NCIHC TERMINOLOGY OF
HEALTHCARE INTERPRETING WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
"A" Language - ANSWER-a language in which the interpreter has native proficiency in
speaking and listening
Accreditation - ANSWER-A term usually referring to the reorganization of educational
institutions of training programs as meeting and maintaining standards that then qualify
its graduates for professional practice
ad hoc interpreter - ANSWER-An untrained person who is called upon to interpret
Advocacy - ANSWER-An action taken by an interpreter on behalf of an individual that
goes beyond facilitating communication, with the intention of supporting good health
outcomes
Advocate - ANSWER-A person who acts to further the interests of another party
"B" language - ANSWER-A language in which the interpreter has full functional
proficiency in speaking and listening
Back translation - ANSWER-Translation of translated document back into the original
language
Bi-directional interpreting - ANSWER-Interpreting between two languages where each
functions as both a source and target language
Bilingual - ANSWER-A term describing a person who has some degree of proficiency in
two languages
Bilingual provider - ANSWER-A person with proficiency in more than one language,
enabling the person to provide services directly to LEP patients in their non-English
language
Bilingual worker/employee - ANSWER-An employee who is a proficient speaker of two
languages and may provide direct services in both languages, but who without
additional training is not qualified to serve as an interpreter
Certificate - ANSWER-A document such as a certificate of attendance or completion,
that attests to participation in a course of study and attainment of some learning
objective
, Certification - ANSWER-A process by which a certifying body attests to or certifies that
an individual is qualified to provide a particular service
Certified Interpreter - ANSWER-An interpreter who is certified as competent by a
professional organization or government entity through rigorous testing based on
appropriate and consistent criteria
Community interpreting - ANSWER-Interpreting that takes place in the course of
communication in the local community among speakers of different languages
Consecutive interpreting - ANSWER-The conversion of a speaker or signer's message
into another language after the speaker or signer pauses
Cultural and linguistic competence - ANSWER-A set of congruent behaviors, attitudes,
and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professionals that
enables effective work in cross-cultural situations
Cultural brokering - ANSWER-Any action taken by the interpreter that provides cultural
information in addition to linguistic interpretation of the message given
Cultural consultant - ANSWER-A person with the ability and experience to conduct
training for health care providers on how to provide culturally sensitive care to their
ethnically diverse patient population
Dual-role interpreter - ANSWER-A bilingual employee in health care who has been
tested for language skills, trained as a medical interpreter and assumes the task of part-
time medical interpreting willingly
Face-to-face interpreting - ANSWER-Interpreting in which the interpreter is present in
person with both, or at least one, of the persons form whom interpreting is provided
First-person interpreting - ANSWER-The promotion by the interpreter of direct
communication between the principal parties in the interaction through the use of direct
utterances of each speaker, as though the interpreter were the voice of the person
speaking, albeit in the language of the listener
Limited English Proficiency (LEP) - ANSWER-A legal concept referring to a level of
English proficiency that is insufficient to ensure equal access to public service provided
in English without an interpreter
Literal translation - ANSWER-A form of rough translation in which every word or word-
element is translated in sequences without regard to how the message would normally
be expressed in the other language
HEALTHCARE INTERPRETING WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
"A" Language - ANSWER-a language in which the interpreter has native proficiency in
speaking and listening
Accreditation - ANSWER-A term usually referring to the reorganization of educational
institutions of training programs as meeting and maintaining standards that then qualify
its graduates for professional practice
ad hoc interpreter - ANSWER-An untrained person who is called upon to interpret
Advocacy - ANSWER-An action taken by an interpreter on behalf of an individual that
goes beyond facilitating communication, with the intention of supporting good health
outcomes
Advocate - ANSWER-A person who acts to further the interests of another party
"B" language - ANSWER-A language in which the interpreter has full functional
proficiency in speaking and listening
Back translation - ANSWER-Translation of translated document back into the original
language
Bi-directional interpreting - ANSWER-Interpreting between two languages where each
functions as both a source and target language
Bilingual - ANSWER-A term describing a person who has some degree of proficiency in
two languages
Bilingual provider - ANSWER-A person with proficiency in more than one language,
enabling the person to provide services directly to LEP patients in their non-English
language
Bilingual worker/employee - ANSWER-An employee who is a proficient speaker of two
languages and may provide direct services in both languages, but who without
additional training is not qualified to serve as an interpreter
Certificate - ANSWER-A document such as a certificate of attendance or completion,
that attests to participation in a course of study and attainment of some learning
objective
, Certification - ANSWER-A process by which a certifying body attests to or certifies that
an individual is qualified to provide a particular service
Certified Interpreter - ANSWER-An interpreter who is certified as competent by a
professional organization or government entity through rigorous testing based on
appropriate and consistent criteria
Community interpreting - ANSWER-Interpreting that takes place in the course of
communication in the local community among speakers of different languages
Consecutive interpreting - ANSWER-The conversion of a speaker or signer's message
into another language after the speaker or signer pauses
Cultural and linguistic competence - ANSWER-A set of congruent behaviors, attitudes,
and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professionals that
enables effective work in cross-cultural situations
Cultural brokering - ANSWER-Any action taken by the interpreter that provides cultural
information in addition to linguistic interpretation of the message given
Cultural consultant - ANSWER-A person with the ability and experience to conduct
training for health care providers on how to provide culturally sensitive care to their
ethnically diverse patient population
Dual-role interpreter - ANSWER-A bilingual employee in health care who has been
tested for language skills, trained as a medical interpreter and assumes the task of part-
time medical interpreting willingly
Face-to-face interpreting - ANSWER-Interpreting in which the interpreter is present in
person with both, or at least one, of the persons form whom interpreting is provided
First-person interpreting - ANSWER-The promotion by the interpreter of direct
communication between the principal parties in the interaction through the use of direct
utterances of each speaker, as though the interpreter were the voice of the person
speaking, albeit in the language of the listener
Limited English Proficiency (LEP) - ANSWER-A legal concept referring to a level of
English proficiency that is insufficient to ensure equal access to public service provided
in English without an interpreter
Literal translation - ANSWER-A form of rough translation in which every word or word-
element is translated in sequences without regard to how the message would normally
be expressed in the other language
