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Surprise Arabic Graffiti Stuns Homeland

This might be one of the most creative uses of language ever seen.

The award-winning series Homeland, often criticized for its portrayals of Arabs and Muslims, got a taste of its own medicine. In a recent episode, the star of the series walked past a wall in a Syrian refugee camp where Arabic words were sprayed: Homeland is racist.

Among other graffiti shown was this: "This show does not represent the views of the artists."

The story of how three Arab artists pulled off this feat is fascinating. They told The Washington Post that they were asked to paint graffiti so they wrote what they did to help counter "inaccurate, undifferentiated and highly biased depiction of Arabs, Pakistanis, and Afghans... It's very important for us to address the idea that this kind of stereotyping is very dangerous because it helps form people's perceptions of an entire region, a huge region, which in turn affects foreign policy."

And the response of Homeland's co-creator, Alex Gansa? "We wish we'd caught these images before they made it to air. However, as 'Homeland' always strives to be subversive in its own right and a stimulus for conversation, we can't help but admire this act of artistic sabotage."

New Research Sheds Light on Simultaneous Interpreting

It seems perhaps you can't efficiently enhance working memory in interpreter training. Yet strong language proficiency in your second language affects your working memory span.

That at least is a conclusion in a recent study. Whether we are all born with a certain degree of strong or weak working memory isn't clear, but if this research paper is accurate, perhaps we might want to be training interpreters to work on their language proficiency in their weaker language rather than on their memory skills...

Thought provoking and informative!

October 23, 2015

IN THIS ISSUE

Surprise Arabic Graffiti Stuns Homeland

New Research Sheds Light on Simultaneous Interpreting

On the Calendar

Protect Translators and Interpreters Around the World

CCC Corner

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CCC News and Events

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CONTACT US

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Cross-Cultural Communications
10015 Old Columbia Road
Suite B-215
Columbia, MD 21046

Phone: 410.312.5599

Email: Contact us here.

BOOK OF THE WEEK

Pronunciation Fundamentals:

Evidence-based Perspectives for L2 Teaching and Research

Tracey M. Derwing and Murray J. Munro,

John Benjamins, 2015

From one of the most respected publishers in the field comes a publication related to teaching language that may also be important for--interpreters.

Again and again, some service providers complain the accents of interpreters make them difficult to understand. Many interpreters also want to improve their pronunciation.

A recent "fourth wave" of research shows the need for assessment and one-on-one instruction that is individualized. This book also focuses on the how, why and when of pronunciation instruction. This book is intended for students, language teachers and researchers.

A valuable contribution to the field!

ON THE CALENDAR

Join the ALC Unconference--It's Fun!

If you run a language service, this is the loveliest conference in the field.

The Association of Language Companies "Unconference" is held in a warm place each year in dead of winter (brilliant). It has no presentations, speakers or death-by-PPT. Topics are designated by participants. It is limited to language service organizations from any country and "industry partners."

For 2016 the Unconference will be held in Austin:

ALC 2016 UNConference

January 28-30, 2016

Omni Barton Creek Resort

Austin, Texas

Details will come soon, but at least you can mark your calendars.

Protect Translators and Interpreters Around the World

A petition is circulating. It asks you to sign on to urge the United Nations to protect translators and interpreters worldwide who risk their lives and freedom.

Whether they work for journalists, armies, refugee camps, humanitarian aid, courts or peace negotiations, translators and interpreters in risky jobs perform a vital service for this world. And this petition wants them safe.

Sign on!

CCC CORNER

Lights, Camera, TCI Action!

At CCC there's never a dull moment. Just this week a film crew from one of our licensed agencies, Senior Service America, stopped by our office to interview CCC Director Marjory Bancroft. What was the interview about?

Stay tuned to find out -- and be prepared to congratulate SSA on their amazing work!

Don't Miss the Most Exciting TOT in the U.S.!

November 16-21 in Columbia, Maryland (near Baltimore): it's back!

Come attend the Training of Trainers for The Community Interpreter� . Get licensed to give the leading national program for community and medical interpreting. Teach your own 40-hour certificate program. Charge what you want. Adapt the program to your audience. Have fun!

Best of all... No licensing fees! And the program offers the best--and indeed only--true textbook in the world for community and medical interpreting. Authored by five credentialed authors from five countries, The Community Interpreter�: An International Textbook is the most cutting-edge work in the field. And it comes with a workbook of more than 200 pages.

Don't miss the fun. Join trainers from across the United States. Here's the fall training calendar for details.

And this time in addition to Marjory Bancroft, the TOT co-trainer is the inimitable Denis Socarras Estrada: our passionate, mad Cuban who taught community interpreting for years at the University of Alcal� in Spain.

You won't be bored for a second!

CULTURE & LANGUAGE PRESS

For a LOOK INSIDE all our publications visit our sister website: thecommunityinterpreter.com and go to Books and Products.

For more information about Cross-Cultural Communications, please go to our website at: www.cultureandlanguage.net

For more information about The Community Interpreter�, please go to our website at: www.thecommunityinterpreter.com

Sincerely,

Marjory A. Bancroft

Marjory A. Bancroft, Director

Cross-Cultural Communications, LLC

10015 Old Columbia Road, Suite B-215

Columbia, MD 21046

Phone: 410.312.5599, Fax: 410.750.0332

www.cultureandlanguage.net