What To Ask When Choosing Mayan (And Other Indigenous) Language Interpreter Services

Language Access for Indigenous Languages - Key Players

To date, several types of organizations provide some level of Mayan language interpreter services. While this is potentially a step in the right direction, many of these organizations are under-equipped to provide the services needed to increase language access for Indigenous languages on a national scale.

Here's a look at the four main types of organizations that can potentially provide language services for Indigenous languages:

Big Language Service Providers (LSPs)

Big LSPs strive to provide their clients with an all-in-one solution for interpretation and translation services. With such a broad approach, it’s difficult to meet the needs of rare and indigenous languages, and they often lack the specialized knowledge to do so. More often than not, they end up outsourcing indigenous language interpretation to small, niche LSPs because they simply don't have enough resources. Because they have fewer resources for indigenous languages, they usually cannot provide on-demand interpretation services.

These large providers also tend to lack the resources and expertise to evaluate indigenous language speakers' proficiency and interpretation skills. I have personally worked with a wide variety of larger LSPs as a Q’eqchi’ interpreter, and I can attest that almost none of them had me do any kind of language proficiency evaluations. 

Community Development Organizations

Community development organizations (CDOs) do excellent work in connecting communities with resources and ensuring their welfare. They also provide interpretation services for members of their community and can partner with local organizations to provide interpretation services. However, interpretation services are only a portion of their work, not their primary mission. They don't have the infrastructure to handle nationwide demand. 

Often, CDOs are limited to the languages most commonly spoken by members of their community, and they may not have the resources to handle languages beyond that. 

Government Contracting Agencies

Language services are often included in government contracts, which are typically subcontracted out. These contracts usually involve multiple levels of subcontracting that can ultimately jeopardize interpretation quality and consistency.

Similar to big LSPs, these agencies are generally not equipped to evaluate interpreters' skills or offer on-demand services. Another problem is that certain government contracting agencies may “horde” resources. For example, I have seen certain government contracting agencies hire indigenous language speakers full-time, but then primarily only use them for Spanish-English interpretation, resulting in poor resource allocation and a potential shortage of interpreters in other fields.

Each of these three types of organizations can, albeit unintentionally, create barriers to true language access for indigenous languages. Each time a client is unable to connect with an interpreter when they need one or is provided with an interpreter who doesn’t meet the standard of language proficiency needed or is provided with the wrong language, it creates misconceptions about the accessibility of these languages. This often leads the end users to adopt less-than-ethical standards, such as continuing interviews or appointments in Spanish or using a family member as an interpreter. 

Small, Niche Agencies

Small, niche language service agencies specializing in indigenous languages should have extensive experience and specialized knowledge about the set of languages they serve. Thus, they should be able to provide actual language proficiency evaluation and quality control, and be able to navigate the nuances of working with indigenous languages. Because of their smaller size and more focused approach, they should be able to provide more responsive services, such as on-demand interpretation. They should also offer the widest variety possible for the set of languages they specialize in, not just a handful. 

Overall, a small, niche agency offers the best combination of expertise, cultural sensitivity, and service quality when it comes to indigenous language interpretation. However, simply claiming to be a niche expertise agency isn’t enough. Even those who claim to be niche interpretation agencies can create barriers to true indigenous language access if they don’t meet the necessary standards. 

9 Questions To Ask When Choosing Mayan (And Indigenous) Language Interpreter Services

As we mentioned before, small, niche agencies will typically be the best choice for Mayan and other Indigenous language services, thanks to their specialized expertise, cultural sensitivity, and more in-depth focus on Indigenous languages.

Whether you plan to work with a niche agency or a big LSP, to find the best Mayan language interpretation provider for your needs, you should be asking these 9 key questions: 

1. Are these languages handled in-house or outsourced?

Outsourcing can affect the quality and consistency of services. If an agency has to outsource its Indigenous language services, typically it cannot find or evaluate its own resources, and therefore, is not qualified to provide services in those languages. An agency with its own resources is more likely to maintain high standards and deliver quality services.

