Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
| Interpretation Services | Booking & Payment | Quality Standards |
Interpretation Services
1. In what languages do you provide interpretation services?
We provide interpretation services from English to over 130 different languages and dialects, and vice versa. For a detailed list, please see Languages.
2. What is your geographical service area for onsite and telephone interpretation services?
Our onsite interpretation services cover the whole of Ontario. Over-the phone interpretation services are offered throughout Canada and the United States.
3. Why do I need professional interpreters? My friend/colleague can interpret for me.
While amateur interpretation may suffice for casual conversations, too much is at stake when you are giving testimony in a legal discovery session, presenting a new technology to your prospective buyers, or trying to understand from medical personnel the exact prognosis of your disease and treatment options. On these occasions precise interpretation is critical. Not only do professional interpreters have mastery over the language combination they are qualified to interpret in, they are also screened for experience and expertise in the subject matter of your assignment. Moreover, with assured impartiality and confidentiality from professional interpreters, all parties can feel comfortable that their messages will not be presented in a biased manner or information leaked out.
4. The government
provides professional interpreters. Why do I need to hire
one myself?
There are limited occasions where government agencies provide professional interpretation services to the public upon request, subject to sufficient notice. The Ministry of Attorney General, for example, offers interpretation service to a party or witness appearing at criminal court who is not proficient in the language in which the proceedings are being conducted, For civil, family and Small Claims Court matters in Ontario, only litigants who qualify for a waiver of court fees (based mainly on household income) may ask for court interpretation services. In other words, the government's offering is only limited to a certain number of people for very specific purposes.
5. Should I ask for consecutive or simultaneous interpretation?
For details on consecutive and simultaneous interpretation, pls. see What We Do. Consecutive interpretation is often used for one on one interviews, small group discussions, or telephone conversations, whereas simultaneous interpretation is often used for large conferences or some court hearings. When considering options, you should consider time availability (consecutive interpretation takes longer), facilities and equipment (simultaneous interpretation works better with electronic equipment, a soundproof booth, headsets, microphones...etc.) and the composition of participants (if there is only one non-English speaking participant among a large group, an interpreter sitting next to the person and performing simultaneous interpretation through whispering may work). Some assignments require a combination of both. Most interpreters are trained in both.
6. What are certified and accredited interpreters?
For details on certified and accredited interpreters, please see Who We Are page. Certification is granted by professional associations, whereas accreditation is conferred by specific bodies, mostly government agencies. Both titles are a mark of professional competence. Some interpretation assignments need to be undertaken by certified or accredited interpreters, such as attendance at a court hearing. Other assignments do not have strict requirements and you have the option of hiring either certified / accredited interpreters or those who possess other interpretation-related qualifications and have experience in the field.
7. Do I need to prepare anything prior to the interpretation session?
Please refer to Best Practices on things you can do in advance to prepare for the interpretation session. Remember to bring along our contact information on the day of the interpretation assignment in case you need to contact us.
Booking and Payment
1. What information is required when requesting interpretation services?
We need to know the purpose and forum of the interpretation, the language combination, the subject matter (including any specialization required), and also the assignment date, time, expected duration and location (or indicate if phone/ net meeting). Obviously, we also need your contact information including your name, telephone number, address, and e-mail address. To request a quote, please complete our Interpretation Service Request Form or Contact Us. Our staff will contact you for more details if required.
2. How do I book interpretation services?
You can complete our Interpretation Service Request Form or Contact Us to request a quote for your interpretation services. To make a booking, you will be requested to sign a simple service contract or job sheet, and pay the service fees (a deposit or in full depending on the interval between the time of booking and the assignment). We will require from you the detailed address for on-site services.
3. How soon in advance should I book for interpretation services?
We try our best to accommodate our clients' needs, even with very short notice if need be. However, it is advisable to book interpretation services as early as possible, as interpreters usually have very busy schedules. Early planning is especially important in cases where certified or accredited interpreters are required, or you want service from the same professional for multiple days, or you are hosting a large conference, or if the service location is in a remote area.
4. Could I get access to an interpreter without prior booking?
We provide on demand telephone interpretation service to cater for situational needs, where you may need on-the-spot interpretation with a customer, a patient…etc. You call us at 416-479-0728. If you provide us the language (to and from English) required, subject matter, and credit card information, we will try to locate an appropriate interpreter for you immediately. Due to the short time frame for interpreter search, service availability is not guaranteed.
