OSMOSIS – an ability to learn and understand things gradually without much effort. (Merriam-Webster) I was joking with some colleagues about having parents who were physicians and, therefore, how these friends had learned medicine by osmosis. We have all had that experience: learning about a particular...
- by Maria Teresa Perez, Spanish Court Interpreter, Ocean County Vicinage (NJ). Maria Teresa has been a certified Spanish interpreter since 1996, previously applying her skills in California, and now as a Staff Interpreter with the Superior Court of New Jersey, Ocean County Vicinage. In...
-by Gio Lester ©2016 We often hear the argument that foreigners need to learn English and that interpreting services are a drain in our justice and health care systems. Most of us who work in those fields understand the importance of language services and that...
I recently became a regular Staff Interpreter...
– by Giovanna Lester ©2015 That question has been whirling around the minds of many Florida interpreters since Rule 2.565 went into full effect on October 1, 2015. Among other things, Rule 2.565 defines new professional designations for interpreters (see definitions below) and who is allowed...
The phrase itself should set off an alarm. Or perhaps “militant” is too strong a word. How about “the advocate interpreter”? Merriam-Webster defines militant as "having or showing a desire or willingness to use strong, extreme, and sometimes forceful methods to achieve something,” or, in...
- by Giovanna Lester © 2015 Claudia Villalba serves on the NAJIT Board of Directors and, until a few weeks ago, was the Supervising Court Interpreter for the 7th Judicial Circuit in the State of Florida. She wears many hats, but that is the nature of...
How many of you are familiar with SSTI? Well, let me introduce you. SSTI stands for the Society for the Study of Translation and Interpretation. It is the non-profit charity component of the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT). NAJIT was created in 1978...
To say that we interpreters are sometimes exposed to trauma is an understatement. Perhaps the worst is how it can happen so suddenly. I can go about my day nice as you please, interpreting tedious status conferences where attorneys are all legalese about dates and...
Prima donna: A very temperamental person with an inflated view of their own talent or importance. (Oxford Dictionary) We all know at least one of those, don’t we? Or maybe we have been one at some point or another in our lives (gasp! Do we dare...