2. How does this provider evaluate and qualify language proficiency in indigenous languages?

The way an agency evaluates its interpreters speaks volumes about their quality. A comprehensive evaluation process typically includes intensive testing and certification to make sure that interpreters are both linguistically proficient and culturally knowledgeable. Very few have the resources to be able to provide language proficiency evaluations in indigenous languages. 

3. Can they provide on-demand services or only scheduled appointments?

Find out if the agency can provide interpreters on short notice or if they only take on scheduled appointments. Only being able to take on scheduled appointments usually indicates that they have a shortage of resources.

4. What are the organization’s core values?

An agency that prioritizes language access and social justice over profit is more likely to deliver a reliable, respectful interpretation experience. 

5. Do they have a number that can be called to talk about their services?

Being able to call and speak to someone directly about the services they offer indicates that they care enough about their clients to offer them the opportunity to learn as much about their services as possible from the start. It also indicates that they aren’t overwhelmed by incoming requests and new clients, and that they also have the proper infrastructure to accommodate new clients

6. Can they support all of the languages from the region they specialize in or only some of them?

An agency that claims to specialize in Mayan languages, for example, should ideally have the ability to service all of the various Mayan languages, not just a handful. Additionally, they should be able to accommodate all of the variants within those languages and should be aware of which languages commonly have variants so that they can determine the right interpreter from the start. Having only a few languages within a group of indigenous languages indicates a lack of resources and scope necessary to truly increase language access for indigenous languages.

7. Can they provide interpretation services directly into English for most or some of their languages?

Latin American indigenous languages can be interpreted either into Spanish or English. While there are some languages of extremely low diffusion where it will be much less likely to find interpreters who speak English, for the majority of the Latin American indigenous languages, there are English resources available. If an agency is primarily able to provide indigenous language to Spanish interpretation, they likely don’t have adequate resources, or their resources are primarily based outside the U.S. 

8. Do they provide language services in all fields in both the private and public sectors? 

If an agency can provide interpretation in a wide range of industries, both public and private, it’s more likely that they are experienced and have a larger network of specialized interpreters.

9. Do they understand and explain the nuances of written translation in indigenous languages? 

Many organizations are often tasked with producing written translations of materials into indigenous languages, such as letters from an attorney, consent forms, and training manuals. Translation providers who don’t specialize in indigenous languages will simply take these requests and outsource them. However, it’s extremely important to understand that indigenous languages are usually not taught in schools, and therefore, most speakers cannot read their language. This means that the person needing it would most likely not be served at all by having the documents translated into their native language. Those who specialize in indigenous languages will make sure that their clients understand this challenge and offer alternative solutions, such as .mp3 audio recordings or sight translation. 

Asking these 9 key questions will help you assess any potential providers for indigenous language services (from any region), and will help ensure that the standard for indigenous language access is equal to the standard of language access for more commonly spoken languages.

Maya Bridge - A Leading Advocate For Mayan And Indigenous Language Access In The U.S.

Since 2021, Maya Bridge Language Services has been advocating for increased access for speakers of Mayan and other Latin American and global Indigenous languages here in the United States. Maya Bridge is a mission-driven, niche interpretation agency offering 24/7 on-demand services for over 100 Indigenous languages from Latin America, as well as African, Asian, Pacific Island, Native American, and other Indigenous languages. 

We have worked diligently to mobilize, train, and evaluate a network of hundreds of interpreters both in the U.S. and throughout the world to ensure that speakers of Indigenous languages can fully understand and be understood in important situations like healthcare, legal settings, in disaster and emergency response scenarios, and in receiving access to government programs. 

Contact us to schedule a meeting or call us anytime, day or night, at (801) 753-8568.

Contact us to schedule a meeting or call us anytime, day or night, at (801) 753-8568.

About the Author

Jace Norton is a Q'eqchi' interpreter and linguist with an extensive background in the Q'eqchi' language. Norton lived and worked among the Q'eqchi' people from 2010-2012, created a language learning guide for Q'eqchi' in 2014, and worked in Q'eqchi' translation and interpretation from 2017-2021. In 2021, Norton founded Maya Bridge Language Services and is now a leading advocate for Mayan language access in the US.