"Accurately assessing an interpreter's knowledge and skills is essential..."

Washington DC - (May 14, 2009) - The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters will begin the pilot phase of the performance exam that will be part of the testing for National Medical Interpreter Certification.

Over the next few weeks, 300 interpreters will "test the test" designed to verify the ability of interpreters to apply their knowledge and skills in real-life medical interpreting scenarios.

This process will provide additional input to the assessment tool's design, allowing test developers to make final adjustments before its national implementation.

The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters program, just founded jointly this year by Language LineŽ University and the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA), will consist of a single "certification process" that will award to individuals the credential of "Certified Medical interpreter" (CMI) in a specific language.

To qualify for the CMI credential, a medical interpreter will have to successfully pass the prerequisites, the National Board Written Exam, and the National Board Performance Exam.

Learn more about The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters here >>

And here www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org

By Aaron Terrazas, Migration Policy Institute

The number of African immigrants in the United States grew 40-fold between 1960 and 2007, from 35,355 to 1.4 million. Most of this growth has taken place since 1990.

Compared to other immigrants, the African born tend to be highly educated and speak English well. However, they are also more likely not to be naturalized US citizens than other immigrants.

The top individual countries of origin of the African born are Nigeria, Egypt, and Ethiopia. In the United States, Africans are concentrated in New York, California, Texas, Maryland, and Virginia.

This Spotlight focuses on African immigrants residing in the United States, examining the population's size, geographic distribution, socioeconomic characteristics, and admission categories using data from the US Census Bureau's 2007 American Community Survey (ACS) and 2000 Decennial Census, and the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Immigration Statistics (OIS) for 2007.

Read the rest of this very informative Migration Policy Institute article here >>

Related story: Spotlight on Refugees and Asylees in the United States.

Dear Reader: An interesting story, with linguistic, social, health and cultural elements throughout. Remember to download the report at then end of this article.

"Editor's Note: The story of migration is no longer a man's story.

"It is increasingly becoming a woman's tale, according to "Women Immigrants: Stewards of the 21st Century," a new poll by New America Media.

"The survey of 1,002 female immigrants from Latin American, Asian, African, and Arab countries, found that immigrant women are taking charge in keeping their families together.

"At a time when more than one-third of families in the United States are single-parent households, 90 percent of women immigrants interviewed report that their families are intact, writes NAM Executive Director Sandy Close."

Read the rest of this New America Media story here >>

View the entire NAM Immigrant Women Poll here >>

Many of you may know that just this week Texas House Bill (HB) 233 has passed the Texas Senate and is awaiting signature from the Governor's office.

We would like to congratulate the Texas Association of Healthcare Interpreters, the Texas Association for the Deaf, as well as the Texas Society of Interpreters for the Deaf and all those involved on this passage!

We know from experience that progress is often difficult to achieve given all of the related issues and arguments, from funding to training to testing.

Overcoming uncertainty, ambivalence, opposition and diverging views is not easy, but commitment and perseverance pays off and this is a wonderful example to organizations and other states across the country.

And so, you and your colleagues deserve a tremendous amount of recognition for your hard work, perseverance and success with HB 233.

Sincerely,

Louis F. Provenzano, Jr.
President & COO
Language Line Services

Read the history of this legislation here >>

New Interactive Demonstration and Videos

Featuring American Sign Language (ASL), Spanish (over video) and Mexican Sign Language (LSM). On Demand!

Attention, health care and law enforcement professionals. You and those you serve who are deaf or limited English speaking patients can now easily communicate through the Language LineŽ Video Interpreter Service.

Learn more from this Interactive Demonstration.

And, these brief Medical and Police videos.

For more information, write to video@languageline.com

Selected News of the Month

• Industry Leaders Announce Major Progress at Third Annual National Medical Interpreter Certification - Open Forum National Meeting Solidifies Milestone Agreement on Medical Interpreter Certification and Unveils Results of National Job Analysis Survey.


• Testing for National Medical Interpreter Certification to Enter Pilot Phase "Accurately assessing an interpreter's knowledge and skills is essential..."


• Prescription Information in More than 175 Languages Rite Aid Launches National In-Store Language Access Program with Language Line Services.


• Language Line Services Announces Introduction of On-Site Interpretation Service in New York Available to Hospitals, Government Agencies and Legal Businesses in New York Metro Area.

Read more Language Line Services news here >>

As a courtesy to our colleagues and a service to you, our subscribers, "In Other Words" announces coming events when the information becomes available.

Voices for Change: Connecting the Dots from Prevention to Care

June 30, Los Angeles

Register now for the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN) biennial conference in Los Angeles.

We know that our well being is not only about going to the doctor but also about where we live, the opportunities that we have, and the air we breathe.

Voices for Change will give you a chance to increase your advocacy skills, forge new partnerships, and connect the dots to create a more comprehensive approach to achieving health equity.

For more information, contact Ruben Cantu, CPEHN Program Director, at rcantu@cpehn.org, or go to http://www.cpehn.org/events.php.

NATI - Nebraska Association for Translators & Interpreters

10th Annual Regional Conference
July 23 - 25, 2009

"Voices and Visions: Celebrating a World of Difference Through Language and Art"

Hosted at:
1000 Galvin Road South | Bellevue, Nebraska 68005 | 402.293.2000 | 800.756.7920
http://www.bellevue.edu

Co-Sponsored by:

• Administrative Office of the Courts, Nebraska Court Interpreter Program
• Language Line Services
• Alegent Health
• Region 3 Behavioral Health

Medical Interpreter Network of Georgia

MING Quarterly Meeting
Wed Jul 29, 2009 7:00 PM
Location: 1680 Tullie Circle Classroom 5 Atlanta GA 30329

For more information: Martha Rincon at marthaluciarincon@hotmail.com

Language Line Services, the leader in over-the-phone interpretation, is seeking to increase its interpreter team in many languages.

If you have excellent proficiency in English, with strong listening and comprehension skills as well as good customer service skills, you can become an interpreter for Language Line Services.

Visit www.languageline.com/careers.

View the "How to Become an Interpreter" Video.

Then, click on "Apply Today" under "interpreter Careers" OR "Corporate Careers" and follow the directions.

Here's what a valued client said just today (5/28/09) about one of Language Line Services' excellent interpreters:

"...interpreter #6100 for Farsi was awesome fantastic and amazing. I am speechless as to how good the interpreter was. We have a very difficult client that he made so easy for me. Thank you..."

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