Face-to-face
English interpreters on site for appointments, hearings and meetings.
European languages
English interpreting and translation
Most of our work involves English at one end: helping people who do not speak English communicate with services, and turning documents into clear, accurate English for authorities, universities and international organisations. This page explains how SILA Linguists handles English in interpreting and translation.
English
- Script
- Latin
- Direction
- Left to right
- ISO 639-3
eng
English is the language of the UK and Ireland's majority, the main language of the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, an official language in Malta and many Commonwealth countries, and one of the official languages of the United Nations. It is also a common working language of international organisations, businesses and research. For many people who arrive in an English-speaking country, however, English is a language they are still learning, and they have the right to understand and be understood in health, legal and public services.
SILA Linguists works across 350+ languages and dialects, with a network of over 6,500 professional interpreters, and almost all of that work involves English as one of the two languages. Our role is to make sure that the English side of an interpreted conversation or a translated document is as accurate, clear and appropriate as the other.
English itself varies. British, Irish, American, Canadian and Australian English differ in spelling, vocabulary, date formats and legal terminology, and even within the UK, the legal systems of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland use different terms. We write translations for the country and system in which they will be used.
United Kingdom
Ireland
United States
Canada
Australia
New Zealand
How we help
English services
Video (VRI)
Secure video interpreting when people are in different places.
Telephone, 24/7
Telephone interpreting 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Certified translation
Certified English translation accepted by UK authorities.
SILA Linguists®
English interpreting, translation and certified translation with SILA Linguists®
English is the majority language of the UK and Ireland, the main language of the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, official in Malta and many Commonwealth countries, and a working language of international organisations, business and research. For many people who arrive in an English-speaking country, though, it is a language they are still learning. SILA Linguists® works across 350+ languages and dialects, and almost every assignment has English on one side. Our job is to make that English side as accurate, clear and appropriate as the other.
Interpreting between English and your client's language
Our interpreters work between English and the client's language in hospitals, courts, police stations, schools, housing offices and immigration interviews, and in business meetings and conferences. Professionals get the best results by speaking in short sections and plain English, avoiding jargon and acronyms, pausing to let the interpreter work and speaking to the client rather than to the interpreter.
For some language combinations, English serves as a bridge in relay interpreting, with one interpreter working between the client's language and a widely spoken language, and a second between that language and English; we explain how relay works and how it affects timing. International organisations and events can book conference and remote simultaneous interpreting into and out of English, and everyday appointments can use face-to-face interpreting, telephone interpreting around the clock, or video through the SILA Linguists® video app or the software you normally use for calls.
Translation into English, certified for UK use
Most certified translation is into English. A certified translation should confirm that it is a true and accurate translation of the original, with the date and the translator's full name and contact details, and our certified translations include exactly that signed statement, accepted by UK authorities such as the Home Office, courts and universities, and by employers and international bodies. Good translation into English is clear translation: plain English a reader can act on, with legal and technical terms kept exact, names, dates and reference numbers copied as in the source, and unclear passages flagged rather than guessed.
English varies too. British, Irish, American, Canadian and Australian English differ in spelling, vocabulary, date formats and legal terminology, and England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own legal terms. We write for the country and system where the text will be used, and we translate from English into other languages for patient information, public notices, contracts, websites and software.
English transcription, subtitling and localisation
We transcribe English and bilingual recordings with time codes, add English subtitles to foreign-language video, and adapt English content for different markets.
Sectors we support in English
Our vetted, trained and qualified linguists can support immigration and nationality applicants, courts and solicitors, healthcare providers, universities assessing qualifications, international organisations and NGOs, and businesses entering English-speaking markets. SILA Linguists® provides one dedicated project contact, vetted English specialists and records handled under NDAs and UK GDPR.
Good to know
Working with English
Interpreting
- Interpreters work between English and the client's language in hospitals, courts, police stations, schools, housing offices and immigration interviews, and in business meetings and conferences. Professionals should speak in short sections and plain English, avoid jargon and acronyms, and speak to the client rather than to the interpreter.
- For some language combinations, English is used as the bridge language in relay interpreting: one interpreter works between the client's language and a widely spoken language, and a second works between that language and English. We explain how relay works and how it affects timing.
- For international organisations and events, we provide conference and remote simultaneous interpreting into and out of English, as well as interpreting by telephone (24/7, 365 days a year) and video.
Translation
- Most certified translation work is into English. For documents in other languages, UK authorities usually ask for the translator to confirm that the translation is a true and accurate translation of the original, with the date and the translator's full name and contact details. Our certified translations are accepted by UK authorities including the Home Office, the courts and universities, and by international bodies.
- Good translation into English is clear translation. We aim for plain English that a reader can act on, while keeping legal and technical terms exact. Names, dates and reference numbers are copied exactly as in the source, and we flag unclear passages instead of guessing.
- We also translate from English into other languages, including patient information, public notices, contracts and websites, and provide transcription, subtitling and localisation for audio and video.
Related languages
English and its neighbours
Choose a language to see its page. Getting the right variety matters: tell us the region or dialect if you know it.
Where English is often needed
- Immigration, asylum and nationality applications
- Courts, tribunals and solicitors
- NHS and other healthcare providers
- Universities and qualification recognition
- International organisations and NGOs
- Businesses entering English-speaking markets
Explore more european languages or see all languages A to Z.
Get in touch
Need a English interpreter or translator?
Our bookings team will confirm the details with you and arrange the right linguist. Have the language (and dialect, if you know it), the type of assignment and the date ready.