Practicing Interpreting

This practice is key to becoming a medical interpreter. With practice, students can achieve fluidity in communication, allowing them to have a great exchange during the encounter.

In this chapter, we need to talk about the different kinds of interpretations modalities:

-Simultaneous, consecutive, and sight. 

Simultaneously, repeat everything the L1 is saying with a delay of 2-3 seconds simultaneously. This interpretation appears in documentaries and the UN.

-Consecutive: it is when a person says something, the Interpreter then waits until the phrase is complete and then it is interpreted, and then the other person says something, and the Interpreter does the same.

-Sight: the interpreter “translates” what is written in a form orally.

Dialogues: During the course, Students will write six dialogues to practice medical interpreting skills, learn about Spanish cultural information, and prepare for their careers.

Each Dialogue is about a different topic, focusing on the topic provided as follows:

DIALOGUE 1 ANESTHESIA

DIALOGUE 2 ENDOCRINOLOGY PEDIATRIC

DIALOGUE 3 HIV/AIDS

DIALOGUE 4 OBSTETRICS

DIALOGUE 5 NEUROLOGY

DIALOGUE 6 RHEUMATOLOGY

Guidelines for writing Dialogue

• Use template (chance for each chapter topic)
• Font size 12, Candara or times new roman, up to 2 pages in length.
• Choose at least three characters (Doctor or nurse, Interpreter, patient) 
• Use the same characters when developing your sitcom (i.e., Grays Anatomy; Scrubs, Nurse Jacky, Dr. House)
• Complete work online to become familiar with the topic.
• Create up to 2 pages of Dialogue in Spanish and English (bilingual) using the topic information
• Post finished Dialogue on learn/dropbox in the corresponding dropbox.

Dialogue should:

1. The Dialogue Must Have a Purpose
2. The Dialogue Should Provide Information
3. Dialogue should show evidence of chapter reading.
4.  “Use dialogue as you would actual speech.” Remember, this is how people talk, so use dialects or forms of expressions people would use according to where they live, including Spanglish, Perfect Spanish, and English.

Following a Dialogue Sample and a Dialogue template

Medical Dialogue

Dialogue template SAMPLE

Date: 

Your name: María Gonzales

Setting: Urgent Care-Adult hospital

Participants: Nurse Jackie, patient, and Interpreter

Tarea number: 1-Chapter: Cardiovascular system

1- Objective: What is the goal of this Dialogue? The goal is to find out if Señora López is at risk of a heart attack due to smoking and sedentarism/ practice saber vs. conocer

2- Context: Describe the situation and setting of the Dialogue (place, type of communication, anything that needs clarification). It happens at the Church Clinic, in person

3- Include online completed work.

4- “Use dialogue as you would actual speech.” Remember it can be bilingual

5- Describe characters and intentions when necessary

6- Be creative!

7- Characters are: Mrs. Lopez, Nurse Jackie, and the Interpreter

8- Character Description: La señora López tiene 40 años y es de México, Jalisco pero vive en Memphis. Nurse Jackie es de Nashville y es anglosajona, de orígenes alemanes y tiene 38 años. ________ es un/a intérprete medico que tomó la clase de Spanish for healthcare with Diana Ruggiero and now is a medical interpreter since he/she completed The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (NBCMI).

9- Pre-conference information: Nurse Jackie to Interpreter: This patient is LEP (limited English proficiency) and needs your help being interpreted. I have to assess what is wrong with her, and we have to be quick; this is triage.

I am (your first name), your Interpreter. 

I will interpret everything you say in the first person and keep it all confidential. 

Please speak to each other in short sentences, and I may interrupt for clarification. 

Can I be your Interpreter today? 

Soy ( tu nombre), tu intérprete 

 Voy a interpretar todo lo que diga en primera persona y será confidencial. 

 Por favor hable en oraciones cortas y quizás lo/la interrumpa por clarificación

¿Puedo ser tu intérprete hoy? 

Your Dialogue here:

Nurse/Enfermera: Jackie

Interpreter

Patient: Señora López

Enfermera (with a big smile): Good afternoon Mrs. Lopez! My name is Jackie, and I will be your nurse today. This is _______, and he/she will be your medical Interpreter for today. Do you know each other?

