Translation (The Written Word)

Translation is the conversion of written information from one language into equivalent information in another language (Aparicio and Durban 2003).

Translating educational materials requires knowledge of basic terminology along with specialized vocabulary related to curriculum and local, state, and federal programs and policies. It requires access to dictionaries and also to resources on the Internet so that consistency and widespread understanding of commonly used terms can be assured.

Interpretation (The Spoken Word)

Interpreters work with the spoken word, converting speech from a source language into a target language. The interpreter must also communicate the style and tone of the speaker, while taking into account differences of culture, dialect, and setting. The listeners should hear the interpreted message as if it had been originally spoken in their own language.

Interpreting has several modes, each requiring a set of skills that are acquired over time and that must be maintained:

• Consecutive. This mode is characterized by rendering spoken messages back and forth after each person has spoken.
• Simultaneous. This mode is characterized by rendering a message from a source language into a target language almost simultaneously and slightly behind the speaker.
• Sight translation. This mode involves the verbal translation of written text on sight.