of the interpreter to overcome the communication barrier between you and the Limited English Proficiency (LEP) individual, by translating the words and meaning of your message and that of the LEP. The interpreter is there for you as an employee and for the LEP individual equally. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

4. Who are these persons doing the interpreting? • In the County, some are full-time bilingual staff who do interpreting when needed. • Some are full-time Staff Interpreters. • Others are independent business people who provide on-call interpreting under contract with the County. • Still others who may do interpreting are County bilingual backup staff or County volunteers. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

5. This training is intended to ensure that the “Hennepin Guidelines for Working with Any Person Doing Interpreting” are met whenever interpreting is provided for Hennepin County clients. When you are working with an interpreter in the delivery of ANY County service, you are helping Hennepin County to ensure open access to all public services. When you use these guidelines, you will help increase the quality of access to the County services. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

6. The County’s goal is to increase the competency level of all staff that work with an interpreter in the delivery of county services. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

7. Objectives At the conclusion of this course you will be able to: • Describe the purpose and role of the interpreter. • Describe the guidelines for working with an interpreter. • Apply the guidelines when working with an interpreter and a Limited English Proficiency (LEP) person in the delivery of county services. Let’s get started! DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

8. Communication, pure and simple, is the purpose of the interpreter. Any role an interpreter perform should relate to this purpose. There are three roles that the interpreter plays while interpreting. They are: • Conduit • Clarifier • Cultural Broker The interpreter may need to shift roles throughout the exchange between you and the LEP person. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

9. Let’s take a closer look at the roles of an interpreter. Conduit This is the most basic of the roles and involves rendering in one language exactly what has been said in the other language without adjusting for register; No additions, No omissions, No editing, No polishing. This is the primary role of the person doing interpreting, which they adopt unless they perceive a clear potential for misunderstanding. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

10. Clarifier In this role, the person doing interpreting adjusts for register, makes word pictures of terms that have no linguistic equivalent (or whose linguistic equivalent would not be understood by either the employee or the client) and checks for understanding. The person doing interpreting takes this role when they believe it necessary to facilitate understanding. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

11. Cultural Broker In this role, the person doing interpreting provides the necessary cultural framework for understanding the message being interpreted. An interpreter takes this role when cultural differences are leading to a misunderstanding on the part of either the county employee or the client. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

12. It is important to remember that the person doing interpreting is there, both for you as an employee and for the LEP client. They are not there as agents for Hennepin County. Interpreters are there equally for both parties to provide interpreting in the delivery of county service. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

13. Persons doing interpreting should be those qualified with Hennepin County to provide interpreting for both you and your customer (client, patient, citizen etc.) Qualified means having completed training and certification in Hennepin County’s Ethical and Interpreting Competency Standards for All Persons Doing Interpreting in the Delivery of County Services. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

14. In addition, qualified individuals must demonstrate proficiency in the following: • A Non-English Language, • The English Language, • Hennepin County “Business Line’s” vernacular, systems, procedures, policies and practices. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

15. Now that you have an idea of role of interpreters, let’s look at how you work with interpreters. There are fourteen “Guidelines for Working with Persons Doing Interpreting”. They are based on the current Hennepin County language assistance protocols “Guidelines for Working with Interpreters”. These Guidelines are a series of “How To’s” that apply to any Hennepin County employee, working with an interpreter to deliver county services. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

16. The fourteen guidelines for working with An interpreter are as follows: 1.Speak directly to the Limited English Proficiency (LEP) person. 2. Do not say anything you do not want interpreted. 3. Use words, not just gestures, to convey your meaning. 4. Speak slowly, clearly and in a normal tone of voice. 5. Use simple vocabulary to express your meaning. 6. Explain jargon and technical terms when necessary. 7. Speak in short simple sentences, pausing to permit interpretation. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