Buenas tardes Sra. Lopez! Mi nombre es Jackie y seré tu enfermera hoy. Esta es _______ y él / ella será su intérprete médico por hoy. ¿Se conocen ?

It is ok, thank you. No, we do not know each other.

Paciente (a bit confused, she feels lost. She feels she is not dressed elegant enough to be at the doctor): Esta Bien, gracias. No, no nos conocemos.

Enfermera (in a nice calm tone, with all the patience in the world): What seems to be the problem today? How are you feeling?

¿Cual es el problema hoy? ¿Cómo se siente?

Well … I was painting my house and smoking a cigarette, and suddenly my heart started beating fast, and I fell … off a ladder and I hit my back and a little my head … my chest hurts a lot

Paciente (Now she is moving her hands a lot): Bueno… estaba pintando mi casa y fumando un cigarrillo, y de repente mi corazón empezó a latir rápido y me caí… de una escalera y me golpeé la espalda y un poco la cabeza…me duele mucho el pecho..

Enfermera (looking surprised): Oh my goodness Mrs. Lopez! How many cigarettes do you smoke a day? How long ago have you had this pain? Does anyone in your family have medical problems such as high blood pressure?

Oh Dios mío, señora López! ¿Cuántos cigarrillos fumas al día? ¿Cuánto tiempo hace que tienes este dolor? ¿Alguien en su familia tiene problemas médicos como presión arterial alta?

About an hour ago, and yes, my parents have high blood pressure. Moreover, I smoke two packages a day.

Paciente: Hace como una hora y sí, mis padres tienen la presión sanguínea alta. Y fumo 2 paquetes al día.

Enfermera: Do you know how bad it is to smoke so much? Have you ever had a heart attack?

¿Sabes lo malo que es fumar tanto? ¿Alguna vez has tenido un ataque al corazón?

breathing deeply * No … I can … breathe .. * Mrs. Lopez faints *

Paciente: *respirando profundamente* No…puedo…respirar.. * Señora Lopez se desmaya*

Ahora la paciente está en el piso, el intérprete no sabe qué hacer, la enfermera está muy preocupada y transpira mucho, casi parece que llora.

Now the patient is on the floor, the Interpreter does not know what to do, the nurse is distraught and perspiring a lot, and she almost seems to cry.

Enfermera: Code blue! Bring the doctor! Mrs. Lopez, can you hear me?

¡Código Azul! ¡Trae al doctor! Sra. López, ¿me oyes?

* still fainted *

Paciente: *todavia desmayada*

Enfermera: Mrs. Lopez you might be suffering from a heart attack or internal bleeding from your fall. We’re going to take you down to get a CT scan.

Sra. López, podría estar sufriendo un ataque cardíaco o una hemorragia interna por su caída. Vamos a llevarte a una tomografía computarizada.

* still fainted *

Paciente: *todavia desmayada*

Enfermera: Let’s go! Hurry!

¡Vamos, apúrense!

Medical Dialogue

Dialogue template 

Date: 

Your name: Setting: 

1- Objective: What is the goal of this Dialogue? 

2- Context: Describe the situation, and setting of the Dialogue (place, type of communication, anything that needs clarification) 

3- Include information from online work completed.

4- “Use dialogue as you would actual speech.” Remember it can be bilingual

5- Describe characters and intentions when necessary

6- Be creative!

7- Characters are: 

8- Character Description:

9- Pre-conference information: 

10- Your Dialogue here:

Dr. /Nurse

Interpreter

Patient/s:

Interpreting Excercise #10 (Video)

TASKS

Compare and contrast the two situations shown in the video below.

Check your understanding of what each person says using captions.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. The following video has 2 situations: A & B. Please watch both situations carefully.
2. Next, watch the captioned video
   • Note since the video is in both Spanish and English, you need to watch the specially captioned video containing captions in both languages.
     • do not just turn captions on in YouTube!
3. Write a short paragraph, create a video, OR a graphic comparing and contrasting situations A & B.
   • Indicate which situation you would choose for your professional practice.
   • Briefly describe how/if the captions helped you.
     • Did you miss any information? If so, why?

Video without Captions

Video with Captions in Spanish and English