If you think your client, patient or customer may need a Spanish interpreter, then you’ve come to the right place. This guide will help you to navigate the process from start to finish. You’ll learn how to determine if you need a Spanish interpreter, how to secure one and how to ensure effective communication for all involved.
Let’s get started.
1. Determine If an Interpreter Is Needed
Identifying the need for an interpreter is the first step in ensuring successful communication. It may be beneficial for your client to have an interpreter if any of the following criteria apply:
- 1) The client has requested an interpreter.
- 2) The client speaks English as their second language and is in an unfamiliar setting or situation.
- 3) They have difficulty understanding and responding to questions in English.
- 4) They rely on family or friends to interpret for them.
- 5) They prefer to communicate in their first language.
If you need to further evaluate a client’s ability to proceed in English, you could ask open-ended questions that require more thought than a simple “Yes” or “No” response.
In addition, you or your staff may desire the assistance of an interpreter. An interpreter can be helpful if you feel an interpreter is needed, if the situation is serious or troubling, or if you simply feel that an interpreter could help the client interaction go more smoothly.
2. Determine If You’ll Need a Spanish Interpreter or an Interpreter in Another Language
It’s important to establish the language spoken by a client, since location of birth does not necessarily indicate the primary language spoken. For example, most people born in Mexico speak Spanish as their native language, but that’s not true of everyone. In fact, more than 6 million people in Mexico speak indigenous languages, such as Mixteco. Accentable Services offers over-the-phone interpreting services in Mixteco, Mixteco Alto and Mixteco Bajo. Some indigenous language speakers also speak Spanish well, while others don’t, which makes it important to know which language your client would prefer.
Which language is best for your client may be determined in a variety of ways. First, you can ask the person directly or consult a family member, friend or support worker who knows them well. Second, visual aids that list different languages can help you to identify their language. Accentable Services offers this type of visual aid to current clients at no charge.
3. Secure Your Interpreting Services
There are two main types of interpreting services: onsite interpreting (also called face-to-face interpreting) and remote interpreting. Onsite interpreting requires you, the client and the interpreter to all be in one physical location. Remote interpreting, however, does not. It uses technology to remove distance and location as a barrier.
Remote interpreting is available as over-the-phone interpreting and video interpreting. It is especially useful in emergency situations, when interpreting is needed immediately or unexpectedly, when extra confidentiality is required, when an onsite interpreter is not available and/or when an onsite interpreter would be cost prohibitive.
The easiest way to secure remote interpreting services for you or your organization is to sign up online with Accentable Services. Accentable Services offers both over-the-phone interpreting services and video interpreting services.
4. Connect to a Spanish Interpreter
Interpreters allows organizations like yours to better serve clients and ensure that they receive meaningful access to information and services.
Once you’ve signed up for interpreting with Accentable Services, it’s very easy to connect to a Spanish interpreter over the phone or via video. Using the short instructions you receive upon signup, you’ll be connected to a Spanish interpreter right away. You can connect to a Spanish interpreter at any time of the day or night: no pre-scheduling required.
Spanish Interpreters Available on Demand
Do you need a Spanish interpreter? Then sign up now with Accentable Services to provide your organization with reliable remote interpreting services in Spanish, or any other language you might need. We offer over-the-phone interpreting services in more than 260 languages and dialects and video interpreting services in more than 90 languages and dialects.