Doctors, patients struggle with language barrier

[영어도우미]

Doctors, patients struggle with language barrier

Need for interpreters in hospitals and clinics skyrockets as diversity grows

Barbara Rayes, the coordinator for Spanish Interpreters at Phoenix Children's Hospital, assists a nurse in discharging Jaime Garcia, left, by translating between the nurse and Garcia's parents.

 

 

DALLAS - Interpreting a doctor’s information for her Spanish-speaking husband was the last thing Barbara Rayes wanted to do as she held her dying newborn daughter.

 

“It wasn’t my job to interpret; that was taking away the few moments of her life that I had with her,” said Rayes. “It was an unfair burden at a time of true crisis in our lives.”

 

Nearly 15 years later, Rayes is trying to eliminate that burden for others by training interpreters and translators at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

 

Rayes, who grew up in a house where English and Arabic were spoken and learned Spanish in school, was preparing to be an interpreter when she became pregnant. After the experience with her daughter, she said, she knew she wanted to use her skill in a medical setting.

 

Interpreters trained in medical terminology, especially those speaking Spanish, are in high demand as the country’s population becomes more and more diverse, said Cindy Roat of the American Translators Association. The boom in Hispanic population has led to the Spanish demand, but there’s short supply of speakers of other languages as well.

In Albuquerque, N.M., Navajo and Vietnamese are in high demand, while in Seattle, Russian, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Cambodian are needed. Boston has more of a use for Portuguese, while parts of Florida get requests for Haitian Creole interpreters.

 

“Certainly in a medical setting, understanding is a matter of life and death,” said Leni Kirkman, a spokeswoman at University Hospital in San Antonio, where interpreters in Asian languages are needed.

 

 

Full Story: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13924005/

 

Vocabulary: (click on the space after the word to hear the correct pronunciation)

terminology    
NOUN:
pl. ter·minologies

1. The vocabulary of technical terms used in a particular field, subject, science, or art; nomenclature.
2. The study of nomenclature.

diverse    
ADJECTIVE:

1. Differing one from another.
2. Made up of distinct characteristics, qualities, or elements:

Hispanic    
ADJECTIVE:

1. Of or relating to Spain or Spanish-speaking Latin America.
2. Of or relating to a Spanish-speaking people or culture.

NOUN:

1. A Spanish-speaking person.
2. A U.S. citizen or resident of Latin-American or Spanish descent.

 

Guide Questions:

 

1. In your opinion, what creates a language barrier? What is your personal interpretation of the concept of a "language barrier"?

 

2. Have you ever suffered from language barrier? Please tell me about it.

 

3. Who do you think should adjust in dealing with language barrier: the native or the foreigner? Why? Please explain your answers fully.

 

4. In this age of diversity and modern technology, how do we overcome language barrier? What are some suggestions that you might offer?

 

5. According to the article, why is overcoming language barrier important in a medical setting?

 

6. In what other industry do people suffer from language barrier? Please offer some examples.