Why Native Speakers with Cultural Experience Make the Best Interpreters

Many reasons exist why a professional interpreter with cultural experience is the best choice for professional interpretation and translation services. Some businesses and individuals make the mistake of using automated systems to create new text or interpret recorded speech. While algorithms improve, they cannot imitate the natural understanding of nuanced speech. People who grew up with or used the language for a long time can adapt their translation to ensure maximum understanding.

Language Is a Cultural Tool

When traveling to a foreign country or interacting with someone from there over the internet, it is important to be aware of the cultural differences. One of the most important aspects of culture is language. Language is more than just words. It is a tool for communication that can be used to understand people better. Each country has its own unique language with its own set of idioms and expressions.

In a way, this is very similar to how different industries have specific jargon that suits their operations. A project team leader interested in hiring remote designers and developers must be able to speak with them clearly using the terminology accepted in that business field. Likewise, the interpreter must be able to convey the same specificity to a person no matter what their understanding of language itself.

For most people, learning a new language to talk to remote teams or contract workers is too difficult and time-consuming. That is what makes accurate translation and interpretation services so important. In some cases, it may also be necessary to translate documents from one language to another. Native speakers cannot only switch one word for another. They can reframe what the originator said, wrote, and meant so that the person from a different culture can understand it perfectly.

Experienced Translators and Interpreters Understand Context Best

One of the most important reasons why a native speaker makes the best interpreter or translator is because they can bridge the gap between simple words put together accurately and the overall intent of the speaker or writer. This takes quick and competent adaptation of what is being said for people who live with a different culture, set of values, belief systems, and understandings of how the professional world works. This not only helps people understand intention, but it can also prevent accidental offense and negative outcomes.

Different countries have different expectations of professional language and action. These are fueled by cultural mores that can go back generations. Even in these modern days, things like directness of speech and deferment to authority are essential for smooth operations in some countries. A straight translation of a casual American email to a traditional Japanese corporation, for example, will not get the same results as one tempered through the cultural understanding and interpretation of a native language translator.

Many Languages Have Multiple Distinct Dialects

In some countries around the world, dialects are so different from each other that it would be impossible to automatically know them all. However, official regional language and how people speak every day still differ greatly. Although interpreters and translators without native language ability can foster understanding, the unique qualities of dialects or colloquialisms can make what is said or written much more effective. This is especially important when translating for a specific region or ethnic group.

A translator with cultural experience has a wealth of knowledge and understanding that goes beyond simply knowing two or more languages. This unique perspective makes them an invaluable asset for any translation or interpretation project and delivers a better result every time.