Today we welcome a post from guest author Catalina J. Natalini. Catalina works as an interpreter and translator in legal, medical and school settings. She holds a Masters of Arts Degree in Linguistics from the University of Zurich and is a certified court interpreter in the...
- 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...
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...
“Respect yourself and others will respect you.” ― Confucius The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines protocol as “a system of rules that explain the correct conduct and procedures to be followed in formal situations.” There were no such rules, standard procedures, or protocols for interpreters in courts of law within the...
**First Friday Flashback! Here's a fave from early 2013. Comment below!** Today, a judge compared trial interpreters to a piece of furniture. I couldn’t be more pleased! Happily, this judge has had enough experience with good interpreters to know that our role is, indeed, much like an...
The NAJIT conference in Atlanta was intellectually stimulating and for some of us—or maybe all—it was also very good for the soul. We laughed, we sang, we danced, we ran into old friends and made new ones. In short, a lot of those present thought...
- by Gio Lester *This article was originally posted on September 21, 2012. It seems just as timely now as it did then. - Gio During a conference assignment, not too long ago, I was confronted with a very uncomfortable situation. Unbeknownst to the team of interpreters,...
On this blog, we dedicate a great deal of time and effort to the profession of interpreting for the courts. We tell stories, share experiences, propose new ideas, and issue calls to action. This week, let’s look briefly at some issues related to translating for...
Acrobatics: A metaphor for how to interpret with confidence and humility Those who know me outside of interpreting know that acrobatics (specifically partnered “Acroyoga”) is my not-so-secret other love. I am tempted to wax enthusiastic and convert you all to Acroyoga right here and now, but...
Maybe It Is Time to Make Friends With Spanglish …And Italish, Portugish, Haitian Creolish and any other language + English! It happened this way: Judge (English): “…mortgage…” Me (Spanish): “…hipoteca…” Litigant (No language): [Blank stare; look of incomprehension and confusion.] The question was repeated. All at once, understanding dawned and the...
