As Austin grows its global connections, the diversity of languages spoken in the area has grown as well. Just under one-third of residents of the five-county Greater Austin Area (28%) speak a language other than English at home and 11% speak English less than “very well”, according to 5-year American Community Survey data. In 22% of Spanish-speaking households and 21% of households speaking Asian languages, no one over the age of 14 speaks English very well. Since 2000, the number of residents, over the age of 5, who speak English less than “very well” has grown by 48%, compared to 43% growth in the total population over 5 years old. The most common languages spoken among non-English speakers in the Austin area are: Spanish (150,230 people), Vietnamese (7,546 people), Chinese languages (5,018 people), Korean (2,478 people), and ‘Other Asian Languages’ (1,605 people). Another 45,750 people have a hearing difficulty.

Gauging Local Needs

Given the growth among non-English speakers in our area, CAN distributed a survey to gather more information about the ways local public agencies and organizations are responding to the needs of this population. CAN distributed a survey over its listserv and through partner networks, targeted towards workers at public and non-profit agencies. The survey, open from January 21st to February 23rd, received 121 responses, with about an even split of responses from frontline staff, managers of frontline staff, and Executive Directors or other members of an organization’s senior leadership team. About 2/3 of survey respondents answered on behalf of a unit within a larger organization. Most respondents indicated that they worked for a government or school district (49%) or large non-profit organization (23%). Respondents reported working in a variety of sectors, including basic needs (33%), healthcare (31%), community development (21%), pre-k through college education (16%), and criminal justice (14%). (Note that survey-takers were able to choose more than one response for these categories).

As shown in the graph, most respondents reported that some, though a small share of, their clients require interpretation and translation services. 60% of respondents indicated that 25% or less (but more than 0%) of their clients require these types of services. Nearly all respondents (96%) reported that Spanish is spoken among clients. Vietnamese was the next most commonly reported language spoken, followed by American Sign Language, Chinese Languages, and Arabic.

Most respondents reported that they provide language services in-house, with translators and interpreters whose primary organizational role is something other than interpreter or translator. Another 60% contract with outside organizations or individuals. 28% of respondents indicated that they utilize friends or family of clients to interpret or translate. (Note that respondents were able to select more than one method). 62% reported that their organization has not conducted a formal language assessment. When recruiting new staff members, 55% reported that bi-lingual ability is a hiring preference in their organization, and 46% of respondents who use in-house translators or interpreters reported that their organization pays an additional stipend to these employees.

Survey takers also discussed challenges when providing language services. 55% of respondents said their organization meets the needs of limited English proficient clients most of the time, although 41% said their organization sometimes misses out on clients due to an inability to provide language services. 70% believe their organization meets the needs of Spanish speakers, but, of these respondents, 65% struggle to meet the needs of people who speak languages that are less commonly spoken in the Austin area. A number of barriers may prevent organizations from consistently providing language services. 74% cited cost as a barrier to providing language services and 57% indicated that their organization lacks the knowledge necessary to evaluate the qualifications of interpreters and translators.

A large majority of survey-takers (93%) expressed an interest in collaborating to improve language access services, with the highest level of support expressed for sharing lists of contracted interpreters/translators (64% very or extremely interested), sharing lists of volunteer interpreters/translators (64% very or extremely interested), and creating a database of commonly-used forms (50% very or extremely interested).

To share results, CAN held a Language Access Forum on March 24th. At the forum, Esther Diaz, a local translator and interpreter trainer, provided an overview of laws related to language services, as well as professional standards for translators and interpreters. She highlighted the importance of using trained, qualified interpreters and translators by sharing the story of a mis-translated word that resulted in a $71 million lawsuit for a Florida hospital. Laura DeGrush, from Caritas of Austin, gave an overview of refugees in the Austin area and shared Caritas’ strategies for meeting the language needs of these clients. Douglas Matthews, the City of Austin’s Chief Communications Officer, shared the City’s language policy and discussed the importance of providing translation and interpretation services.

For more information on the survey and forum, see the presentation here.

More Resources

Following the Language Forum, CAN created a Language Access Google Group for language stakeholders. Join the group to share resources, ideas, and challenges and learn from others in the Austin area. All of the presentations shared at the forum are also available on through the Google Group. Local and national agencies and organizations provide a number of resources for providing interpretation and translation services. The federal LEP.gov website provides a wide range of guidance for providing interpretation and translation to clients and customers, particularly for organizations receiving funding from the federal government. The national Migration Policy Institute has devoted a section of its site to providing resources and best practices from public agencies across the country. The site includes information on topics ranging from creating multi-lingual websites to training and testing volunteer interpreters and translators. King County, Washington has developed extensive language access policies. The County’s websiteprovides examples of language plans, including assessments of languages spoken and standards for contracting for language services. Nationally, the American Translators Association provides a directory of its member translators. Its local affiliate, the Austin Area Interpreters and Translators Association, maintains a directory of local translators and interpreters. The Texas Chapter of the International Medical Interpreters Associationprovides a number of resources for this specialization.

For more information on the survey and forum, see the presentation here.