THE TAPIT TIMES
Tennessee Association of Professional
Interpreters and Translators
TAPIT—The Tennessee
Association of Professional
Interpreters and Translators
Volume 5, Issue 1
Fall 2010
Inside This Issue
Letter from the President
Letter from the
President
1
By Liz Hernandez
Member Spotlight:
By Liz Hernandez
1
H
Belma Ismailovich
Do you Speak Taxese?
By Dr. Tony Tadros
2
TAPIT Awards Conference 3
Scholarship
Importance of Interpreter
Positioning
6
Lost in Translation
6
Como eres intérprete ...
7
By Coral Getino
Since you are a Spanish
Interpreter …
7
By Coral Getino
Report on the New MiTin 8
Conference
By Rory Villafuerte
Short Survey — Local
TRADOS Training?
9
Calendar of Events
10
Justice Dept. Issues Guid11
ance Letter to State Courts,
Why this is Important…
Comment by Rob Cruz
Photos of Conference and 12, 13
After-Hours Fun
ello, Everyone!
The 2010 TAPIT Annual Conference was held September 10-12,
heralding my two-year term as President.
The three-day workshop included practical
guidance and tools for judiciary, medical, and
community interpreters and translators.
Nashville’s historic Scarritt-Bennett Center
is abundant with charm and promises to be a
cozy, new home for our yearly rendezvous.
This year our sponsors and exhibitors
included: Bromberg and Associates, LLC;
CyraCom; East Tennessee State University;
Fluent Language Solutions; InTrans Book
Service; Language Line Services; Pacific Interpreters; ProLingua; Tennessee Foreign Language Institute; National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters; TN Communications; Tennessee Association of Medical
Interpreters and Translators; and, the University of Arizona National Center for Interpretation.
Friday was dedicated to sessions on
medical interpreter issues. Topics included
bridging the gap between providers and
interpreters and the new East Tennessee
State University Graduate Certificate Program in Healthcare Translation and Interpreting. Representatives from both the
Certification Commission for Healthcare
Interpreters and the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters discussed
their strategies to create a national certification standard in the field. Attendees also
worked on improving their résumés so as to
be more impressive in the current economy.
Saturday and Sunday session highlights
included presentations on current trends in
interpreter training, forensic interviewing of
Spanish-speaking children, firearm terminology, and building language access services
following hurricane Katrina. Saturday night
Danny Salazar y Trova Urbana had us all dancing!
Rosalie
Wells was a
captivating keynote speaker. A
veteran translator and workshop
leader
serving on the
A m e ri ca n
Translators
Association
Professional
Liz Hernandez
Development
Committee, Rosalie is a consultant to translation companies and corporate translation
departments. She enlightened us on topics
such as voice recognition software and Internet tools for translators, but I personally enjoyed her unique presentation on career development.
What most impresses me about our organization is the diverse talent and distinctive
personalities that comprise TAPIT. There
were many opportunities to engage in informal
dialogue at the conference— networking with
colleagues and at roundtables targeted for
members who work with languages other than
Spanish. Several scholarships were awarded
to foster the craft in languages of lesser diffusion as well. Mon Timsina was the honored
recipient of TAPIT’s full weekend scholarship
for her esteemed work with Nepali. We hope
to attract even more individuals in the field to
Continued on Page 2
Member Spotlight:
By Marvyn Bacigalupo-Tipps
Belma Ismailovich
Belma, tell us about where you grew up.
I grew up in the Olympic city of Sarajevo, Bosnia and
Herzegovina. Summers were spent carefree vacationing
on the Bosnian and Croatian Adriatic coast or spending
time at the family weekend house outside of Sarajevo in
the foothills of the mountains. Winters were cold with
no shortage of snow and most Sarajevans would spend
time in the surrounding mountains skiing or sledding.
The city has a rich history and this is evident in its architecture with the AustroHungarian and Turkish Ottoman Empire with
traces all over the city.