17. 8.Ask one question at a time. • 9.Allow the interpreter to stop you for clarification when necessary. • 10. Expect the interpreter to take notes. • 11. Be prepared to restate your message in different words if it is not understood. • 12. If you suspect the interpreter does not fully understand your message, double check to see if they understand. • 13. If you suspect the LEP does not fully understand your message, double check to see if they understand. • 14. When using bilingual staff for interpreting, DO NOT ask them to perform functions related to their regular jobs. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

18. Let’s take a closer look at each guideline. Speak directly to the Limited English Proficiency (LEP) person. It is important to stay focused on the LEP person, not the person doing the interpreting. Speak directly to them. The interpreter will convey your message. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

19. Don’t say anything that you do not want interpreted. Interpreters are trained to interpret anything you say, so be careful. Only say things that you intend the LEP person to hear. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

20. Use words, not just gestures, to convey your meaning. Be sure to use words along with gestures. The LEP person may not understand gestures or find them offensive DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

21. Speak slowly, clearly and in a normal tone of voice. Speak clearly at a comfortable pace so the interpreter can understand your message. Speak in a normal tone. Speaking louder than normal does not make your message easier to understand and may be threatening to the LEP person. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

22. Use simple vocabulary to express your meaning. Using simple words makes it easier for the interpreter to convey your message to the LEP person. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

23. Explain jargon and technical terms when necessary. Sometimes it is impossible to avoid using jargon or technical terms. It is important that you explain the meaning of the terms you are using to the LEP person. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

24. Speak in short simple sentences, pausing to permit the interpretation. Speaking in short simple sentences also help the interpreter convey your message. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

25. Ask one question at a time. Asking one question at a time not only makes things easier for the interpreter, it also makes it easier for the LEP person to answers your question. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

26. Allow the person doing the interpreting to stop you and seek clarification when necessary. Do not discourage the interpreter from asking for clarification if they do not understand you message. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

27. Expect the person doing the interpreting to take notes. The interpreter may take notes, especially if things get complicated. This will help them relay accurate information to the LEP person. The interpreter is not making a permanent record of what you are saying, so do not discourage note taking. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

28. Be prepared to restate your message in different words if it is not understood. Sometimes just restating your message differently can make a difference for someone trying to understand. It is important to remain patient. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

29. If you suspect the interpreter does not fully understand your message, double check to see if he/she understand. It is OK to ask the person doing the interpreting if they understand your message. Do not assume that they understand. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

30. If you suspect the LEP person does not fully understand your message, double check to see if he/she understands. It is important the LEP person understands your message.If it appears that he/she does not fully understand, double check to see what he/she understands, e.g. “Tell me what you understand.” DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

31. When using bilingual staff for interpreting, DO NOT ask them to perform functions related to their regular jobs. While the bilingual staff is there to provide interpreting services for you and the LEP person, he/she is not there to take on extra work. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

32. Examples/Scenarios On the following slides you will find examples/scenarios for each guideline. Please decide whether it is a “good” or “bad” example of staff following the guideline when working with a person doing interpreting. To continue, click on the setting in which you work: Health/Medical Human Service Department (HSD) Criminal Justice General Government DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

33. Speak Directly to the LEP Client, Not to the Person Doing the Interpreting. A staff physician was seeing a LEP patient in the Medicine Clinic. The physician began the interview speaking directly to the patient. “I understand you are sad much of the time and you cannot sleep. Can you tell me what you are thinking about when you cannot sleep?” After the interpreter interpreted what the physician said, the patient replied “I think about my country and family.” The physician said to the patient, “This happens to most people who come to the United States. You should not worry about it.” The interpreter interpreted what the physician said. Is this a “good” or “bad” example of Staff following the, “speak directly to the LEP person, not to the person doing the interpreting” guideline? Good Bad Click on your choice DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

34. You’re Right! The physician speaks directly to the LEP patient and the interpreter interprets exactly what is said. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

