The holiday season is a much slower pace than other times of the year. It is a natural time for hibernation, reflection and rest. So before you can become a language interpreter, you should try to envision where you want to end up. Do you want to provide medical language interpreting in a hospital setting, or do you want to work in a courtroom as a legal interpreter? Because each professional setting comes with its own set of policies, procedures, terminology and approaches. Regardless of which class you enroll, there's 3 general things you need before enrolling...
Read more
How ASL & Language Access Connect With Language Interpreting
To ensure that language remains accessible for all, means investing a great deal of time, money and effort into language translation and localization services. Although we see examples of translation localization on a daily basis, it is most noticeable in public areas like airports. As of 1944, every airport was mandated to have all signs written in English and their country's official language. Which has definitely helped reduce misunderstandings in high traffic areas. But does this consider all people, everywhere?
Read more
Language Access & Its Impact In A Democratic Society
Language access is a term that describes all of the public services available to everyone with a Limited English Proficiency (LEP). It is a practice of designing society so that everyone in any community, is able to access the same information; regardless of language fluency or handicap. It describes all of the services and all of the government agencies that help people overcome language barriers. According to the Census Bureau, over 21% of United States residents- or 65 million people- report speaking a language other than English at home. Furthermore, approximately 8.6% or 33 million people report having a Limited English Proficiency (LEP). But when we talk about concepts like language access, or large numbers like 30 or even 60 million, the average person may struggle to understand what that means. And it is fair to assume that they also struggle to understand how those big concepts apply to them, specifically.
Read more
Language Interpreters And Their Role Amid Disaster Relief
If there is one thing that can be said for disasters, they highlight issues with infrastructure and services. Just looking at the areas affected by hurricane Milton, there isn't just one primary language. In fact, more than 130 different languages are spoken in Florida alone. So what exactly is the role of language interpreters during disaster relief? And are the lessons we can learn from hurricane Milton?
Read more