Service Description:
The Language Bank of the International Service Center (ISC) is a translation and interpretation fee-for-service program available in the most commonly used foreign languages in Pennsylvania.

Reasons to Use Our Service:
The Language Bank facilitates service providers—whether they receive government funds directly or indirectly—to meet the linguistic accessibility requirements set forth in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Effective communication is paramount for ensuring meaningful access to programs and benefits for individuals with Limited English proficiency (LEP).

Our translation and interpretation services offer service providers the means to establish effective communication channels with LEP clients, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility. Additionally, our program extends its assistance to companies and employers across various sectors.

Our Interpreters
Our interpreters, consisting of ISC’s permanent staff and “on-call” consultants, underwent screening based on the following criteria:

✓ Fluency in English and one or more foreign languages.
✓ Clearance to work with children and the elderly, with no prior criminal background.
✓ Completion of 3 months of On-the-Job Training as an Interpreter at the ISC.
✓ Taking the oath to abide by the Interpreter’s Code of Ethics and to uphold the Client Confidentiality Protection requirements.

Our Language Bank Coordinator oversees the reception of all interpretation requests, coordinates with suitable interpreters to fulfill the requested services, and manages the invoicing process for requesters after the completion of assignments.

Translation, Interpretation, and cultural awareness training:
Our translation service encompasses a wide range of documents, including personal or official letters, government forms or notices, legal, medical, or educational documents, application forms, certificates, civil status documents, correspondence, diplomas, financial statements, marketing materials, medical records, memos, newspaper articles, public announcements, and more.

Our interpretation service offers over-the-phone, video conferencing, or on-site interpretation by culturally competent interpreters. This service facilitates communication in informal, professional, social, medical, legal, and academic settings.
We also provide cultural awareness training to both small and large groups, helping them gain familiarity with various cultures around the world.

Languages Available
Languages available: Amharic, Arabic, Cambodian, Creole, Dari, Farsi, French, Gujarati, Hausa, Hindi, Igbo, Indonesian, Italian, Kinyarwanda, Lingala, Mandarin, Nepali, Pashto, Persian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Telugu, Tigrigna, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Yoruba.

Please contact us to inquire about other languages. We recommend requesting interpretation services at least 3 days in advance. For document translation requests, we suggest making arrangements at least 1 week ahead, except in cases of emergencies.

Services Costs

Translation service:
Following a review of the material, a quotation will be provided. Additional charges may apply for special formatting, presentation, or artwork.

Interpretation service (Over-the-phone, Video conferencing, on-site):

▪ Base Rate: $50.00 per hour
▪ A minimum of one hour will be billed for each request.
▪ Beyond one hour, the rate will be calculated in 30-minute increments.
▪ For on-site interpretation, the cost will include compensation for travel time and mileage, billed at $0.67 per mile.
▪ Any applicable parking or toll costs will be billed.
▪ Cancellations less than 24 hours prior to the appointment time will be billed for one hour.
▪ An appointment where the client is a NO SHOW will be billed accordingly.

Cultural awareness training: to be negotiated in advance.