Language Access/Medical Interpreter Resources

The CCHCP Store sells medical glossaries in 29 different languages. Please see the list below to find a medical glossary in your language(s). To purchase a medical glossary, please visit our online store.

We have glossaries in the following languages:

1. Amharic
2. Arabic
3. Bengali
4. Bosnian
5. Cambodian (Khmer)
6. Chinese
7. Dari
8. English
9. Farsi
10. French
11. Haitian
12. Hindi
13. Japanese
14. Karen and Burmese
15. Korean
16. Lao
17. Marshallese
18. Nepali
19. Pashto
20. Polish
21. Portuguese
22. Russian
23. Somali
24. Spanish
25. Tagalog
26. Tigrigna
27. Ukrainian
28. Urdu
29. Vietnamese

• Registry for Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (RID)  |  Recommended Resources:
  • RID’s Standard Practice Papers
  • RID: Approved Workshops
• National Association of the Deaf (NAD)  |  Recommended Resource:
• NAD: Position Statement on Mental Health Interpreting Services with People Who Are Deaf
• Center for the Assessment of Sign Language Interpretation (CASLI) – National Interpreter Certification (NIC) Exam
• ADA Business Brief: Communicating with People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Hospital Settings
• Alabama Department of Mental Health: Mental Health Interpreter Standards for Persons Who Are Deaf
• National Center on Deaf-Blindness
• St. Catherine University CATIE Center
• University of Rochester Medical Center – National Center for Deaf Health Research (NCDHR)
• Pro-Tactile Resources
• American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB) Tips for Interpreters
• NCIHC Guidelines for Working Effectively with Interpreters in Mental Health Settings (includes ASL interpreting)
• Sego Lily Center for the Abused Deaf (free provider trainings and deaf community education classes)
• Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services (ADWAS)
• Minnesota Chemical Dependency Program (resources for deaf/hard of hearing individuals)
• Council de Manos (ASL – Spanish – English)
• NCIEC: Trilingual Task Force (ASL – Spanish – English)

• NAM: AIDs Map

• RID’s Standard Practice Papers: Self-Care
• NCIHC: Interpreting Debriefing Process
• Circadian: Nursing and Health Care – Managing Fatigue

It’s vital that interpreters are proficient in both English and their target language. The below resources provide standards for the types of documents that an interpreter can use to prove their proficiency in a language.

• CCHI Candidate’s Examination Handbook  (Language Proficiency Guidelines on pages 15-16); or
• CCHI Dual Language Proficiency: Requirements for proof of language proficiency
• CMI Candidate Handbook (Language Proficiency Guidelines on Pages 6-7)
• Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR): The Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) is a U.S Federal interagency organization established for the coordination and sharing of information about language-related activities at the Federal level. It serves as a way for departments and agencies of the Federal government to keep abreast of the progress and implementation of techniques and technology for language learning, language use, language testing and other language related activities.
  • ILR Language Skill Level Descriptions – Speaking

• American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)
  • ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines

CCHCP strongly recommends the use of third-party language assessments to ensure impartiality. Fluency in both English and the target language(s) are crucial for patient safety and the liability of the interpreter, service provider, and health institution. Hiring managers and training providers are also encouraged to save documented proof of the interpreter’s language proficiency and refer to our post title, Regulations Related to Medical Interpreting, for clarity on laws and best practices.

• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Civil Rights (includes translations of civil rights information)
• The Joint Commission
• National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards in Health and Health Care|  Recommended Resources:
  • CLAS Standards
  • Tracking CLAS (interactive map)
• CCHCP Equity and Inclusion – Cultural Competency Training
• CCHCP Equity and Inclusion – Cultural Competency Consulting
• Executive Order 13166 “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency.” Signed Aug. 2000.
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)
• Affordable Care Act (ACA) – enacted March 2010
  • ACA Resources in Other Languages
• National Health Law Program (NHeLP)

Please be sure to comply with the regulations and standards of your state, county, and employer. If you are self-employed or employed through a interpreter service provider, be sure to check the regulations of the facility you will be interpreting at.

• NCIHC LGBTQIA Resources for Healthcare Interpreters and Interpreter Trainers
• National LGBT Health Education Center   |   Sample Publications:
  • Understanding the Health Needs of LGBT People
  • Providing Inclusive Services and Care for LGBT People: A Guide for Health Care Staff
• The Medical Care of Transgender Persons
• Glossary of LGBT Terms for Health Care Teams
• Promoting Health Care Access to LGBT Farmworkers
• Nuevas preguntas sobre la orientación sexual y la identidad de género: Información para pacientes
• Aging with Pride: National Health, Aging, and Sexuality/Gender Study

