Within the past few years I’ve had the unique privilege of thanking someone who is among the most significant individuals in my life. It got me thinking about all the people whose influence has spanned decades and impacted the core of who I am, and...
Do your local, regional or state courts have a Language Access Plan (LAP) in place? A Language Access Plan, much as the name suggests, is a detailed description of the language related encounters and services an agency has in place in order to provide effective communication...
I can be clicking on “Likes” at 2:30 a.m. sometimes, not because I am such a great fan of Facebook but because I cannot sleep and decide to catch up on comments and posts by friends. I can wake up three and four times...
In my home I am “the fixer”. This is not a role that I chose knowingly and intentionally; it just came with the territory. I own a home, so if anything breaks I am the one in charge of fixing it or finding someone...
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...
I know. The official name is “International Translation Day”. I changed it. I just have this thing about “interpreters” being included whenever anyone talks about “translators” and “interpreting” being understood as a part of “translation” in the title of such an important day. We all...
* Maria Teresa Perez is a Spanish language interpreter. She 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, Mercer County Vicinage. In her spare time, Maria...
Dear NAJIT Blog Readers, This week we'd like to share with you a special message from Mr. Freek Lankhof. Freek, thank you for all you've done throughout the years to strengthen our profession. - Kevin (You can read more about Freek in our June 6th, 2014...
These days, when people ask me what it takes to be an interpreter, I tell them one part language skills, one part interpreter technique, and one part people management. When we embark on our interpreting career, learning interpreting technique is a good beginning, but it is...
As I was putting on my make-up this morning getting ready for work, the thought crossed my mind in a flash: “I am putting on my war paint.” I realized it was a ritual, perhaps not too dissimilar from the rituals of our indigenous...
