Introduction to Healthcare for Interpreters and Translators

“Ineke Crezee’s book fills a vital gap in health interpreting, placing the extensive medical vocabulary needed within the context of interpreter’s practice and the issues they face in the very varied areas of health care. It is ideal for all training levels from short courses to postgraduate work.”

“This is a wonderfully practical handbook for working interpreters and translators that could easily be used as a course text for trainers and educators. […] The medical explanations are clear and well-written without dumbing down the subject areas in any way. […] The book is very user-friendly and is designed so that health interpreters or translators can look up the relevant chapters prior to an interpreting assignment in order to familiarise themselves with a particular area of medicine. The writing is lively and the text is punctuated with anecdotes from practicing interpreters and practical advice from the author. The frequent illustrations add clarity and the helpful and comprehensive index allows for quick and easy reference. This is an excellent resource for interpreters and educators alike. It would be welcome on my shelf as a handy medical reference book, and is an answer to the prayers of health interpreters and translators everywhere for a single volume, comprehensive and above all else practical handbook to this specialised area of interpreting.”

“ Introduction to Healthcare for Interpreters and Translators is a much needed comprehensive guide, which serves to introduce interpreters and translators to the world of healthcare and healthcare interpreting. The book aspires to reach a broad audience of trainers, students and practitioners in line with Crezee’s background as a health professional, practising interpreter and interpreter trainer. The book is an example of multidisciplinary cooperation at its best, with a foreword by renowned interpreting scholar Sandra Hale and contributions by trained health professionals Maureen Kearney, Dana Lui and Linda Hand.”

“I foresee this book being extremely useful to at least three groups of readers: – New interpreters preparing to work in healthcare encounters […] – Experienced interpreters needing a quick introduction to a specific specialty area before going to an encounter […] – Interpreter trainers looking for a text to amplify their treatment of healthcare. […] Whether you are a student of healthcare interpreting, a working healthcare interpreter, or an interpreter educator, I recommend this book to you. Like a good map of a coral reef in the hands of a scuba diver, it will help you know where you are going, what you can expect when you get there, and how to appropriately interpret what you see to the other divers you bring with you. Happy diving!”

“Any healthcare interpreting student that has Ineke Crezee’s book as a required text will keep it as a valued resource for the duration of their career. Experienced interpreters will want a copy of their own. It is broad in scope without skimming the details, and yet remains a concise, accessible volume.”

“Ineke Crezee has used her wide knowledge in healthcare to provide professional insight and illustrate useful terminology, which is undoubtedly beneficial for interpreters in the medical field. This book is invaluable for any advanced health interpreter who wishes to further improve their skills.”

“Practising interpreters and interpreting students will be able to achieve the author’s goal of increasing their knowledge of the medical field and apply it to the improvement of their practice by using this book as a practical guide. Introduction to Healthcare for Interpreters and Translators is a welcome addition to the training resources available.”

“ Introduction to Healthcare for Interpreters and Translators is a tour de force from Ineke Crekee, a well-known trainer of healthcare interpreters from New Zealand. This book includes everything from basic medical terminology by specialty area to anatomy and physiology to what to expect in the Emergency Room. I have never seen a volume like this, written about healthcare but specifically for interpreters, and I will certainly recommend it to anyone providing language services in a healthcare setting.”

“Ineke Crezee has written an exceptionally useful and easily accessible handbook – one might almost describe it as a Vade Mecum (“it goes with me”, as my indispensible companion). Any interpreter, not to mention interpreter trainer who is involved in healthcare interpreting should own this book and use it often. The book is beautifully laid out, uncluttered and in a clear, easy to read typeface. Unpretentious straightforward English and summaries offer easily assimilated new knowledge to the reader. There are terminology lists, as well as lists of acronyms, affixes and other information for terminology management and interpreters’ book and desktop research prior to work assignments. The book is very well organised and I suspect that the most-read chapters for early career interpreters are likely to be those containing the clear descriptions of diagnoses and tests. Anatomical drawings are used to good effect and are very simple, clearly labelled and easy to understand and remember. This book is the work of a true linguist and hugely knowledgeable registered nurse with long experience of working in healthcare across language and culture. I recommend this book to all interpreter training institutions who are preparing students for work in health care. The Western biomedical model of healthcare delivery is not the only one in the world. Cultures that do not follow the medico-scientific paradigm may not find the system in their new country comprehensible or trustworthy. Migration will continue to grow, increasing the demand for high standards of good practice among interpreters when relaying explanations by western clinicians. Interpreters also need empathy and insight into cultural differences affecting individuals’ emotional needs. This book is a timely and very welcome addition to the bookshelves of public service interpreters and translators. It will even ‘go with you’ in a decent sized handbag!”

“ Introduction to Healthcare for Interpreters and Translators by Ineke Crezee is an extremely useful resource for interpreters working in healthcare settings […]. Crezee has done the field a favor by distilling relevant information about healthcare settings and practice into a well-organized and accessible format that interpreters and translators will find invaluable to have as an ongoing reference.”

“ Introduction to Healthcare for Interpreters and Translators will be of great help to interpreting teachers, as it can be used as a content resource for teaching medical translation and interpreting, as it comments on the basic and most common situations which students will encounter when they begin their professional career. It focuses on an intercultural approach which also makes readers aware of the importance of culture and the different issues which arise depending on the different background settings, making context an integral and fundamental concept of study. In summary, the book is well worth reading because it offers a valuable contribution to the basics of medical content and its terminology, the necessary information for practitioners as well as for trainees and their teachers.”

“As a practical professional aid, this highly readable book will be most useful to interpreters who work in health care settings but lack formal medical training. Reading this book is much like getting a guided tour through a busy hospital and all its departments. […] Introduction to Healthcare for Interpreters and Translators is a fine “grand tour” of Western health care and a treasure trove for interpreters who wish to do a quick bit of preliminary research or refresh their knowledge on a particular topic.”