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We have another Guest Post. This time, our guest is Ryan Bridges a contributing writer and media specialist for the Presentation Training Institute. Ryan regularly produces content for a variety of business and presentation blogs, based around the transitional challenges that come with communication and...

30 June, 2017 /
This article by Janis Palma was first published two years ago, almost to the date. It is a good reminder of the importance of proper terminology and the traps we face in our work - both translators and interpreters!
©Janis Palma- 2014
Beware of false friends! I don’t mean the people, I mean the words. 
One of the first impulses a young interpreter must overcome is the use of words that may, at first glance, seem to be equivalent terms and concepts in two languages... but are not. Taking that direct path from similarly-sounding words in our source and target languages is not always wrong, but part of being a good interpreter is knowing exactly when to take this path and when not to. In the rapid pace of judiciary interpreting, our brains may lean heavily towards cognates in source and target languages. Cognates are words with a common origin or etymology. True cognates, like “library” and “librería” in Spanish or “livraria” in Portuguese, with a common Latin root -- liber -- may come to have new and different meanings with usage and the passage of time. In this example “library” is a place where books are kept for people to read or borrow, whereas “librería” or “livraria” is a place where books are sold. So although they may be true cognates, these words have become false friends, or faux amis.
16 June, 2017 /

Okay, perhaps it’s a bit far-fetched to compare a courthouse to Shakespeare’s famous rose, but I have to admit that after months away from court (or, should I say,  du palais de justice…our francophone neighbors certainly have a way with words, don’t they?!) when I...

09 June, 2017 /

This post was originally published on The Savvy Newcomer on August 2, 2016. Republished with permission from the author, Helen Eby, NAJIT Member and one of the leaders of our 2017 Advocacy Day efforts. By Helen Eby ©2016 One of my resources is The Routledge Handbook of Interpreting,...

02 June, 2017 /

And here are some moments for you to relive. Header photo courtesy of NAJIT member Flávia Lima who also contributed some of the photos in the gallery. If you'd like to add a picture, please send it to tno_editor@najit.org. ...

26 May, 2017 /

by Janis Palma, USCCI, NCJIT-S I can remember how to say “Compass Rose” and “boatswain” in Spanish at the drop of a hat, but I cannot remember what I ate for lunch 2 days ago. I can recall every word of a 2-minute narrative by a witness and...

12 May, 2017 /

or How to Forget About Interpreting and Just Listen - By Athena Matilsky© You know how the saying goes: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. I’m sure you have heard it; we all have. But have you heard the saying for interpreters? No?...

28 April, 2017 /

The Couch is here.  This is a space where we can share our doubts, our knowledge and help our colleagues. All data that might make the parties or case identifiable have been removed. Please note: all contributions should be sent to the Editor and not entered in...

21 April, 2017 /

This article by Janis Palma was originally published on Aug 22, 2011. Janis gives us some insights into her rituals and encourages us to look into our own behavior. Enjoy!   - by Janis Palma © 2011 [blockquote text="I have just realized that with my rituals I...

14 April, 2017 /

The Couch is back. Can we help our colleague who, apparently, is doing too good of a job? How about you? This is a space where we can share our doubts, our knowledge and help our colleagues. All data that might make the parties or case identifiable...

24 March, 2017 /
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