My elementary/middle school was down
the street from my home and I spent eight
years with the same classmates. We all grew
up together. Even to this day, I can look at our
classroom pictures Continued on Page 4
Page 2
THE TAPIT TIMES
Letter from the
President ….
Continued from Page 1
next year’s conference.
By improving your skills, you are improving our profession and the quality of services
available to many immigrants. You are an
essential member of this organization and I
urge you to volunteer a few hours with one
of our committees. They are listed at
www.tapit.org under About Us - Committees. We welcome your ideas.
“Never doubt that a small group of
thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world. Indeed, it is the only
thing that ever has.“ – Margaret Mead
I look forward to seeing you soon,
Liz Hernandez, TAPIT President
Elizabeth Hernandez, B.A., M.A., received
her Bachelor of Arts dual degrees in Environmental Science and Latin American Studies from
Scripps College and a Masters in Education from
Belmont University. Liz has lived and studied in
Ecuador, Costa Rica, Australia and Mexico.
Besides working as an interpreter and translator
in the Spanish and English languages, she works
as a paralegal at the Rose Immigration Law
Firm. Liz can be reached at:
[email protected].
Tennessee
Association
of Professional
Tennessee
Association
of Professional
Interpreters
and and
Translators
Interpreters
Translators
THE TAPIT TIMES
TAPIT President
Editor
Managing Editor
Layout Editor
Webmaster
Liz Hernandez
Marvyn B. Tipps
Diane G. H. Kilmer
Ronny Tipps
Ronny Tipps
TAPIT
P.O. Box 91116
Nashville, TN 37209
(615) 824-7878, (931) 209-2230
http://www.tapit.org/
[email protected]
Do You Speak Taxese?
By Dr. Tony Tadros, B.A., M.A., D.Min.
T
hey say nothing is certain except
death and taxes – probably true, but
at least death doesn’t get worse
every year!
Unless they work with company for a
salary, a freelance translators or interpreters are considered to be business owners,
at least in the eyes of Uncle Sam. So as an
independent contractor you should report
the income and expenses from your business activities on ―Schedule C‖ and attach it
to Form 1040.
On the first part of Section C, you
report your business income. Every January, your clients will send you Form 1099
stating the amount they paid you during the
previous year. Make sure you keep all
forms and report all income to avoid any
red flags with the IRS.
“You must pay
taxes, but there's
no law that says
you gotta leave a
tip!”
(Morgan
Stanley ad) As a
business owner,
you need to be
savvy about tax
matters and take
advantage of all tax deductions available for
businesses. These are some of the most
common deductions:
Home Office: To qualify, the room
must be used exclusively for business. It
can't double as a guest bedroom or playroom for your kids. You'll need to indicate
the total square footage of your home and
the square footage of your home office.
For example, if your home/apartment is
1,000 square feet and the home office is
100 square feet, you can deduct 10% of the
following allowable costs:
mortgage interest or
rent; property tax; home
or renters insurance;
utilities (gas, electricity,
water, garbage disposal,
etc.); cleaning expenses
such as housekeeping
and carpet cleaning; maintenance and repairs; communications (telephone, fax,
Internet); depreciation of the home office
and all major capital improvements that
affect the home office.
Auto Expenses: When you use your
car for business such as driving to the
courthouse to interpret, you are entitled to
certain deductions. If you use your car 50%
of the time for
business and 50%
f or
p erson al
purposes,
then
you can only
deduct 50% of
your car expenses.
There
Tony Tadros
are two methods
to calculate vehicle deduction: a) standard
mileage in which you deduct $0.50 for each
business mile driven; or b) actual expense for
which you deduct the
business percentage of
the actual cost you incur
to operate your car
including gas, oil, repairs,
maintenance, license
fees, insurance, tolls, parking and even car
washing! Some people prefer the standard
mileage method because it’s easier, but the
actual cost method usually gives you a higher
deduction. You can also deduct the depreciation of your vehicle over a number of
years. When you choose a method for the
first time you’ll need to use it every year.
Equipment and Supplies: Computers,
printers, copiers, scanners, audio recorders
and other equipment used for business may
be deducted as depreciation over a number
of years. Supplies like paper, toners and
stationery are deducted as expenses.
