If you'd rather place an order by talking to one of our cheerful order desk clerks, please call 1-888-232-4444 (USA and Canada only) or 250-383-6864. From Europe, ring our UK order desk clerk at local rate number 0845 230 9601 (UK only) or 44 (0)1865 722 113.

Telephone Interpreting: A Comprehensive Guide to the Profession

by Nataly Kelly

298 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #08-1015; ISBN 1-4251-8501-0; US$29.95, C$29.95, EUR20.46, £15.46

This book provides an in-depth view into the world of telephone interpreting. The first major publication on the topic, this book offers extensive information for anyone involved with interpreting services.

About the Book

While it may be a new concept for many readers, telephone interpreting has been successfully used to enable speakers of different languages to communicate for more than three decades. With time, the field has evolved to ensure that high levels of quality can be obtained, both in terms of connectivity and quality of interpretation. However, in spite of its 30-year history and widespread use throughout the world, very little has been written about telephone interpreting. In this, the first book devoted entirely to the subject, the author provides readers with long-awaited transparency and insight into the field, in order to promote the highest possible standards of quality. The publication serves as a practical guide for interpreters, a resource for educators, a reference text for researchers and a comprehensive handbook for consumers of interpreting services everywhere.

This book provides readers with a fascinating in-depth view into the world of remote interpretation via telephone. The first publication devoted exclusively to the topic, this book offers a wealth of information for interpreters, educators, training professionals and consumers of interpreting services within the realms of health care, legal services, public safety, finance, social services, insurance and numerous other industries where telephone interpreting services are used. Through the model code of ethics and standards of practice included in the book, readers can gain a better understanding of the levels of quality that can be obtained through telephone interpretation. Numerous role-play scenarios are also included to facilitate telephone interpreting practice.

Reviews

This is a much-needed and invaluable contribution to the literature on the practice of interpreting. The volume provides unique insight into the relatively new field of telephone interpreting, and should be required reading for anyone involved in interpreting over the phone, whether as a practitioner,consumer, or educator.

Holly Mikkelson, Adjunct Professor, Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation, Monterey Institute of International Studies and author, The Interpreter's Companion and The Interpreter's Edge

Organizations of all kinds are awakening to the fact that telephone interpreting is not a substitute for other types of interpreting, but is a vital and growing specialized area within the field.  Rich with examples, this book is a must-read for all interpreters, and is highly recommended to coordinators and managers of interpreting services.

Izabel Arocha, President, Massachusetts Medical Interpreters Association, and Professor of Interpreting, Boston University

This guide is a valuable resource both to interpreters seeking to enter the world of telephonic interpreting and to interpreter service managers interested in introducing telephonic interpreting in their facilities. The author clearly has extensive first-hand  experience in the field, providing concrete examples as well as conceptual frameworks. The writing is straightforward and easy to read. I would suggest this book to anyone getting involved with telephonic interpreting.

Cynthia E. Roat, U.S.-based consultant on language access in health care, principal author, Bridging the Gap and former co-chair of the National Council of Interpreting in Health Care

Ms. Kelly's book adds to the growing body of literature available regarding language services, helping people understand the important role telephone interpreting plays in our society and economy.

Louis Provenzano, President and Chief Operating Officer, Language Line Services

About the Author

Nataly Kelly has spent more than a decade promoting standards of quality among telephone interpreting providers and educating others about the vital role of telephone interpreting in society. She has also served as an in-person interpreter in the fields of legal, health care and conference interpreting, and is a certified court interpreter for Spanish and English. A former Fulbright scholar, she is known internationally for her research and conference presentations on topics of sociolinguistics, interpreter certification, translation, cultural competence and interpreting quality. She is often cited as a subject matter expert in publications such as the New York Times and the Washington Post. She is a senior analyst with Common Sense Advisory, a market research firm devoted to the language services industry. Nataly writes about computer-assisted interpretation, translation memory, and a variety of other topics located at the intersection of translation and technology. She also writes for Global Watchtower (www.globalwatchtower.com), a blog that covers translation, localization and globalization.