ISO 18841:2018 pdf free download.nterpreting services – General requirements and recommendations.
ISO 18841 responds to the need to provide general service requirements for the provision of quality interpreting services. It provides requirements and recommendations for the delivery of spoken and signed communication across languages and societal contexts and throughout interpreting specializations. ISO 18841 may be used in conjunction with other interpreting specialization standards.
Interpreters render spoken or signed communication across languages. Interpreting differs from translation, which is the rendering of written content into another written language.
1 Scope
ISO 18841 specifies basic requirements for the provision of interpreting services. Additionally, it provides recommendations of good practice.
NOTE Interpreting specializations/specialized interpreting services can be covered In other International Standards (e.g. ISO 20228. Legal Interpreting).
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
4 Basic principles of Interpreting
4.1 General
Interpreting shall aim to facilitate non-written communication by rendering a message faithfully between at least two parties who do not share the same language (either a spoken language or a sign language).
NOTl In this context. ‘faithfully” means to convey/render the information without additions, alterations or omissions affecting Its content, style. Intent and purpose.
4.2 Interpreting protocols and codes of conduct
4.2.1 Protocols
The interpreter shall adhere to accepted professional practices and protocols; they can vary by interpreting specialization and setting, and by country or region.
A non-exhaustive list of specializations and settings is set out in Annex A.
4.2.2 Codes of conduct
Codes of ethics, codes of conduct and standards of practice exist in many countries. Such documents can be developed by governments, judicial bodies, interpreters’ associations, organizations that promote Interpreting, and other entities. The interpreter shall adhere to the applicable professional codes of ethics and standards of practice.
4.3 Modes
The interpreter shall discuss with the client the mode of interpreting which is appropriate for the setting (see Annex A for examples). The modes used are set out in Table 1 below.
The interpreter shall, in advance of the service, specify with the client the pricing, terms, policies. procedures and technical equipment for the requested service, unless there is an existing legal act or collective agreement governing contractual obligations between the interpreting service provider (ISP) and the interpreters employed or contracted by it.
The interpreter shall clarify together with the client at least the following parameters of the proposed contract for preparing an offer:
a) setting (see Clause AJ. for examples);
b) interpreting mode;
c) number of languages required;
d) number of interpreters per team;
e) number of teams of interpreters depending on the language combinations required;
f) remuneration;
g) working hours;
h) other working conditions (see 5.2-5A).
A non-exhaustive list of parties involved in interpreting assignments and their responsibilities is given
in Annex B.
5.2 Accepting assignments
5.2.1 General
The interpreter shall only accept assignments for which he/she is linguistically qualified and that match his/her language skills, language combinations, domain competence and expertise. The interpreter shall specify and require by agreement the working conditions that are conducive to the successful delivery of his/her services.
5.2.2 Working conditions
Working conditions shall be specified and agreed upon in advance.
q) timely access to the interpreting system:
r) broadcasting. streaming and recording of the interpreter’s output, and any copyright issues involved.
The interpreter shall also have the responsibilities specified in Clause B3.
5.3 During assign ments
During an interpreting assignment, the interpreter shall, wherever feasible and appropriate:
a) interpret in the first person (direct speech), unless doing so impedes clear communication. Examples of exceptions can include emergencies, and situations when several people speak at once;
b) manage the flow of communication and turn-taking in dialogue interpreting to ensure smooth communication and accuracy;
c) refrain from conveying his/her own feelings or any opinions unrelated to the assignment even by way of facial expressions, body language or tone of voice;
d) intervene only if necessary, and exclusively for the purpose of ensuring clear communication, seeking clarification or rectifying interpreting errors (for example, when parties speak too quickly or misunderstand the interpreted content);
e) when intervening, adhere to all requirements governing the interventions which are relevant to the particular specialization and setting and to any relevant legal requirements, and clearly identify that the interpreter is speaking as the interpreter;
1) report any risk of fatigue, burnout or secondary trauma arising from the circumstances of the assignment to whoever commissioned the assignment;
g) when performing consecutive interpreting, take notes as needed to enhance accuracy;
h) refrain from complying with requests that violate the relevant codes of ethics and protocols.
5.4 After assignments
After an interpreting assignment the interpreter shall, whenever feasible and appropriate:
a) debrief;
b) report critical incidents;
c) produce the relevant accounting documentation;
d) engage in appropriate self-care to prevent burnout and/or secondary trauma;
e) report any risk of fatigue, burnout or secondary trauma arising from the circumstances of the assignment to whoever commissioned the assignment.
Self-care responsibilities of interpreters are given in Annex C.
6 Qualifications and competences related to interpreting
6.1 Qualifications
Qualifications can vary by specialization. Where specialized qualifications are covered by pertinent International Standards, the interpreter shall have at his/her disposal all documented evidence of such qualifications (e.g. ISO 20228, Legal interpreting) to present to the client.
6.2 Competences
6.2.1 General competences
The interpreter shall be proficient in at least two languages (spoken or signed) and shall be able to facilitate communication by interpreting between two or more languages. The terms ‘A’, ‘B or ‘C’ languages are used to refer to these languages. Sometimes the interpreter will work face-to-face with individuals or groups who need his/her services; and, sometimes, he/she will work at a distance.
The interpreter shall have the ability to convey a message from the source language into the target language (whether spoken or signed) in an interpreting mode appropriate for a given setting. The interpreter shall accurately, faithfully and impartially interpret the substance of all statements without any additions, omissions or other misleading factors that could alter the intended meaning of the speaker’s message. The interpreter shall demonstrate mastery of the various interpreting modes and techniques including consecutive interpreting, simultaneous interpreting and chuchotage along with sight translation, memory and note-taking skills.
6.2.2 LinguistIc competences
The interpreter shall demonstrate the required linguistic ability in his/her working languages based on nationally or professionally accepted standards of language proficiency. This ability shall include speaking and/or signing skills, as well as listening comprehension and reading comprehension skills (i.e. the ability to comprehend various regional accents and/or dialectical differences, and recognize various registers, including formal and informal, subject-specific vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, colloquialisms and slang). The interpreter shall also possess the ability to transition between formal and informal speech levels, and to interpret accurately for speakers with different educational and cultural backgrounds.
All interpreters shall have as a minimum an ‘A’ and a ‘C’ language, that is to say, at least one source and one target language.