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Language Services
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The Language Services Office facilitates the mission and ministry of The Episcopal Church by providing translation and interpretation services enabling each voice in the Church to be heard, the Gospel to be proclaimed, and The General Convention's mission priorities to be accomplished.

The Language Services Offices provides interpretation services for the meetings of The General Convention, Executive Council, House of Bishops, and the Committees, Commissions, Agencies, and Boards of The Episcopal Church. Translation services are provided for official documents, communications, and statements of the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies, reports and resolutions of The General Convention and Executive Council, and for supporting the ongoing ministry of the Mission Centers, Communications and Public Affairs offices, and other administrative units of the Episcopal Church Center.

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Translation Request Form
Interpreter Request Form

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is translation?
A: Translation is the rendering of written communication across the barriers created by different languages and cultures.
Q: What is interpretation?
A: Interpretation is the rendering of oral communication across the barriers created by different languages and cultures.
Q: What are the different forms or levels of translation?
A: A casual translator (i.e., staff, parents, volunteers) may translate routine communications such as flyers, letters, or simple newsletters.  Religious, educational, legal, medical, and other technical fields require a professionally-trained translator.
Q: What are the different forms of interpretation?
A: -- Simultaneous interpretation (As each person speaks, the interpretation is rendered without a significant delay using electronic devices.)
-- Consecutive interpretation (Each person has to pause to allow for the interpretation with or without the use of electronic devices.)
-- Escort interpretation is a combination of simultaneous and consecutive interpretation for those that do not require a verbatim interpretation, just the gist of what has been said.
Q: What is translation?
A: Translation is the rendering of written communication across the barriers created by different languages and cultures.
Q: What are the differences between languages?
A: Obviously, each language has its own words and sounds, but there are other considerations.  First, each language has its own peculiar grammatical, lexical, and stylistic structure; secondly, each language has its own regional and cultural distinctions; and, lastly, each language has its own proper register.
Q: What are the goals of translation?
A: 
  1. Accuracy – A translation has to render the original meaning and the register of a text in one language to another as closely as the interaction between different languages allows.
  2. Quality – A translation has to read and sound as if the text was originally written in the target language.