Association Dues: Your TAPIT membership fee is tax deductible!
Materials and Software: Dictionaries,
glossaries, language publications, and translation or transcription software (like Trados),
etc.
Marketing: Business cards, website
listings, promotional material, etc.
Communications: Cell phone and
Internet used for business; postage.
Education and Training: Any courses
you take to meet business requirements,
such as certification exams, licenses and
continuing education. Professional conferences like our TAPIT annual conference are
also business expenses!
Travel and Entertainment: If you
travel to another city and stay at a hotel in
order to provide interpretation, this is deducted as a business expense. Only 50% of
meals and entertainment costs are deducti-
Continued on Page 3
Page 3
THE TAPIT TIMES
Taxes ….
Tennessee Association of
Professional
Continued from Page 2
ble. Trying to deduct your trip to Las Vegas
would not go well with the IRS – they’ll see it
as Las Bogus!
Insurance: Business liability insurance
such as ―errors and omissions‖ insurance is
certainly deductible. If you are self-employed
and you pay for your own health insurance,
you can deduct the full cost of your health
insurance premiums on your Form 1040, line
31.
Wages: If you have people working for
you, you may deduct what you pay them, but
in this case you cannot file taxes using your
Social Security Number. You are required
to have a Tax ID Number.
Loan Interest: You can fully deduct
interest on loans for your business.
Moving Expenses: Moving and storage
expenses are deductible if they are job related.
Professional and Legal Fees: If you
pay an accountant, an attorney or a tax specialist for business services, you may deduct
the cost. The cost of tax software is also
deductible.
Non-deductible Expenses: You are
not allowed to deduct bribes and kickbacks,
contributions to political candidates, membership fees to social clubs or penalties and
fines.
These guidelines will help you stay
on top of tax matters:
Keep detailed and organized records of all your
business income and
expenses.
Set aside some money
every month towards
your Self-Employment
Tax (about 15% of net profit) that you pay
every year.
Use a tax software like Turbo Tax that
guides you through the process and provides helpful work sheets.
If you think your tax situation is complicated you may need to use a professional
tax service.
If you have losses or expenses that
exceed the limit, they can be carried over
to the next year.
Make sure you file your tax return on
time, or file an extension.
If you think you made
an error when you filed
your return, you can
always file an amendment with the correct
information.
Filing online is faster,
easier and free! Your
tax return is credited/debited directly into
your bank account.
If your numbers don’t add up or your
expenses are exaggerated, you may get
audited by the IRS. But getting audited
doesn’t necessarily mean there’s something
wrong. The IRS sometimes does random
auditing.
Beware of tax scams and fake e-mails
pretending to be from the IRS!
I wish you all the best with your business as you master the language of tax…
even in linguistics we’ve got syntax!
Tony Tadros, B.A., M.A., D. Min.,
is an Arabic<>English interpreter and translator, Certified Court Interpreter and Middle East
Consultant. You can contact him at:
[email protected].
TAPIT Awards Conference Scholarship
A
t this year’s 8th Annual TAPIT Conference, the 2nd Annual Full TAPIT Conference LOTS (Languages Other Than Spanish)
Scholarship was awarded to emergent talent Mon Timsina, a woman from Nepal who is now based in Nashville. Mon was
born in Bhutan, Asia and raised in Nepal. In 2008 she arrived in the United States with her husband and their families and
settled in Nashville.
Mon began interpreting in 2008 on a contract basis for Healthassist and for the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute. She provides medical interpretation Nepali<>English and medical translation English>Nepali. Her educational background includes a Bachelor
of Business Studies in English and Nepali acquired in Nepal as well as training at several TAPIT workshops.
Mon first learned about TAPIT from Marvyn Bacigalupo-Tipps, TAPIT President Emeritus, while they were both doing volunteer
interpreting at Siloam Family Health Center.
The fall conference turned out to be a very rewarding experience for Mon.
