In the summer of 2010 I was teaching a seminar in Tacna, a small desert town in Peru. Even though I speak Spanish, it is more efficient for me to teach with a translator and I have done this so often in my courses in countries around the world including Central and South America. I had been to this place more than once and my translators were always English speakers who were fluent in Spanish. I never had any significant difficulties with their translations. On this occasion, however, I had an inexperienced translator who was also based in Tacna.
He was very nice, but also very frustrating. Several times during the lectures I had to give him words in Spanish or clarify his translations. I was frustrated with him, but I attributed his long pauses and confused word choices to the fact that he had not yet learned the art of translating, which is an art, in fact. On the plane home, however, I had a revelation.
When I was staring out the airplane window, I was rehearsing some specific cases in my lectures in which my translator had problems. As I pondered these situations, I found that he had been looking for a translation that would best bring my thoughts into the culture he knew so well. As any second language speaker knows, literal translations can often be problematic. My Peruvian translator knew of subtle nuances that I couldn't possibly have known about. That was the main reason for his pauses and delays in translation. His lack of translator experience was a secondary factor.
On the other hand, my American translators in the past few years had known what I was talking about, and they had chosen words to convey to my audience that I heard with my American ears. That's why it sounded good to me. The words lived up to my expectations. But on my long flight home, I realized that my previous translators could easily have made mistakes that I did not or could not recognize. What I perceived to be correct translations may have been incorrect. Ironically, I'd been more comfortable with translators who were actually more likely to translate incorrectly than those who were most likely to get it exactly.
After working in Central and South America for several years and hobbling in my very weak Spanish, I decided to go back to school. I wanted to be able to teach and advise Spanish speaking clients in their language. So I enrolled in a local community college and took two years of Spanish.
My language skills improved to the point where I could often consult with my Mexican, Peruvian, Argentine or Chilean customers in their native language. I have spoken and lectured in Spanish on television and in public forums. I know what I am doing.
But when given a choice, nowadays I will almost always use a translator for something other than casual conversations in Spanish. My fluency can be my enemy. Native Spanish speakers often overestimate my understanding and if I'm not careful I do the same. They speak faster and accept a lot. I might hear a term or phrase and get it wrong (just like we do in English) but I don't even know I did. Do you remember the days when "bad" meant "good"? The language changes regularly.
As consultants, we know even more critically that every word, every inflection and every subtle nuance of language can help us to understand our clients better. Even after spending my summers in Chile for almost 15 years, I still cannot master these nuances in this one context – let alone generalize them to 20 or 30 different Spanish-speaking countries. Casual conversation? No problem. However, the advice requires great precision.
There are ethical and logistical problems when using a translator for advice. Confidentiality is, of course, one of many. But I'd rather have a translator who is a native speaker and knows about the ethics of counseling than trying to do it on my own and maybe miss out on something critical.
If you serve populations who speak languages other than English, it is important to find a local translator and train that translator for the consultation room.
One last warning: Spanish does not sound the same in different countries. Whether you are in Spain, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colombia, Peru or Chile, each region has different cadence and nuances. The same is true for many other languages. So don't just call the "Spanish" speaker.
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Gregory K. Moffatt is a 30-year veteran advisor and the Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Point University. In his monthly Voice of Experience column for CT Online, he aims to draw theoretical, ethical and practical lessons from his diverse career as well as inspiration for today's consultants, whether they are just starting out or have been practicing for many years. His experience spans three decades of working with children, trauma, and abuse, as well as a host of other experiences including working with schools, businesses, and law enforcement agencies. Contact him at [email protected].
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It should not be assumed that opinions or statements in articles appearing on CT Online represent the opinions of the editors or guidelines of the American Counseling Association.
