Assessing Language Competence: Guidelines for Assisting Persons With Limited English Proficiency in Research and Clinical Settings

Abstract

Current guidelines indicate that therapeutic interactions must be in the client's primary language. This article addresses the ethical dilemmas faced by monolingual clinicians and researchers who must assess the foreign language competence of an interpreter. Guidelines are proposed for assessing language competence of staff in clinical and research settings.Las directrices actuales indican que la interaccion terapeutica debe tomar lugar en el primer idioma del cliente. Este articulo trata 10s dilemas eticos que confrontan 10s clinicos e investigadores monolingues que tienen que asesorar la competencia linguistica de un interprete. Se proponen directrices para el asesoramiento linguistico de personal en escenarios clinicos y de investigacion.n the United States, clinicians and researchers increasingly interact with clients who have limited English skills. Yet few mental health service pro-

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