―So much helpful knowledge and skill building,‖ Mon said. ―I had not attended that type of conference. It was amazing. I learned a
lot. And everybody introduced themselves to me. I was so happy and excited.‖
The TAPIT Conference Scholarship Program helps to defray the cost for needy students and members who wish to attend the
trainings and seminars. Many members donate to this cause in order to give financial assistance to up-and-coming interpretertranslators, especially students and refugees.
Page 4
THE TAPIT TIMES
Continued from Page 1
and name each one of my friends by their first and last names.
What was your academic focus in school?
High schools were specialized in Bosnia and by the time you
got to high school you had to have a pretty good idea about your
career goals. I realized pretty
early on in middle school the
English language came almost
naturally to me and my classmates came to me for help
with their homework or test
preparations. Also, I was always interested in literature
Miljacka River in Sarajevo
and poetry, so when it came
time to choose a high school, I
decided on a Language and Literature High School which was a
very well-known and prestigious school in Sarajevo. We studied
Language, Art, Linguistics and Foreign Languages. My foreign language tracks were English and German. Some of my friends studied French, Russian and Italian.
Could you please tell us when and how you realized
you wanted to be an interpreter or translator?
One of my favorite courses in high school was Business English, where we were not only trained to write and create business
letters in English, but was also given some of my first translation
work. We translated works from famous world poets and writers
such as T.S. Eliot, Rudyard Kipling, etc.
Did your educational background give you an advantage as a translator?
I believe that my educational background in Bosnia gave me a
strong base for my further education in the United States. At
some point during my literary and language explorations in high
school, I decided that I wanted to be an interpreter. However, at
that time my sights were set on working as an interpreter for the
government, the embassy or in some kind of diplomatic setting. I
certainly had no concept of how my life would take a dramatic
turn.
What brought you to the USA?
I first came to the United States in the
early 90s as an exchange student. Since
my education directed me more toward
studying English, the next step, at least
for me, was to travel to a country where
I could improve my English language
skills. I was 15 at the time, and remember that I was the youngest candidate for
the program. My parents were hesitant
at first, especially my father, but my
mother and my English teacher were
Cathedral and Caféés
very supportive and also convinced that I
would do just fine living in the United States for a year.
What brought you to Tennessee in particular?
My host family lived in Columbia, TN, or actually Santa Fe, TN.
It was a huge cultural shock for me, since I came from a big city in
Bosnia.
What did you first do when you came to this country?
I lived in the United States for a year during my sophomore
year of high school. During this time I greatly improved my English
speaking and writing skills. I returned home to Sarajevo the following year, only to find great political tension and unrest during
the last months of what we knew, at the time, as the country of
Yugoslavia. The war in Croatia was still going on while Croatia
was trying to gain independence, and there were fears that the war
was coming to Bosnia, as well.
Following a referendum
where most Bosnians voted
for independence from Yugoslavia, open warfare broke out
on the streets of Sarajevo on
April 6, 1992. A couple of
months later I left Sarajevo
with my mother and my
brother. My father wanted us
Orthodox and Catholic Churches
to be safe while he stayed
(curvy and pointy respectively)
behind. We were on our way
to Germany where my uncle
lived, but we never reached our destination.
In the next couple of months, we lived in different refugee
camps and centers in Slovenia. My host family from the United
States was able to contact me while I was in Slovenia with invitations to come back to the U.S.
Eventually, we made our way to Turkey, where we had family.
I was able to reach the American Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey and
obtain a student visa to return to the United States. I lived with
my host family for the next couple of years in Columbia, TN, and
continued my education—
high school and enrollment
in college.
During those two years I
filed paperwork for my family to join me. My family was
finally able to join me in
1994. They came as refugees
during the time when many
refugees from Bosnia started
Pigeons and People at Sebilj
arriving to Nashville. We
made Nashville our home. I continued my education at Middle
Tennessee State University, obtaining my degree in Mass Communication.
What did you do before you started translating?