35. Sorry! This is a good example; the physician speaks directly to the LEP patient and the interpreter interprets exactly what is said. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

36. Speak Directly to the LEP Client, Not to the Person Doing the Interpreting. An LEP client is applying for extended MA and directs all of her questions to the staff interpreter, asking the interpreter to ask the HSR if she will be able to qualify for extended MA. The HSR asks the client to speak directly to him and continues to direct all of his questions directly to the client Is this a “good” or “bad” example of Staff following the, “speak directly to the LEP person, not to the person doing the interpreting” guideline? Good Bad Click on your choice DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

37. You’re Right! The HSR directs all his questions to the client and asks that the client direct all her statements to him. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

38. Sorry! This is a good example; the HSR directs all his questions to the client and asks that the client direct all her statements to him. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

39. Speak Directly to the LEP Client, Not to the Person Doing the Interpreting. An LEP client is appearing at the Traffic Violations Bureau to challenge a parking ticket. The county clerk has not worked with an interpreter before and asks the interpreter how she should proceed. The interpreter explains to both the clerk and the client that they should speak directly to each other and he will interpret. The rest of the session proceeds with the county clerk and the client speaking directly to each other. Is this a “good” or “bad” example of Staff following the, “speak directly to the LEP person, not to the person doing the interpreting” guideline? Good Bad Click on your choice DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

40. You’re Right! The hearing officer adheres to protocol and speaks directly to the client through the interpreter. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

41. Sorry! This is a good example; the hearing officer adheres to protocol and speaks directly to the client through the interpreter. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

42. Speak Directly to the LEP Client, Not to the Person Doing the Interpreting. An LEP couple comes to the Government Center to apply for a marriage license. The county clerk directs his questions to the interpreter instead of the clients. The interpreter asks the clerk to direct his questions to the clients, but the clerk continues to direct these questions to the interpreter. Is this a “good” or “bad” example of Staff following the, “speak directly to the LEP person, not to the person doing the interpreting” guideline? Good Bad Click on your choice DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

43. You’re Right! After the interpreter asks the clerk to address the client directly, the clerk fails to do so. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

44. Sorry! This is a bad example; after the interpreter asks the clerk to address the client directly, the clerk fails to do so. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

45. Don’t Say Anything that You Do Not Want Interpreted. At the beginning of gynecology appointment, the interpreter introduced herself to both the client and provider. She said, “I will interpret everything said in this room and everything will be confidential. Nothing said in here will be repeated outside these doors.” Halfway into the session the provider told the interpreter that she was tired of working with people that don’t speak English. The interpreter said to the client, “I am tired of working with people that don’t speak English.” Is this a “good” or “bad” example of Staff following the, “Don’t say anything that you do not want interpreted” guideline? Good Bad Click on your choice DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

46. You’re Right! The provider should not have stated she was tired of working with people who didn’t speak English because the interpreter informed her at the beginning of the session that everything said was going to be interpreted. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

47. Sorry! This is a bad example; the provider should not have stated she was tired of working with people who didn’t speak English because the interpreter informed her at the beginning of the session that everything said was going to be interpreted. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

48. Don’t Say Anything that You Do Not Want Interpreted. A social worker is meeting with an LEP client who would like to apply for cash assistance. When the interpreter arrives, he explains to both the client and the social worker that they should only say what they would like to have interpreted. As the interview progresses, the social worker mutters something about the credibility of the client. She then asks the interpreter not to repeat what she has just said. Is this a “good” or “bad” example of Staff following the, “Don’t say anything that you do not want interpreted” guideline? Good Bad Click on your choice DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

49. You’re Right! The interpreter is required to repeat everything that is said during the interpreting session. The social worker was informed of this and still asked the interpreter to not repeat what she said. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT

50. Sorry! This is a bad example; the interpreter is required to repeat everything that is said during the interpreting session. The social worker was informed of this and still asked the interpreter to not repeat what she said. DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT EXIT