Interpreting in French-speaking Switzerland: the case of the Hispanic community

Abstract

Today’s large migratory processes re-quire the existence of sensitivity to cultural and linguistic diversity. In the health pro-fessional field, the presence of interpreters is often necessary to ensure a good wel-coming atmosphere and good communi-cation with the migrant patient. This article shows the case of interpreters who work at a therapeutic level with the Hispanic-American community in the French speak-ing part of Switzerland. The different type of interpreters and their influence on the therapeutic alliance with the health profes-sional will be illustrated. Similarly, diverse communication strategies in Spanish speaking health care encounters will also be discussed.