While I was in college, I began working for Metro Social Services, Refugee Services Division, as a Bosnian interpreter. There
was a large influx of Bosnian refugees into Nashville in the early
and mid 90s and a shortage of individuals that could speak Bosnian
and English fluently. My work as an interpreter in a social service
setting stemmed out of an absolute need for individuals that could
help these refugees adjust to the new life they found in the Middle
Tennessee region.
Soon I started translating from English into Bosnian the documents people needed to apply for public benefits. I always find it
ironic when I think back to my career goals while I was in high
school, and the phrase ―Be careful what you wish for‖ usually
comes to mind. My wish to be an interpreter/translator did come
true, but in a completely different context.
While working with refugees and immigrants from different
communities, I realized that social justice became my passion.
Even after finishing college and working for some of the television
stations, I remained working in the advocacy and social service
setting while training to be a professional interpreter.
Continued on Page 5
Volume 5, Issue 1
Page 5
Continued from Page 4
Do you translate mostly into Bosnian or from Bosnian
to English?
Most of the documents I translate are birth and marriage certificates, diplomas and other records that need to be translated
from Bosnian into English.
Do you enjoy editing or reviewing other people’s
work?
I enjoy reviewing other people’s work since it is a way of
learning from someone else or seeing a different way of expression. However, since there is a real shortage of qualified translators for my language pair, oftentimes I am the initial translator.
Do you do interpreting in Tennessee? If so, what type?
(conference, medical, legal, court, schools?)
Due to the shortage of qualified and trained Bosnian interpreters in Tennessee and surrounding states, I have ventured into
different interpretation settings. Most of the work needed for
Bosnian interpreters is in the medical, legal and social service settings. However, I do interpret in Tennessee courts when needed.
The need is not great, but I am a court-approved Bosnian interpreter and was a registered court interpreter for many years.
What fields do you work in? How did you get into
these fields?
At the moment, I work for Health Assist TN, a healthcare
advocacy agency where I coordinate interpreter services. Most of
the interpreting work we provide is in the medical and social
service setting.
What areas of translation
do you love most (literary,
technical, medical, legal,
etc.)?
Literary translation appeals the
most to me, probably due to my
early training mentioned previously. However, the need in
that field is scarce.
Where are your major clients or agencies?
U.S.?
Abroad?
I mostly work for different interpretation/translation agencies and companies that are in the United
States. The need is mostly in the medical and legal settings.
Vijecnica (Former Town Hall
and National Library)
Tell us how you got your first job? Your first client?
How did you become known?
My first interpreting job was with Metro Social Services in
1997, on a part-time basis. My interpretation assignments took me
to the Department of Human Services, helping the clients to apply
for public benefits, medical appointments and even job orientations. Shortly after, I started working for Health Assist TN as a
Bosnian counselor and the word just spread around. I also got
involved with the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute (TFLI), and
with Vanderbilt University and became a court registered interpreter in 2004. The jobs just started coming my way since my
contact information was mostly available on the Internet.
How and when did you become a member TAPIT?
I have been a member of or involved with TAPIT since its
inception. There was a shortage of resources for interpreters
when I first began interpreting in 1997, and the development of
TAPIT really helped. It helped to know that there are other interpreters out there struggling to make a profession more respected.
It was wonderful to have a place to meet (even electronically), to
exchange ideas, knowledge and work opportunities.
Which organizations, institutions or individuals, have
helped you to become really professional?
When TAPIT was established, Marvyn Bacigalupo-Tipps and
really made me realize the importance of being a professional interpreter while I sat in
Judith Kenigson Kristy
on some of their trainings and workshops. I have also been helped
by my good friends and mentors Hope Collins with TFLI and Meryl
Taylor with Centerstone. .
You have been a
member of TAPIT for
many years. How did
you find out about our
organization?
What
can you tell us about
how you have seen the
association
evolve?
What could it do to
improve?
Jewish Cemetery, Kovacici
It is amazing to see how
TAPIT has evolved and
extended its member base. It is important to stay connected to
some of the major decision makers and associations in the field.
It’s also important to keep reaching out to the new interpreters in
the field and share the importance of quality trainings, competence
and certifications.