5. How do you charge for your service?
The cost of an interpretation assignment depends on a number of factors. Common considerations are the language combination, specialization, purpose of the interpretation, advance notice provided, specific interpreter qualifications (e.g. certified or accredited interpreters), and availability of professionals on the requested dates. Hourly and half-hourly rates apply. Please refer to Rates for details on charges for on-site and over-the-phone interpretation services.
6. Is there a minimum charge?
For on-site interpretation, there is a minimum two-hour service charge. For phone interpretation, there is a minimum 30-minute service fee.
7. When do I pay?
Please see Booking Interpretation Services for detailed payment schedule.
8. What methods of payment do you accept?
We accept direct bank deposit, credit card, cheque and PayPal. Order is confirmed after payment is secured. For telephone interpretation services, we request settlement by credit card. Please refer to Rates for details.
9. What happens if I requested an interpreter for a specific language and my client actually speaks another language?
If the interpreter that we arranged for you based on the language / dialect you requested reported duty, and you find out during the session that the language is not the one spoken by your client, you are still responsible for payment of fees for the contracted service hours. If you realize your mistake prior to the date of the assignment, please notify us as soon as possible so that we can arrange for an alternative interpreter for you. Depending on the notice period, you may be subject to cancellation charges.
Quality Standards
1. How do I know that information that is interpreted will be kept confidential?
Our service contracts with clients incorporate our Privacy Policy. All our interpreters are bound by service agreements with confidentiality and privacy clauses that apply indefinitely, even after the assignment is completed. Our certified interpreters also abide by the code of ethics from their professional interpreter associations.
2. How do you select interpreters for my interpretation assignment?
The primary criteria would be their language expertise together with their technical knowledge of the subject matter and professional experience in handling assignments similar to yours. Where specified, we will also meet your requirements for a certified or accredited interpreter and, in the case of medical appointments, gender of the interpreter. Where possible, we will locate an interpreter who lives close to the venue of the assignment.
3. How do you monitor the quality and standard of your interpreters?
We follow strict recruitment procedures when hiring our interpreters. We verify interpreters' claims regarding qualifications / certification / accreditation / professional association membership as well as check references before taking them on. On top of adhering to the code of ethics of their own professional interpreter associations, our interpreters are also bound by our service agreements with regard to confidentiality, privacy, and quality standards.
After each assignment, we request our clients for feedback on the service rendered. This way, we monitor and evaluate all our interpreters' performance on an ongoing basis. To ensure client satisfaction, we provide guidelines on service improvement to our interpreters and, based on client ratings, continuously fine-tune our pool of interpreters to include only the best.
4. How do I become an interpreter with I.S.?
If you are an experienced professional interpreter, please go to Join Our Team to send in your application form. Remember to include references and send in related supporting documents.
There are limited occasions where government agencies provide professional interpretation services to the public upon request, subject to sufficient notice. The Ministry of Attorney General, for example, offers interpretation service to a party or witness appearing at criminal court who is not proficient in the language in which the proceedings are being conducted, For civil, family and Small Claims Court matters in Ontario, only litigants who qualify for a waiver of court fees (based mainly on household income) may ask for court interpretation services. In other words, the government's offering is only limited to a certain number of people for very specific purposes.
5. Should I ask for consecutive or simultaneous interpretation?
For details on consecutive and simultaneous interpretation, pls. see What We Do. Consecutive interpretation is often used for one on one interviews, small group discussions, or telephone conversations, whereas simultaneous interpretation is often used for large conferences or some court hearings. When considering options, you should consider time availability (consecutive interpretation takes longer), facilities and equipment (simultaneous interpretation works better with electronic equipment, a soundproof booth, headsets, microphones...etc.) and the composition of participants (if there is only one non-English speaking participant among a large group, an interpreter sitting next to the person and performing simultaneous interpretation through whispering may work). Some assignments require a combination of both. Most interpreters are trained in both.
6. What are certified and accredited interpreters?
For details on certified and accredited interpreters, please see Who We Are page. Certification is granted by professional associations, whereas accreditation is conferred by specific bodies, mostly government agencies. Both titles are a mark of professional competence. Some interpretation assignments need to be undertaken by certified or accredited interpreters, such as attendance at a court hearing. Other assignments do not have strict requirements and you have the option of hiring either certified / accredited interpreters or those who possess other interpretation-related qualifications and have experience in the field.
