Interpreters in Afghanistan

As a New York Times article points out, US troops oftentimes only connect with Afghan people through their interpreters. They play a crucial role in the war.

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More than simply translators, interpreters teach culture.

“Interpreters do more than talk and listen. Eight years into the war in Afghanistan, United States troops receive only minimal cultural training before they deploy. Thus interpreters often serve as cultural advisors — helping Americans learn the nuances of typical Afghan behavior.”

The skills it takes to understand Afghan culture, which manifests itself in behavior, can even save lives. An interpreter once “helped his unit identify a suicide bomber in a large crowd before the man could activate the explosives in his vest. The would-be bomber was acting nervously in a way that Afghans could recognize but that Americans were oblivious to, and the translator picked up on it.” This amazing story proves how vital cultural awareness is to the war in Afghanistan, and the lack of cultural training in the military forces. The subtle, verbal and non-verbal nuances in a person’s behavior that indicate nervousness does vary from culture to culture, as do many behaviors. A rambling stream of speech may be the sign in one culture, and a total silence or physical twitch may be the sign in another. Cultural awareness is something everyone can learn to recognize and understand, but it does require training to achieve cultural competence.

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