What would you like to see TAPIT do to involve more
translators and interpreters of languages other than Spanish?
Share more resources for other languages. More often interpreters and translators of languages other than Spanish have to
develop their own resources. If there are resources out there that
can help us save time and effort, it would be wonderful to get that
knowledge. Featuring a professional or a speaker from another
state at a conference or a training that can share this knowledge
with us would be helpful.
Belma Ismailovich, Medical Interpreting Coordinator of Health
Assist Tennessee, has been an interpreter and a health care advocate
for more than 10 years. She is a native Bosnian who has both personal
and professional experience on the impact of language and culture on
health care. Belma, a TAPIT member since its inception, has been instrumental in bringing medical interpreting to public and private health
care providers across the state.
She can be contacted at:
[email protected].
Marvyn Bacigalupo-Tipps, B.A., M.A., Ph.D., TAPIT President
Emeritus, is a freelance certified court interpreter in Federal and State
Courts in Spanish, as well as an ATA Certified translator. She can be
reached at [email protected].
Page 6
THE TAPIT TIMES
Evidence for the Importance of
Interpreter Positioning
O
ne medical study will not resolve a major controversy in interpreting. However, a recent article
published in Medical Education Online highlights the importance of interpreter positioning.
In this study, 162 second-year medical students completed a three-hour workshop on how to work
effectively with interpreters, followed by a one-station clinical examination eight weeks later to assess
their skills. Based on a passing score of 70%, 39.4% of the class failed. The two most common problems
appeared to be assuring confidentiality (missed by 50%) and positioning the interpreter (missed by 70%).
Here is where the study gets interesting: While addressing confidentiality did not appear to have a
significant impact on standardized patient satisfaction, interpreter positioning did. The authors concluded that instructing an interpreter to sit behind the patient helps to sustain eye contact between clinician and patient. They suggested emphasizing guidelines for interpreter positioning in medical education
and also said further research should be conducted on this subject.
As a side note, one presentation in the Critical Link conference in Birmingham made
clear that the triangle is still the dominant position in Europe and elsewhere for community interpreting. Many attendees also felt strongly that interpreters should not promote direct eye contact between service providers and clients. Interpreter positioning
appears to be a very "hot" topic internationally.
Reference:
Cha-Chi Fung, Regina Richter Lagha, Paula Henderson, Arthur G. Gomez, Working with interpreters: how
student behavior affects quality of patient interaction when using interpreters. Medical Education Online, 2010,
15:5151.
--Reprinted by permission from Cross-Cultural Communications, www.cultureandlanguage.net
Lost in Translation

In a Japanese hotel room: Please to bathe inside the
tub.

In a Hong Kong supermarket: For your convenience,
we recommend courteous, efficient self-service.
Outside a Hong Kong tailor shop: Ladies may have a
fit upstairs.


In a Bangkok dry cleaner's: Drop your trousers here
for best results.

In an advertisement by a Hong Kong dentist: Teeth
extracted by latest Methodists.

Advertisement for donkey rides in Thailand: Would
you like to ride on your own ass?

Detour sign in Kyushu, Japan: Stop: Drive Sideways.

In a Tokyo bar: Special cocktails for ladies with nuts.

In a Tokyo shop: Our nylons cost more than common, but you'll find they are best in the long run.

From a Japanese information booklet about using a
hotel air conditioner: Cooles and Heates: If you
want just condition of warm in your room, please
control yourself.

From the brochure of a car rental firm in Tokyo:
When passenger of foot heave in sight, tootle the
horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still
obstacles your passage then tootle him with vigor.
Page 7
THE TAPIT TIMES
Como eres intérprete
de español, ¡seguro que
entiendes… náhuatl!
por Coral Getino, Ph.D.
http://mexica.ohui.net/curso/1/
Since you are a Spanish
interpreter, you surely
understand… náhuatl!
by Coral Getino, Ph.D.
