Consider this your beginner’s guide on looking up terminology as an interpreter. While geared especially towards medical interpreters, much of the information I share can be applied across interpreting disciplines.
In the video you’ll find above, I discuss the basic terminology resources I share with my students when teaching medical interpretation and show what each resource is best used for. Students interpret many different languages, therefore these resources are not specific to Spanish but all of these resources can be used by Spanish interpreters.
Resources & Tips Discussed in the Video
Jump to different sections of the video!
Below you’ll find all the resources I mention in the video, as well as links to be able to jump to those points in the video. You can also visit the video’s page on YouTube to watch it there.
- 0:00 – Intro and note about languages of lesser diffusion
- Related Resource: my Networking Guide for Finding Terminology Resources
- 1:36 – Wordreference for Medical Interpreters
- 4:53 – Tureng (idioms, slang, regionalisms) for Medical Interpreters
- 6:32 – Term Gallery (thesaurus, context) for Medical Interpreters
- 9:26 – ProZ Term Search (technical translations) for Medical Interpreters
- 12:36 – Know Your English Dictionaries! American, Australian, or British?
- Related Resource: Wikipedia’s page on Comparison of English Dictionaries
- 14:22 – Latin American Spanish Resources for Medical Interpreters
- Related Resource: The Asociación de Academías de la Lengua Española. For regional Spanish authorities on terminology, browse to the Academy you’re looking for, click on “Sede” and there may be a website listed.
- 18:34 – MSD Manuals (Translated Medical Articles) for Medical Interpreters
- 21:09 – Linguee for Medical Interpreters
- Tip: Searches existing translations (good and bad) across the web. Use with caution and always cross-reference with other sources!
- 23:38 – Wikipedia (TITLES) for Medical Interpreters
- Tip: Find an article, scroll down, and click on the language in the lefthand menu. These translations (of ONLY THE TITLES) may not always be 100% correct, but can certainly give you some good leads of where to start searching for the most correct translation of the term in your target language(s).
Important Note on Studying Terms
Spaced Repetition is Your BIGGEST Ally!
Spaced repetition is the practice of studying something at regular intervals so it stays in your memory for a longer period of time. Check out this 2-minute video explaining the concept!