• National Network of Libraries of Medicine: Consumer Health Information in Many Languages
• Medline Plus
• EthnoMED
• Lexicool
• Health Education Resource Exchange (HERE) Topics A to Z
• Health Information Translations
• Health Translations
• Washington Health Benefit Exchange (includes “broker” and navigator search to help patients enroll in insurance)
• Refugee Phrase Book (various languages; click “Languages”, select desired language(s), and confirm with “Apply”)
• IMIA: Pain Description Glossaries (French, Haitian Creole, Brazilian-Portuguese, Russian, Spanish)
• California Office of Binational Border Health: English-Spanish Dictionary of Health Related Terms (includes terms for traditional concepts, such as “susto”)
• University of Connecticut – Center for Public Health Policy and AHEC Connecticut: English-Spanish Dictionary of Health Terms That May Be Useful to Volunteers at The UConn Migrant Farmworkers’ Clinics
• MHP Salud (Spanish resources for migrant workers; will need to sign-in to access)
• Medical Spanish (English-Spanish audio with dialogues, vocabulary, and anatomical illustrations)
• Practicing Spanish: Medical Spanish (English-Spanish audio)
• CommonGround International: Medical Spanish Classes (English-Spanish vocabulary, phrases, flashcards, video lessons, Facebook group live video lessons, etc.)
• Help The Refugees: English – Karen/Burmese Medical Terminology
• Japan Healthcare Info: Medical Expressions (English – Japanese; includes pharmaceutical terms)
• Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre: Oji-Cree Medical Dictionary
• Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre: Ojibwe Medical Dictionary

• NCIHC Guidelines for Working Effectively with Interpreters in Mental Health Settings
• Mental Health Interpreting Guidelines for Interpreters
• Working with Interpreters: A Practice Guide for Psychologists
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
  Many free publications, including in other languages; search for language in search bar, as publications are not categorized by language.
• Washburn Center for Children: Spanish Clinical Language and Resource Guide
  English – Spanish; includes terms for speaking with children.
• Hmong Translation Glossary
• Hmong mental health
  An assessment of mental health needs and services for the Hmong community. in Ramsey County.
• Government of Canada: Workplace Mental Health Glossary
  Available in English – French.
• McGill Cultural Consultation Service: Clinical Resources for Mental Health Workers and Consumers
  Available in various languages.
• Glossary of mental health and wellbeing terms
• Transcultural Mental Health Centre: Multilingual Resources
• Massachusetts Department of Mental Health and Office of Multicultural Affairs: Mental Health Care in Translation
• Alabama Department of Mental Health: Mental Health Interpreter Standards for Persons Who Are Deaf
• Minnesota Chemical Dependency Program
  Resources for deaf/hard of hearing individuals.
• Mental Health Care for Deaf Individuals: Needs, Risk Factors, and Access to Treatment
  Available in Spanish and English.
• Dublin Rape Crisis Centre: Interpreting in Situations of Sexual Violence and Other Trauma

Becoming nationally certified opens opportunities for employment. Interpreters who hold a national certification have the credentials and skills to provide high quality interpreting services in health care.

Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI)  |  Recommended Resources:

• Information on Becoming Certified or Renewing Certification
• CCHI Candidate’s Examination Handbook
• Continuing Education Accreditation Program: CCHI’s National Training Provider Registry provides healthcare interpreters and providers an avenue to find continuing education programs.
• Upcoming CCHI Webinars

The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (NBCMI)  |  Recommended Resources:

• Preparation for CMI (Certified Medical Interpreter) Exams
• CMI Candidate Handbook
• Informational Monthly Webinar
• Upcoming Events

There are also state certification exams for medical interpreters in the following states:

• Washington. The testing and certification process is administered by the Washington State Dept. of Social and Health Services. Navigate to their Language Testing and Certification Program webpage for more information.
• Oregon. Obtain more information from the Oregon Health Care Interpreters Association website. Certification in Oregon is the responsibility of the Oregon Health Authority’s Office of Equity and Inclusion.
• Utah.  In Utah, the certification of medical interpreters is the responsibility of the Utah’s Dept. of Commerce Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing.

Joining a national medical interpreter association can help you gain access to more resources, networking, and continuing education opportunities.

International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA)  |  Recommended Resources:

• IMIA Code of Ethics
• IMIA Terminology Resource Database: Glossaries, dictionaries, terminology databases, anatomy atlases, nomenclatures, thesauri, lexicons, vocabularies, manuals, encyclopedias and other word-based documents in the fields of medicine and healthcare in the various languages used by IMIA interpreters.
• Education

National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC)  |  Recommended Resources

• NCIHC Code of Ethics
• The Terminology of Health Care Interpreting: A glossary of terms
• Interpreter Associations: List of regional and local interpreter associations in the United States

NCIHC: Sight Translation and Written Translation Guidelines for Healthcare Interpreters

Erin Lyons: The ABCs of Medical Translation: Strategies to Identify, Translate, and Manage Acronyms and Abbreviations

Interpretrain  |  Sample Resource:

Note-Taking Training Manual (Sample Page Here)

Massachusetts General Hospital: The Interpreter Newsletter