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Mother's Child Was Taken for Lack of an Interpreter

New York City employs 347 interpreters--but that was not enough for this mother. Pema Tsomo speaks fluent Tibetan and Nepali. Her child was taken away and she was arrested because a school bus didn't show up and she left the child alone to go to work.

For three days, this mother ate nothing but cold cereal and milk while she waited in detention for an interpreter. A lot of other women around her were crying.

A great article in the American Bar Association's ABA Journal chronicles the journey to justice for this mother and many. It quotes then-Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez in 2010 when he spelled out in a letter to courts: "Language services expenses should be treated as a basic and essential operating expense, not as an ancillary cost." Bravo.

Language Matters--Even in Life and Death

A story about the Arabic language ends with a moving story about Spanish. Journalist Mohammad Hassan Al Harbi shares this tale.

For us to realise how important any language is to its people, we can recall the story of a soldier fighting in the Spanish Civil in 1936-1939, who kept firing his gun and refused to surrender despite the fact that all his comrades were killed. The leader of the opposing force told his fighters to refrain from firing and wait until the attacker ran out of bullets.

Once the soldier was captured, the leader of the opposing force asked the soldier why he did not yield. The soldier revealed a piece of paper containing a poem by Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca, and replied: "This is what I'm defending!"

P.S. Thanks to Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban for sharing this story!

May 6, 2016

IN THIS ISSUE

Language Matters--Even in Life and Death

On the Calendar

Good News/Bad News for U.S. Immigrants

CCC Corner

Culture & Language Press

QUICK LINKS

CCC News and Events

The Voice of Love

Intersect Back Issues

CONTACT US

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

Phone: 410.312.5599

Email: Click here

BOOK(S) OF THE WEEK

Describing Cognitive Processes in Translation: Acts and Events

Ehrensberger-Dow, Maureen, Birgitta Englund Dimitrova, S�verine Hubscher-Davidson and Ulf Norberg (eds.).
[Benjamins Current Topics, 77], 2015.

From the illustrious Benjamins, this book looks at translation as an act and an event, with a special focus on the cognitive and mental processes of translating or interpreting. It also considers broader perspectives by including the social context.

First published as a special issue of Translation and Interpreting Studies (issue 8:2, 2013), the chapters "can be characterized as studies of the actual cognitive translation acts, of other processes related to the translation acts, or of processes that are related to the sociological translation event."

Drink coffee first.

ON THE CALENDAR

Critical Link 8 Preconference Program Is Out

For those of you eager to know what's taking place at Critical Link 8, the preconference schedule is now finalized. (Yes, I am one of the speakers.) It also includes some interesting tours for registrants and their guests.

Conference Coming Up in Belgium for Community Interpreting

It's very soon: a conference in Public Service (Community) Interpreting on May 20-21 at the Faculty of Translation and Interpretation - International School of Interpreters, University of Mons (Belgium). The theme is topical and timely: "The Interpreter's discourse and its influence on the interpersonal relationship.

Discursive and argumentative approaches."

The registration deadline is May 10, 2016.

Good News/Bad News for U.S. Immigrants

The good news is that most Americans have favorable views of immigration. About two thirds support current levels, and 72% of U.S. residents support finding ways to let undocumented immigrants stay (according to a Gallup poll last year.)

The bad news comes in a 16-page report by People for the American Way. It explores the work of three big anti-immigration nonprofits with "ties to the dark underbelly of the anti-immigration movement, which smears immigrants using racial terms, plays to fears of demographic change and caters to those who want the U.S. to be ... run by and for a white majority."

All three organizations are heavily funded through one family. All in all, a provocative and illuminating report.

CCC CORNER

Jig-a-Jig-Jig: And We're Off to ALC

Come see us at our table next week in San Diego at ALC (The Association of Language Companies.) Say hi. We have cool stuff to share!

And if you're concerned about quality training for your interpreters or bilingual staff, we have the leading national programs in the country for medical and community interpreting.

Are you a licensed trainer and coming to the conference next week for ALC? If so we'd like to treat you to dinner next Friday, May 13, so let us know!

Note-taking for Interpreters and Simultaneous Interpreting

Next up on the CCC schedule, May 20, 2016: the best one-day note-taking workshop for consecutive interpreting you'll ever take. Developed and led by the amazing Katharine Allen, co-President of InterpretAmerica, it offers just what you need to develop your interpreting accuracy, enhance your memory skills and perform at a higher professional level. Plus it's fun!

And two days goes fast when you're in the hands of James Plunkett for an intensive simultaneous interpreting workshop. You'll have the equipment and the leadership of an expert. If your simultaneous skills are weak, come and learn from the best.

July Training of Trainers (TOT) Filling Up Quickly

It's a big summer for Trainings of Trainers for The Community Interpreter�, the leading national program for both medical interpreting and community interpreting.

After two private TOT sessions in June (in Minnesota and Mississippi) our next public session is July 11-16, 2016. It will be led by Marjory Bancroft, the program founder, and Denis Socarr�s-Estrada, a native of Cuba who taught a master's program in community interpreting for years at the University of Alcal� in Spain. (He's a treat!)

See p. 6 of the training calendar for details. The interest so far is intense, so don't miss your chance to reserve a slot!

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