Soryas and Rivas Khero

Siblings Soryas and Rivas Khero have recently joined a growing group of nationally certified Kurmanji Kurdish (alt Northern Kurdish/Ezdiki) interpreters on the TIS National panel. They gained their credentials with the assistance of the NSW scholarship program delivered by Multicultural NSW and have proven to be a very busy duo. TIS National is currently appointing interpreters in this language to our panel of language service providers to meet the growing demand for Kurmanji interpreters across the country.

Kurdish language profile

The Kurdish language is classified as an Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, West Iranian language related to Persian and Pashto. 

There are multiple dialects of the Kurdish language with a variety of language naming conventions. TIS National bases our language names on a range of factors including aligning with NAATI and with Ethnologue, an annual reference publication on living languages of the world.

The Kurdish dialects offered by TIS National in highest demand include:

• Kurmanji Kurdish (alt Northern Kurdish/Ezdiki) is spoken primarily in Turkey and the North Western part of Iraq. Latin characters are used in the written form.  
• Sorani Kurdish (alt Central Kurdish) is spoken mainly in Iran and Iraq. Perso-Arabic script is most common for the written form.
• Southern Kurdish [Feyli] which is spoken mainly in Iran. 

In recent years, TIS National has experienced significant demand growth for Kurmanji Kurdish (alt Northern Kurdish/Ezdiki). This is in demand from Kurmanji speaking Yazidi people settled in regional Australia. The Yazidi people are a religious minority who traditionally live in northern Iraq. There are now significant communities in regional New South Wales and Queensland.

Soryas Khero

I was born in Shekhan, a town located 60 km north of Mosul, in Iraq. I am from a Yazidi family and it is not easy to be a Yazidi female in a country such as Iraq. When I completed high school, I was accepted in the College of Arts at the University of Mosul. However, as a Yazidi studying at the University of Mosul I did not feel safe and as a Yazidi woman, I faced many challenges. That is why I tried to transfer to another university and had to choose a less prestigious Business management course in my town of Shekhan.

I am a multilingual speaker. My first language is Kurmanji. I also speak Kurdish Sorani since primary school. In high school, I started learning Arabic. After the Yazidi genocide in August 2014, my family fled to Turkey and I lived there for two years. This is where I acquired basic Turkish language skills.

In August 2014, my father died from a heart condition and just six days after his death I had to flee for my life because ISIS were only 10 km away from my town. Sadly, I was unable to visit my father’s grave. That is why when I get interpreting assignments with cardiologists, I feel a sense of fulfillment and am very happy to be of assistance. I try my best to respond to telephone assignments since dawn. I understand that these calls are highly likely to be emergency calls from people with limited or no English language skills who may need an ambulance. Often, under such circumstances, their life is at risk and they are unable to provide simple information such as their address without an interpreter’s assistance. These sorts of jobs provide me with the opportunity to be part of a team of professionals who can help a patient get better and therefore spend more time with people they love.

I came to Australia in September 2016. As I was unable to speak any English at that time, I communicated through interpreters. At the same time, I worked very hard to learn English. I attended different English language courses, including an interpreter-training course. These days when I undertake interpreting assignments, I instantly remember how I felt four years ago and the challenges I faced as a non-English speaker. Therefore, when I interpret, I do my best to avoid any misunderstanding between the English speaker and non-English speaker.

As a professional interpreter, I avoid any discussions with clients before the assignment. This is particularly important for on-site interpreting jobs. I usually arrive 15 minutes before the assignment starts and spend some time with the non- English speaker in the same waiting area. I believe that being professional and acting with honesty at all times is the key component of the AUSIT Code of Ethics.

Rivas Khero

I was born in Iraq in 1994 and I finished high school in 2014. My family then moved to Turkey where I lived for two years. In September 2016, I arrived in Australia and I did not speak any English. It was a big challenge for me to learn a new language and to start a new life in a new country. I went to TAFE in Wagga Wagga, NSW where I studied English. Later on I started my first job in Australia as an interpreter at the Centrelink office in Wagga. In 2018 I moved to Sydney and attended a course to gain a credential from NAATI as an interpreter.

I am goal oriented and always try to achieve more goals. I have chosen interpreting to help my community and always try my best to assist everyone with their language needs. 

As professional interpreters, we never stop learning. We think that our job is not just transferring words from one language to another, but also to connecting two different cultures. At the same time, during our interpreting assignments, we always remember to act professionally: be honest and accurate.

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