There is a rather distorted perception held by some legal professionals about the role of interpreters in courtroom proceedings or even outside of court. They believe interpreters are tools, like a microphone or a laptop computer, things they can use for whatever purpose they have...
The Couch is a place to exchange ideas and brainstorm, not only for its contributors but also for our readers who engage in the ensuing discussions. Sometimes, the sudden loss of a partner can be challenging, and even though the solution may be clear from an...
We can’t ask for more than we’re willing to give. This is a maxim for everything we do in life. A common outcry I hear more and more often from judiciary interpreters is that the workplace is becoming unresponsive to the specialized nature of the...
The article below was originally posted in 2017. Memory is an interpreter’s best friend; here’s to “remembering” a useful contribution. Enjoy. or How to Forget About Interpreting and Just Listen You know how the saying goes: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. I’m sure...
The Couch is a place for readers to engage in stimulating discussion. The subject of this month’s Couch is...
An open or shut case? A couple of weeks ago, a woman I was interpreting for started chatting with me before an interview, and she asked me if I had heard about upcoming plans to reopen the courthouse. During this conversation, she shared her view that...
The Couch is a learning place, not only for its contributors but also for our readers who engage in the ensuing discussions. The subject of this month’s Couch is the transition to “normal.” As in-person services gradually resume (or at least are on the horizon), what do...
Another trip back in time. Athena Matilsky's 2018 article seems very apropos. Enjoy. This week it was my turn to post on the NAJIT blog, and I asked some of my colleagues what I should write about. I was told, “Don’t teach. Tell your story.” So...
This piece was first published in 2018. Not too long ago, I found myself at an arbitration in which one of the parties, John Doe, was attending by WhatsApp from across the globe. That was a first for me. I have already used Google Hangouts, Skype,...
We often think of self-care as a way to nurture our bodies so that we can stay healthy and age well, but self-care is much more than that. It is a form of language to communicate with our bodies. We use self-care methods to convey...