Frequently Asked Questions
Need more information about what sets Nebraska Interpretation Services apart?
Read below for answers to commonly-asked questions.
- Do I need a translator or an interpreter?
- Why should I use an interpreter?
- Can my friend be the interpreter?
- Why shouldn’t doctors rely on families to do the interpreting?
- I need to communicate something confidential. What is your privacy policy?
- Do you offer legal interpretation?
- I need to have a document translated into English. How can NIS help me?
- I know someone who is multilingual! How can they become an interpreter?
Do I need a translator or an interpreter?
Nebraska Interpretation Services is pleased to offer both interpretation and translation services to our clientele.
Interpreters work with spoken language. So, if you need to convey spoken information back and forth with a client or patient, you need an interpreter. Our trained interpreters are available to assist you on-site (in person), via telephone, and via video.
Translators work with written documents. If you have a document that needs to be in another language, you need a translator. Translators do much more than literally transfer words from the source language into the target language – they have to transmit the overall meaning of those words, with sensitivity to cultural differences, linguistic nuances, and idiomatic speech.
Why should I use an interpreter?
An NIS interpreter has the credentials to show that they are highly prepared to interpret in different settings. Please note that in Nebraska there is no certifying body for medical interpreters. All the same, we are proud to offer the services of our highly skilled interpreters, all of whom receive on-the-job training and industry tips.
Nebraska Interpretation Services interpreters always come prepared. We start with background research into your industry and its vocabulary. If you have any materials to share with your client or patient, it’s a good idea to share them with your interpreter in advance by contacting our office at 402-817-5990.
Can my friend be the interpreter?
Effective communication is critical to ensuring understanding, empowering clients, and providing high-quality service. It takes more than just the ability to understand two languages. Professional translators and interpreters have the education, experience, and expertise to understand the nuances in one language and transfer them to another.
We do not recommend that anyone who hasn’t taken proper coursework serve as an interpreter or translator. A professional interpreter is prepared to interpret specific terminology and vocabularies, including diagnoses given to patients and legal work. The ramifications of improper interpretation can lead to serious consequences. At Nebraska Interpretation Services, you can be confident that you and your clients will find mutual understanding. Call us at 402-817-5990 for all of your interpretation needs.
Why shouldn’t doctors rely on families to do the interpreting?
This is a great question. A professional interpreter is prepared to interpret medical terminology, including any diagnosis given to a patient. We are compassionate conduits of communication; we also convey the information as it is without omitting or adding information. This is contrary to what could happen if a family member conveys what the provider says. Family members may skip some information or change the meaning of some terminology with or without the intention of sounding less impactful.
A common critical interpretation error is that families misinterpret medicine dosage and/or do not have the requisite vocabulary to capture the expressions and nuances in meaning to maintain the impact of the original message. With our interpreters’ up-to-date information and implementation of industry best practices, Nebraska Interpretation Services is able to provide you with the care your clients need.
Professional interpreters work from a completely objective viewpoint. Our interpreters have been trained to respond in a way that withholds their opinion to transmit an impartial message.
I need to communicate something confidential. What is your privacy policy?
At Nebraska Interpretation Services, we are completely HIPAA-compliant, and all interpretation appointments completely confidential. Our interpreters abide by professional ethics (and the non-disclosure clause of any standard contract), ensuring that anything you discuss in front of your interpreter will be treated as strictly confidential.
Do you offer legal interpretation?
Legal language can be complex and difficult to understand, even for native speakers. This can lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations, which can have serious consequences for all parties involved.
A Nebraska Interpretation Services interpreter helps to bridge the language gap and ensures that all parties fully understand what is happening during legal proceedings. We help to clarify legal language and terminology, provide cultural context, and ensure that everyone involved is on the same page.
The importance of interpreters in legal proceedings cannot be overstated, as they play a vital role in ensuring that justice is served and that all parties are treated fairly.
I need to have a document translated into English. How can NIS help me?
Our translators do not use AI translation software (such as ChatGPT), because with translation software, only the words are translated – not the nuances behind the document’s original language. AI is not able to convey meaning, which means that the result of an AI-generated translation is inaccuracy. Human translators have real-world experiences and job training to convey idioms, metaphors, and complex or specialized language.
I know someone who is multilingual! How can they become an interpreter?
At NIS, we’re always recruiting promising candidates for freelance interpreter positions. Please send us an email or give us a call at 402-817-5990 to discuss the position further – we’d love to speak with you!
Contact us today for a free quote or if you’d like to be part of our great team of interpreters!
If you have questions or suggestions to improve the information above, call us at 402.817.5990 or email us at info@NEInterpretations.com