The aim of this section is to provide interpreters with an overview about what motivational interviewing is and how it works. This is so that interpreters can gain a better understanding of the importance of their role when interpreting during these sessions.

According to Psychology Today, motivational interviewing is a “counselling method that helps people resolve ambivalent feelings and insecurities to find the internal motivation they need to change their behaviour.“

The Purpose of the interviewer is to encourage the non-English speaker to discuss their need for change and why they want change.

It helps patients become motivated to change behaviours that are preventing them from making healthier choices. This method of asking questions encourages the patient to elaborate on their need for change and helps them find their own reasons for wanting to change. The aim of the motivational interviewing is to strengthen the patients’ commitment to change. Vocalising your need to change has proven to improve a person’s ability to make changes.

There are various strategies and techniques of motivational Interviewing. The most common ones are:

Technique	Description	Example
Open-Ended Questions	Invites the non-English speaker into conversation.	Tell me what you like about your … What makes you think it might be time for a change?
Asking permission	Patients are more likely to discuss change when asked rather than when being lectured or told to change.	Do you mind if we talk about …? Can we talk a bit about your …?
Eliciting / Evoking “Change Talk”	It evokes reason for changing by asking them to articulate their need and reasons for changing.	What makes you think that you need to change? What would you like to see changing about your current situation? What will happen if you don’t change?
Normalising	It makes the client aware that many people are struggling to change and that they are not alone.	A lot of people are concerned about changing their…
Affirmations	Includes statements and gestures to recognise strengths and acknowledge behaviours that lead  to positive change. They help build confidence in someone’s ability to change.	Your commitment really shows by the fact that / by the way you… By the way you handled that situation, you showed a lot of …
Reflective Listening	Helps with engagement in conversation and building trust in order for positive change to occur.	It sounds like… What I hear you saying is… It seems as if…
Summaries	These are based on reflective listening and ensure that there is clear communication between the speaker and listener.	Over the past three months you have been talking about stopping … and it seems that just recently you have started to recognise that not so good things are outweighing the good things.

• To address addiction,
• In the management of physical health conditions (i.e. diabetes),
• To help people with anger issues.

It can be challenging for a motivational interviewer to conduct sessions effectively when there is an interpreter present due to interruptions that affect the flow of conversation. If the interpreter understands the aim of the session and the process of using open questions and making careful reflections, this method can be very successful.

• The interviewer and the non-English speaker will usually maintain eye contact throughout these sessions to establish and maintain a connection. At the end of the session, the interviewer will break this connection and will speak to you directly.
• The interviewer uses skilled questioning techniques to highlight certain topics and invite the non-English speaker to open up. For this reason, interviewers may sometimes repeat what the non-English speaker says using different words. Your job as an interpreter is to continue interpreting word-for-word during this session.
• Lots of open questions are also used – it is important you also interpret these word-for-word rather that by changing the way that the question has been asked.
• If the Interviewer requires consent from the non-English speaker, it is important that this is effectively communicated.
• Usually, the topics of the sessions will involve complex terminology. For this reason, it is extremely important to know what the nature of the assignment is beforehand. By knowing the nature of the assignment, you will be able to read up on background information and to review certain key words and terminologies which will assist you during the session. If the nature of the assignment is not mentioned on your job sheet, please call Language Empire in advance so that we can request this information from the clients and then inform you.
• Always use the first person and the Linguistic Model to interpret. The Linguistic Model of interpreting means you should only interpret what you hear. Do not ask questions or get involved in the discussion. Speak in the first person and remain impartial. For example, If a client says “I had surgery in December,” you should start the sentence with “I…” instead of “He said that he…”
• At the end of the session, ensure that both the professional and the non-English speaker are happy that everything has been interpreted and ask if there is anything else they need interpreting. At this point, it is good to ask the professional for feedback on what went well and what did not go so well and reflect on this feedback.
• In order for the interviewer to understand the non-English speaker better, you should inform the professional about any cultural differences the non-English speaker may have.

Psychology Today (2019). Motivational Interviewing. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/therapy-types/motivational-interviewing

Molly Kellogg (2019. )Tip #145 Using Interpreters. Retrieved from https://www.mollykellogg.com/tip-145-using-interpreters/

Royal College of Nursing (2019). How motivational interviewing works. Retrieved from

https://www.rcn.org.uk/clinical-topics/supporting-behaviour-change/motivational-interviewing

Homeless Resource Shelter (2007). Motivational Interviewing: Open Questions, Affirmation, Reflective Listening, and Summary Reflections (OARS). Retrieved from https://www.homelesshub.ca/resource/motivational-interviewing-open-questions-affirmation-reflective-listening-and-summary

Sobell, L. C., & Sobell, M. B. (2008). Motivational Interviewing  strategies and techniques: Rationales and examples. Retrieved from http://www.nova.edu/gsc/forms/  mi_rationale_techniques.pdf