As medical practitioners mature with experience, many discover that what was taught in medical school — History is the most important part of the patient encounter — is actually true. Yet, taking a history is a practiced skill even for the examiner who speaks the same language as the patient. The problems encountered with taking a history from a patient are compounded exponentially when the examiner and the patient are not skilled in speaking the same language. In this issue, the author explores numerous facets of caring for patients who speak a language other than the physician’s language.