(Sitio
web en español)
E
l Mes de la Herencia Hispana celebra las personas cuyo origen se traza a México, Centroamérica, Latinoamérica, El Caribe y la Península Ibérica, así como la riqueza y la diversidad cultural que dichas
naciones aportan a la vida de Estados Unidos.
Y aunque a muchos de estos países nos une el idioma español o castellano, desde este pequeño espacio
me gustaría destacar justamente el hecho de que existen
muchas lenguas indígenas que merecen atención. ¡Solo
en México se hablan 364 lenguas! Muchas de ellas son
transmitidas oralmente y desgraciadamente están destinadas a desaparecer con los viejos, sabios portadores de
la tradición y la cultura. Pero, al igual que ocurre con
los idiomas Nativo Americanos, existen esfuerzos por
reavivar y transmitir las lenguas y las culturas amerindias
a las futuras generaciones.
Este recurso encontrado al azar en la Internet, e
inspirado por la reciente actuación de un grupo de Danza Azteca en el último Festival de HoLa*, destaca los
orígenes y describe los detalles lingüísticos del náhuatl,
el segundo idioma más hablado en México, después del
español.
Es un completísimo compendio de lecciones que
imparten no solo información sobre la lengua
(vocabulario, gramática, pronunciación) y el contexto
cultural, sino que incluye interesantes artículos generales, una lista toponímica (explica el nombre de los lugares de México), glosarios y una excelente bibliografía
para quien, como yo, se quede con sed de saber más.
¡Feliz lectura!
Tlasojkamati uel miek
* HoLa Hora Latina es una organización sin fines de
lucro basada en Knoxville, conocida por celebrar el Festival HoLa, de la cual es presidente Coral Getino. Tiene
planes de realizar una actividad en torno a los diferentes
idiomas indígenas de nuestras comunidades. Si conoce a
alguien en su comunidad que hable un idioma indígena,
por favor tome su nombre y teléfono y escriba a [email protected]. ¡Puede que estos sean futuros
intérpretes y miembros de TAPIT!
http://mexica.ohui.net/curso/1/ (Spanish website)
H
ispanic Heritage Month celebrates the national
origin of people who can trace their roots to
Mexico, Central and Latin America, the Caribbean Islands and the Iberian Peninsula. The rich background and cultural diversity those nations contribute
to life in the United States is also celebrated.
Although many of these countries are united by the
same Spanish or Castilian language, I would like to
humbly bring attention to the fact that many indigenous
languages are spoken in those countries. In Mexico
alone 364 languages are spoken! Many of those languages are orally transmitted. Unfortunately, they are
disappearing with their elders, wisdom-bearers of tradition and culture. But similarly to Native American languages, efforts are underway to revive and transfer the
Amerindian languages and cultures to future generations.
This resource, found by chance on the Internet and
inspired by the recent performance of an Aztec Dance
group at HoLa Festival 2010*, outlines náhuatl’s origin
and describes linguistic details of this language—
Mexico’s second language, outnumbered only by speakers of Spanish.
This website offers a very comprehensive collection
of lessons that not only provide information about the
language (vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation) and cultural context, but also includes interesting general articles, a toponymic list (that explains the origin of names
of Mexican places), glossaries and an excellent bibliography for people like me, who may want to know
more. Happy reading!
Tlasojkamati uel miek
* HoLa Hora Latina is a non-profit organization
based in Knoxville, known for the HoLa Festival. Coral
Getino is HoLa’s current President. HoLa plans an activity involving the different indigenous languages in our
communities. If you know anybody in your community
who can speak an indigenous language, please take their
name and phone number, and provide it to
[email protected]. They may become future interpreters and TAPIT members!
Coral Getino, Ph. D. is a Spanish <>English Tennessee Certified Court Interpreter and translator. She is also Achieve3000
High School Spanish Content Editor. She can be contacted at [email protected].
Page 8
THE TAPIT TIMES
Report on the New MiTin Conference
By Rory Villafuerte
O
n October 2, 2010 MiTin (Michigan Translator/Interpreter Network) held its first annual conference in Novi, Michigan. This ATA-endorsed conference had more than 140 attendees as well as
several exhibitors.