7. Do I need to prepare anything prior to the interpretation session?
Please refer to Best Practices on things you can do in advance to prepare for the interpretation session. Remember to bring along our contact information on the day of the interpretation assignment in case you need to contact us.
Booking and Payment
1. What information is required when requesting interpretation services?
We need to know the purpose and forum of the interpretation, the language combination, the subject matter (including any specialization required), and also the assignment date, time, expected duration and location (or indicate if phone/ net meeting). Obviously, we also need your contact information including your name, telephone number, address, and e-mail address. To request a quote, please complete our Interpretation Service Request Form or Contact Us. Our staff will contact you for more details if required.
2. How do I book interpretation services?
You can complete our Interpretation Service Request Form or Contact Us to request a quote for your interpretation services. To make a booking, you will be requested to sign a simple service contract or job sheet, and pay the service fees (a deposit or in full depending on the interval between the time of booking and the assignment). We will require from you the detailed address for on-site services.
3. How soon in advance should I book for interpretation services?
We try our best to accommodate our clients' needs, even with very short notice if need be. However, it is advisable to book interpretation services as early as possible, as interpreters usually have very busy schedules. Early planning is especially important in cases where certified or accredited interpreters are required, or you want service from the same professional for multiple days, or you are hosting a large conference, or if the service location is in a remote area.
4. Could I get access to an interpreter without prior booking?
We provide on demand telephone interpretation service to cater for situational needs, where you may need on-the-spot interpretation with a customer, a patient…etc. You call us at 416-479-0728. If you provide us the language (to and from English) required, subject matter, and credit card information, we will try to locate an appropriate interpreter for you immediately. Due to the short time frame for interpreter search, service availability is not guaranteed.
5. How do you charge for your service?
The cost of an interpretation assignment depends on a number of factors. Common considerations are the language combination, specialization, purpose of the interpretation, advance notice provided, specific interpreter qualifications (e.g. certified or accredited interpreters), and availability of professionals on the requested dates. Hourly and half-hourly rates apply. Please refer to Rates for details on charges for on-site and over-the-phone interpretation services.
6. Is there a minimum charge?
For on-site interpretation, there is a minimum two-hour service charge. For phone interpretation, there is a minimum 30-minute service fee.
7. When do I pay?
Please see Booking Interpretation Services for detailed payment schedule.
8. What methods of payment do you accept?
We accept direct bank deposit, credit card, cheque and PayPal. Order is confirmed after payment is secured. For telephone interpretation services, we request settlement by credit card. Please refer to Rates for details.
9. What happens if I requested an interpreter for a specific language and my client actually speaks another language?
If the interpreter that we arranged for you based on the language / dialect you requested reported duty, and you find out during the session that the language is not the one spoken by your client, you are still responsible for payment of fees for the contracted service hours. If you realize your mistake prior to the date of the assignment, please notify us as soon as possible so that we can arrange for an alternative interpreter for you. Depending on the notice period, you may be subject to cancellation charges.
Quality Standards
1. How do I know that information that is interpreted will be kept confidential?
Our service contracts with clients incorporate our Privacy Policy. All our interpreters are bound by service agreements with confidentiality and privacy clauses that apply indefinitely, even after the assignment is completed. Our certified interpreters also abide by the code of ethics from their professional interpreter associations.
2. How do you select interpreters for my interpretation assignment?
The primary criteria would be their language expertise together with their technical knowledge of the subject matter and professional experience in handling assignments similar to yours. Where specified, we will also meet your requirements for a certified or accredited interpreter and, in the case of medical appointments, gender of the interpreter. Where possible, we will locate an interpreter who lives close to the venue of the assignment.
3. How do you monitor the quality and standard of your interpreters?
We follow strict recruitment procedures when hiring our interpreters. We verify interpreters' claims regarding qualifications / certification / accreditation / professional association membership as well as check references before taking them on. On top of adhering to the code of ethics of their own professional interpreter associations, our interpreters are also bound by our service agreements with regard to confidentiality, privacy, and quality standards.
After each assignment, we request our clients for feedback on the service rendered. This way, we monitor and evaluate all our interpreters' performance on an ongoing basis. To ensure client satisfaction, we provide guidelines on service improvement to our interpreters and, based on client ratings, continuously fine-tune our pool of interpreters to include only the best.
4. How do I become an interpreter with I.S.?
If you are an experienced professional interpreter, please go to Join Our Team to send in your application form. Remember to include references and send in related supporting documents.
