Brazil and Portugal: Two Countries Separated by a Common Language

This presentation, which was given as a live webinar in August 2017, explores the cultural differences between two major Portuguese-speaking groups in New England and illustrates the unique interpreting techniques required for each.

The presenter provides a brief overview of the people from the Azores, Portugal and from Minas Gerais, Brazil. Viewers will learn how family roles, common medical conditions, and general levels of education are vastly different in these two groups and can create interpreting challenges that go beyond different accents and cultures. The acculturation process and its impact on both groups will also be discussed. Other topics include listening skills, fidelity, and de‑verbalization.

Author-presenter Isabel Pinto-Franco holds a degree in Modern Languages and Literatures (German and English Studies) from the University of Coimbra, Portugal. She is a staff interpreter at the Cambridge Health Alliance, teaches Interpreting II at Boston University, and also works as a translator. Isabel is a member of the ATA and holds CoreCHI certification. She was born and raised in Coimbra, Portugal and has been working as a full-time medical interpreter for more than 20 years.