Language is the principal investigative and therapeutic tool in psychiatry. Interference with communication impairs our ability to assess a patient comprehensively. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the situation where patient and professional are separated by a language barrier, creating a state of dependency on an interpreter, who holds the key to mutual understanding. In today's multiracial society, particularly in larger cities, it is not uncommon to encounter such a situation, where particular skills are required of both interpreter and doctor. Nevertheless, the study of linguistics in relation to psychiatry is rarely mentioned in psychiatric texts, where disorders of communication are often seen as a consequence of disordered attention and the important influences of social cognition and context are ignored (Thomas & Fraser, 1994). A survey of 1000 professionals working in different psychiatric services in Australia found that more than one-third reported having contact, at least on a weekly basis, with patients with whom effective communication was either limited or impossible because of language barriers (Minas et al, 1994).