I wish I had a dime for every time someone said they used a family member, a person in the building, or someone at their company as an interpreter instead of a professional interpreter. Let’s look at some reasons why this is a bad idea.

Family Members May Have a Personal Interest

Family members have an agenda. They either like, love, or don’t like the person they are interpreting for. They may have an interest in whatever is being discussed. They may slant the communication to benefit them. Misinterpretation could even happen accidentally. They believe they are looking out for the best interest of the person and leave information out when they interpret or change what is being said.

Children Should Not Be Used as Interpreters

Using children to interpret is the worst idea of all the different people used to interpret aside from a professional interpreter. They may not have the language fluency or knowledge of vocabulary for a given situation. If the child is interpreting for family members, they most likely love those people and will want to help them instead of interpreting the information being given. (This goes for parents interpreting for children too.). Parents need to be parents and nurture their child, not be forced to interpret for them.

If the child or parent has to interpret serious information, they may feel guilty for having to convey that information. They may feel they could have done something differently to protect the family member. Parents or children may not interpret all the information because they don’t want to worry the family member. Most people do not want to see their family member hurt or be given information that will have a life-altering effect.

They also need to process this information. Interpreters do not have these same connections with the people involved and are ethically bound to convey all the information.

Bilingual Employees and Other Untrained People Are Not Professional Interpreters

Co-workers, people who know a language but have no affiliation with a consumer, a doctor, or a public safety person, are not effective interpreters. You do not know if they are fluent in the languages you need. There is the perception that they will want a communication to end with a certain result and wreaks of impropriety.

The consumer sees the professional who is interpreting and doesn’t understand fully that they are interpreting, feeling as though the person is telling them what to do. (It’s why interpreters do not wear white coats in medical facilities, and if they wear scrubs, they ensure they are a different color than the health system uses.).

If consumers don’t feel they have the freedom to say whatever they want or to make their own decision, they are not being provided effective communication. Professional interpreters will not give advice or opinions; people who are used as interpreters have not made that same promise and are not trained in how to avoid doing so. They can also be accused of telling a consumer to do something that could be problematic later.

Professional Interpreters Support Effective Communication

Providing effective communication involves using professional interpreters. Using professional interpreters limits the liability of the company that needs an interpreter. It gives the consumer the freedom and autonomy to make their own decisions. There is always a way to obtain an interpreter now that virtual services are so prolific.