The Language Interpreters' Services Program

Through the Language Interpreters' Services Program, the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, in collaboration with community stakeholder groups, has been providing spoken language interpretation for victims of domestic violence, woman abuse and sexual assault continuously for the past 20 years. This essential interpretation service enables non-English speaking victims of domestic violence to communicate within the domestic violence justice system and with providers in community, health and legal services during a critical time in their lives and the lives of their children.

There is relatively little documented information charting the evolution of language
interpretation in the province of Ontario or Canada. However, it is clear that recognition of the need for qualified spoken language interpreters in courts, quasi-judicial and legal settings, health care, education and the social and government services sectors has grown considerably in the past two decades.

Studies and pilot projects carried out in a number of Ontario communities in the early-to-mid 1980’s established a foundation for present day training and interpreting service programs. In 1986-87, three community based interpreter services were established with funding and leadership from the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration and Ontario Women’s Directorate Violence Against Women Prevention Initiatives Program.

The fledgling interpreter training and services program, now known as the Language Interpreters' Services Program, swiftly grew to encompass 10 community-based agencies. Interpretation services are provided across Ontario. Throughout the 1990s and into the new century, LIS Program worked collaboratively with the community agencies and other stakeholders to develop standards and codes to guide interpreting practice, training materials and tools to assess interpreting aptitude and skills.

These tools, standards of practice and ethical codes and materials have had an impact far beyond the realm of interpreting in domestic violence settings, having influenced and informed much of contemporary best interpreting practice in health, legal and social services settings in Ontario, across Canada and internationally.

The LIS Program and its community partners and stakeholders continue to play a pivotal role in the delivery and development of interpreting standards and programs. For instance, the LIS program sets the Ontario benchmark for standardized interpreting skills assessment testing and required hours of training (currently a minimum of 90 hours).

These and other measures mean that LIS Program interpreters are among the best-qualified in North America and meet recognized standards prior to providing interpretation services in domestic violence/woman abuse/sexual assault situations. In 2005-06, the LIS Program provided funding for a new 180-hour curriculum to provide training for spoken language interpreters in Ontario Colleges, developed by Across Languages Translation and Interpretation Service.

Language Interpreters' Services Program
Funded Agencies 2006-07

Across Languages Translation and Interpretation Service
London, Ontario
(www.acrosslanguages.org)

Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic
Toronto, Ontario
(www.schliferclinic.com)

Multicultural Association of Kenora and District
(www.kenoramulticultural.com)

Immigrant Women Services Ottawa
(www.immigrantwomenservices.com)

Information Niagara
Interpreter Niagara-Hamilton Program
(www.informationniagara.com)

Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre
(www.kwmc.on.ca)

Multicultural Council of Windsor & Essex County
(www.themcc.com)

Multilingual Community Interpreter Services
Toronto, Ontario
(www.mcis.on.ca)

Thunder Bay Multicultural Association (TBMA)
(www.tbma.ca)

Quinte United Immigrant Services
Belleville, Ontario
(www.quis-immigration.org)