Massachusetts
Translation and interpreting services in Boston
Boston's language and communications access ordinance, signed in 2016 and amended in 2022, requires City departments to plan for residents who use languages other than English. Boston Public Schools serves families in nine major languages, including Cape Verdean Creole, Haitian Creole, and Somali, and Boston Medical Center staffs dedicated interpreters in 13 spoken languages plus American Sign Language.
Who needs language services in Boston
- Language and communications access ordinance
- Signed in 2016 and amended in 2022, the ordinance covers residents who use languages other than English or have a disability; each City department works with the Office of Language and Communications Access (OLCA) on a Language and Communications Access Plan updated every two years.[1]
- City interpretation and translation
- OLCA guidelines commit the City to interpretation on-site and by telephone, American Sign Language in person and by video remote interpreting, and translation through qualified individuals and businesses.[2]
- City publication languages
- OLCA publishes its demographic reports and brochures in Spanish, Haitian Creole, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, Cabo Verdean Creole, Russian, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, French, and Somali, with brochures also in ASL.[1]
- Boston Public Schools
- The Office of Language Access Services translates and interprets for families in nine major languages and in other languages as needed, for a district of more than 46,000 students in which 45% are multilingual learners and more than 75 languages are spoken at home.[3]
- Massachusetts courts
- Under General Laws chapter 221C, section 2, a non-English speaker has the right to the assistance of a qualified interpreter throughout a legal proceeding, appointed by the judge.[4]
- Boston Medical Center
- BMC provides free interpreters 24 hours a day, in person, by phone, and by video, in more than 150 languages, with dedicated interpreters for Spanish, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole, Vietnamese, Arabic, Albanian, Amharic, French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Somali, Tigrinya, and ASL.[5]
- Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement
- The office runs free immigration consultations, citizenship help, community office hours, and Immigrant Information Corners for Boston's immigrant residents.[6]
Boston Public Schools' nine major family languages
The district's Office of Language Access Services translates and interprets for families in these nine languages, and in others when needed.[3]
- Arabic
- Cape Verdean Creole
- Chinese
- French
- Haitian Creole
- Portuguese
- Somali
- Spanish
- Vietnamese
Languages spoken in Boston
35.6% of Boston residents age 5 and older speak a language other than English at home, and 15.8% speak English less than “very well.” Spanish leads, followed by French, Haitian Creole, or Cajun and Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese.
| Language spoken at home | Residents | Speak English less than “very well” |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish | 98,171 | 46,586 |
| Other Indo-European languages | 30,030 | 9,879 |
| French, Haitian Creole, or Cajun | 26,864 | 12,316 |
| Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese | 26,145 | 14,928 |
| Other languages | 11,357 | 2,864 |
| Vietnamese | 10,346 | 7,124 |
| Other Asian and Pacific Island languages | 6,155 | 1,745 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Boston city (tables C16001, C16002, B05002, B05006) (opens in a new tab). Figures with a wide margin of error are not shown.
Language access rules in Massachusetts
- Court interpreter program
- Massachusetts Trial Court coordinator of court interpreter services, located within the Office of the Chief Justice of the Trial Court under M.G.L. c. 221C, § 7, who administers the trial court interpreter program: training, examining, and certifying interpreters, maintaining the lists of certified and qualified interpreters, and facilitating interpreter payment.
- Court-certified languages
- M.G.L. c. 221C recognizes two credentials: a certified interpreter, trained and tested on language proficiency, courtroom conduct, and professional ethics under the coordinator's program, and a qualified interpreter, who is certified and has also passed the federal court interpreter examination for the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
- The rule
- M.G.L. c. 221C, § 2 gives every non-English speaker a right to the assistance of a qualified interpreter, appointed by the judge, throughout a legal proceeding, or a certified interpreter when no qualified interpreter is reasonably available; M.G.L. c. 221, § 92A separately requires a qualified interpreter for deaf and hard of hearing people in court and agency proceedings, paid by the Commonwealth.
- Hospital emergency room interpreters
- M.G.L. c. 111, § 25J requires every acute-care hospital to provide competent interpreter services with all emergency room services, using telephone or video interpreters only when the need could not reasonably be anticipated or an employed or contracted interpreter is unavailable, and gives a non-English speaker denied appropriate emergency care because the hospital failed to use reasonable judgment in providing interpreters a right of action in superior court, with damages of at least $250 per violation.
- Interpreters for deaf people at arrest and in agency hearings
- Under M.G.L. c. 221, § 92A, state and local boards, commissions, and agencies must appoint a qualified interpreter for deaf or hard of hearing people in their proceedings unless the person knowingly waives it in writing, and an arresting officer must procure and arrange payment for a qualified interpreter for any interrogation, rights warning, or statement.
- Court interpreter removal and standards
- Under M.G.L. c. 221C, § 7, the coordinator can remove interpreters from the certified and qualified lists for inadequate performance or other good cause after notice and a hearing, and training, certification, and conduct standards are adopted by committee after a public hearing.
- Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- M.G.L. c. 6, § 194 makes the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing the principal state agency for deaf and hard of hearing residents and directs it to provide services including interpreting services and information and referral.
