The Healthcare Interpretation Network (HIN) has been working for close to 20 years to improve interpreter training and raise interpretation standards for the delivery of primary healthcare services to patient populations who have limited proficiency in English and French.
This project is to develop a multilingual Terminology Management System (TMS) to manage the terminology used in the healthcare sector. The system is intended to serve a dual purpose: a language tool to assist community interpreters and translators better serve the healthcare community as well as a pedagogical and research tool used in the teaching of language professionals. Initially the multilingual terminology database will be developed by the students enrolled in the Terminology Management course of the MA Translation Program at York University in partnership with community interpreters from the Healthcare Interpretation Network (HIN). In future years, terminology students and interpreters will populate the database with the terminology of the various aspects of healthcare, beginning with the terminology of the human anatomy.
Each student will be paired with an interpreter. The role of the student will be to work with the interpreter to characterize the language in question, identify the data categories pertinent to the language and any language variants, as well as, identify terminology resources and specialists. The role of the interpreter will be to guide the student in the development of the database and to select and input the terminology equivalents from the terminology resources provided by the student. As course director, Ms. Nelida Chan will lead the project and will be supported in part by the Terminology Committee of HIN.
The development of the database is intended to assist in the delivery of interpretation services in the healthcare sector and to promote a greater understanding between healthcare professionals and patients. The database will be designed so as to include not only the technical healthcare and medical terminology used by professionals but also the corresponding terms used in plain language for the same concept in multiple languages. This common understanding of the terminology will assist multilingual interpreters and translators to better bridge not only the language but also the knowledge barriers between the healthcare professionals and the patient. As a pedagogical tool the database and the project will be used in the teaching of terminology management and translation and in the research of language and cultural contact. The project will also serve to bridge university research with community needs.
Co-Chairs Terminology Committee
Lisete Figueiredo
HIN Board of Directors
figlis@sympatico.ca
Lola Bendana
HIN Board of Directors
translations@multi-languages.com
Multilingual Medical Terminology System
Healthcare Interpretation Network
Project Leader
Nelida Chan
Course Director
York University
Members at Large
Silvana Carr
Critical Link Canada
VCC
