TN Language Center provides on-site, face-to-face interpretation in over 70 languages. Our network of interpreters extends throughout Tennessee so no matter where you are, we can help. The interpreters we work with are carefully selected based on their experience and level of professionalism. At TN Language Center, we understand that our interpreters not only represent our organization, but they represent our clients as well. That is why we hold our interpreters to very high professional standards. Our quality assurance guarantees that TN Language Center interpreters:
- are comfortable working in a variety of settings including court, medical and social services
- have been trained in professional ethics and standards of practice
- have undergone background checks
- have signed confidentiality agreements
Policies and Procedures
On-site interpretation services are typically available during normal business hours as well as evening hours and on weekends for conferences and tours.
Services are billed at an hourly fee and we do reserve, and charge, a minimum of 2 hours for each appointment. The 2-hour block per appointment ensures that our client’s needs are met in case the meeting, medical appointment or court hearing starts late or runs long. We require 24 hours advance notice of booking and cancellation of appointments once an interpreter is confirmed.
TN Language Center uses a secure and convenient on-line interpreter scheduling system called Fluency that allows our clients to log-in to submit requests for interpreters, confirm appointments, and cancel requests. In order to use this service, please call one of our Interpretation Coordinators at 615-741-7579 for a username and password.
Additional Services
Telephonic Interpretation
For immediate access to an interpreter outside of normal business hours, we offer telephonic interpretation services in over 200 languages, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Clients can call our dedicated phone number any time of day and an operator will connect you to an interpreter. If you do not know the language you need, the operator can help determine that for you. Telephonic interpretation services are billed per minute, with a 20-minute minimum charge. Please note that some rare languages may require scheduling an appointment in advance.
Conference Interpretation
If you are hosting an international conference, TN Language Center can provide conference interpretation services and rent interpretation equipment so the conference attendees who speak foreign languages can listen to presentations in real time and without disturbing the rest of the audience. Conference interpretation is a specialized skill within the field of professional interpretation, requiring the use of simultaneous interpretation. Simultaneous interpretation is very taxing, which is why conference interpretation requires a team of interpreters for each language. Conference interpretation services are billed at an hourly rate, and equipment is rented on a daily basis. TN Language Center Interpretation Coordinators will work closely with interpreters and clients to ensure interpreters are familiar with industry terminology. It is always helpful to have access to presentation material in advance of the conference.
Voice-over Services
TN Language Center interpreters can also be hired for voice or video recordings of translated scripts. Voice-over services are billed on an hourly basis with a 1-hour minimum fee.
For more information about any of our services, please contact us by email at its.languagecenter@tennessee.edu or phone at (615) 741-7579. If you are ready to request an interpreter, fill out and submit an Interpreter Request Form under the Requests for Interpretation tab to the left, or by emailing us at its.languagecenter@tennessee.edu, and one of our Interpretation Coordinators will assist you.
If your organization has an on-going need for interpretation and/or translation services and you are interested in establishing a Client Service Agreement, please contact us by phone at 615-741-7579 or email to its.languagecenter@tennessee.edu.
Working with an interpreter is a unique experience, so we’ve compiled a few tips to help our clients make the most of the experience.
- Always speak directly to the person you are meeting with. For example, ask “Do you like the color red?” do not say to the interpreter “Ask her if she likes the color red”.
- Pause between long sentences to allow the interpreter time to interpret. Wait for the interpreter to finish before beginning your next question or statement.
- It may be helpful to meet with the interpreter briefly before the meeting starts to provide some background information about the case and your objectives for the appointment.
- Interpreters are not lawyers, doctors, or social workers. They can only interpret for these experts and should not be expected to review legal documents, explain medical procedures or register someone for social services without a professional present.
- Interpreters are supposed to be neutral third parties. Please do not ask the interpreter to call your client directly because this can lead to professional boundaries being crossed. Confirmation phone calls can be arranged through TN Language Center.
These are the languages we have currently available for interpretation.
Albanian, Amharic, Arabic (+ Egyptian, Sudanese), Azerbaijani, Bengali, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cambodian (Khmer), Chin, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Croation, Farsi, French, German, Gujarati, Haitian-Creole, Hindi, Hmong, Italian, Japanese, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Korean, Kurdish (Badini, Sorani), Lao, Lingala, Marathi, Nepali, Oromo, Persian (Farsi), Polish, Portuguese (+ Brazilian), Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Tigrigna, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese, Zomi
Don’t see the language you are looking for? Contact us, we may be able to help.
615.741.7579
its.languagecenter@tennessee.edu
Clients needing an interpreter should complete the Interpreter Request Form below. In order to set up an account permitting online scheduling of interpreters using our Fluency system, contact an Interpretation Project Manager at 615-741-7579 and you will be assigned a user name and password.
Existing clients who have authorized access can submit interpretation requests through our on-line scheduling system any time but should note that Interpretation Project Managers will only be able to acknowledge and process the request during normal business hours.
Existing clients may also use our telephonic interpretation hotline at any time. Your call will be answered by an operator who will connect you to the appropriate interpreter. Please tell the operator your name, the name of your organization, and the language you need.