Sources
- M.G.L. c. 221C, § 1, Definitions (certified and qualified interpreter)
- M.G.L. c. 221C, § 2, Right to assistance; availability of qualified interpreters
- M.G.L. c. 221C, § 7, Coordinator of court interpreter services
- M.G.L. c. 221, § 92A, Interpreters for deaf or hearing-impaired persons
- M.G.L. c. 111, § 25J, Competent interpreter services in acute-care hospitals
- M.G.L. c. 6, § 194, Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Boston by the numbers
- Residents
- 666,442
- Speak a language other than English at home
- 226,465 35.6%
- Speak English less than “very well”
- 100,502 15.8%
- Limited-English households
- 31,120 11%
- Born outside the U.S.
- 185,498 27.8%
Where Boston residents born abroad come from
Countries of birth point to the languages behind the Census groups above, and to the documents (birth certificates, diplomas, court records) that arrive for translation.
- Dominican Republic23,792
- China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan19,112
- Haiti15,028
- Vietnam8,912
- Cabo Verde8,664
- Colombia8,136
- El Salvador7,183
- India6,588
Detailed languages in Suffolk County, Massachusetts
The Census Bureau publishes individual languages for counties, not for cities. These are the most-spoken languages other than English in Suffolk County, Massachusetts.
- Spanish144,079
- Haitian31,661
- Chinese (incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)28,526
- Portuguese16,700
- Vietnamese9,642
- Arabic6,416
- Hindi6,108
- French (incl. Cajun)5,165
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, ACS 2024 1-year, table B16001, Suffolk County, Massachusetts.
Language services in Boston
City department plans and notices
Translation of notices, forms, and web content for City departments carrying out their Language and Communications Access Plans, with a signed statement of accuracy.
School family meetings
Interpreters in Cape Verdean Creole, Haitian Creole, Somali, Vietnamese, and other languages for Boston Public Schools parent conferences and special education meetings.
Hospital and clinic care
Medical interpreters on-site or by video for patient visits and consent discussions, including CCHI-certified interpreters where the credential exists for the language.
Court and legal matters
Interpreters for attorney-client meetings and depositions, and certified translation of evidence and records for cases in Massachusetts courts.
Public meetings
Interpreting for community meetings and hearings, on-site or by phone and video, including American Sign Language.
Boston questions
What does Boston's language access ordinance require of City departments?
Under the 2016 ordinance, amended in 2022, each City department works with the Office of Language and Communications Access to create a Language and Communications Access Plan, updated every two years, and departments and OLCA work together on accessibility complaints.
Which languages does Boston Public Schools support?
The Office of Language Access Services names nine major languages: Arabic, Cape Verdean Creole, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese. It provides help in other languages when needed.
Does a non-English speaker have a right to an interpreter in Massachusetts court?
Yes. General Laws chapter 221C, section 2 gives a non-English speaker the right to a qualified interpreter throughout a legal proceeding, and the judge appoints the interpreter.
How do Boston hospitals provide interpreters?
Boston Medical Center, for example, provides interpreters free of charge 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in person, by phone, and by video, and covers more than 150 languages spoken by its patients.
What languages are spoken in Boston?
35.6% of Boston residents age 5 and older speak a language other than English at home, and 15.8% speak English less than “very well.” Spanish leads, followed by French, Haitian Creole, or Cajun and Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese. The most common countries of birth among residents born abroad are Dominican Republic, China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan, and Haiti.
How many Boston households have limited English?
31,120 of 283,374 households (11%), according to the Census Bureau: households in which no one age 14 or older speaks only English or speaks English “very well.” These are the households most likely to need an interpreter or translated documents.
How are court interpreters credentialed in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts Trial Court coordinator of court interpreter services, located within the Office of the Chief Justice of the Trial Court under M.G.L. c. 221C, § 7, who administers the trial court interpreter program: training, examining, and certifying interpreters, maintaining the lists of certified and qualified interpreters, and facilitating interpreter payment. M.G.L. c. 221C recognizes two credentials: a certified interpreter, trained and tested on language proficiency, courtroom conduct, and professional ethics under the coordinator's program, and a qualified interpreter, who is certified and has also passed the federal court interpreter examination for the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Do you provide on-site interpreters in Boston?
Yes. We schedule interpreters in person in Boston and across Massachusetts, and by phone and video nationwide, in 250+ languages including Spanish and ASL. Book less common languages as early as you can.
Do you provide conference and meeting interpreters in Boston?
Yes. We staff conferences, conventions, trade shows, seminars, corporate training, and client meetings in Boston with simultaneous or consecutive interpreters. For simultaneous interpreting, our own technicians deliver, run, and strike the booths, transmitters, and receivers, shipped from our own inventory.
Sources
- City of Boston: Office of Language and Communications Access (opens in a new tab)
- City of Boston: Language and Communications Guidelines (opens in a new tab)
- Boston Public Schools: Office of Language Access Services (opens in a new tab)
- Massachusetts General Laws chapter 221C, section 2 (opens in a new tab)
- Boston Medical Center: Interpreter Services (opens in a new tab)
- City of Boston: Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement (opens in a new tab)
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