One of the keynote speakers was Holly Mikkelson, adjunct professor of Translation and Interpretation at
the Graduate School of Middlebury College. Holly is also author of the Acebo interpreter training manuals,
as well as numerous articles on translation and interpretation, and co-author of Fundamentals of Court
Interpretation: Theory, Policy and Practice.
Mikkelson’s keynote address was ―E Pluribus Unum,‖ Latin for ―Out of many, one.‖ She stressed the fact that interpreters and
translators needed to work together to advance the profession. She praised our organization, TAPIT, as an example to follow in enthusiasm, professionalism and friendship.
The other keynote speaker was Bruce L. Adelson, former attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, who
is now in private practice and is CEO of Federal Compliance Consulting. As part of his practice, Adelson provides strategic consulting
services for public clients concerning their compliance with various federal laws, including Title VI. He is also the author of 14 books.
Adelson explained Title IV Requirements and Compliance in great depth, and showed many practical ways to use this provision of
the law for court interpreters and translators.
The conference had a well-balanced list of workshop sessions, including (to name a few):
•
“Coping with Stress Factors While Interpreting,” presented by Jinny Bromberg
•
“Depositions 101,” presented by Robert E. Dice, Jr.
•
“Court Certification,” presented by Kevin Casillas
•
“Ethics and Best Practices,” presented by Ellen Donohue
•
“Legal Concepts for the Interpreter/Translator in Immigration Law,” presented by Christine Dewan
•
“Therapy Interpreting,” presented by Franco Gamero.
The conference was held in a professional, well-organized manner and showed that a great deal of planning went in to it.
Congratulations, MiTin, on a very successful first annual conference!
~~Rory Villafuerte, a member of TAPIT, is a Spanish<>English interpreter who lives in Smyrna.
He can be reached at: [email protected].
ACC Offers Online SDL Trados Courses
Austin Community College (Austin, Texas) now offers three levels of SDL Trados
Courses online for $249 per class.
Course descriptions for SDL Trados classes Getting Started, Intermediate and Advanced levels can be found
at: http://www.austincc.edu/techcert/localization.php#SDLTrados.
The Austin Community College High Technology Institute offers students extensive training in courses
that prepare them for a variety of careers.
For questions or additional information, contact Bob McGoldrick, Coordinator of High Technology Institute, at 512.223.7662 or [email protected].
THE TAPIT TIMES
Page 9
Short Survey Regarding
Local SDL Trados Training!
Please complete this brief survey for TAPIT members to verify whether there is a need
and interest in local training for courses in SDL Trados certifications.
Your input will be very helpful!
Do you currently own SDL Trados or other CAT tool software?
□ Yes
□ No
Could you benefit from classroom-based SDL Trados certification training provided by a certified
SDL Trados instructor?
□ Yes
□ No
Which of the following classes would be most beneficial to you?
□ SDL Trados Studio 2009 for Translators – Getting Started
□ SDL Trados Studio 2009 for Translators – Intermediate
□ SDL Trados Studio 2009 for Translators – Advanced
□ SDL Trados Studio 2009 for Project Managers
□ SDL MultiTerm 2009 for Translators
□ SDL MultiTerm 2009 for Project Managers
In what city would you be interested in taking classroom-based SDL Trados certification training?
□ Nashville, TN
□ Memphis, TN
□ Knoxville, TN
□ Chattanooga, TN
□ Huntsville, AL
□ Lexington, KY
□ Louisville, KY
To download questionnaire click HERE
Please forward your answers by e-mail to: [email protected]
Page 10
THE TAPIT TIMES
2010
Calendar of Events
for Translators and Interpreters
Tennessee Association of Professional
Interpreters and Translators
2010 TAPIT Calendar of Events
November
13
TAPIT Effective Interpretation in Mental Health Settings, Knoxville
December
18
TAPIT Holiday Party, 5-9 p.m., Nashville
2011 TAPIT Calendar of Events
January
8
15-17
TAPIT Effective Interpretation in Mental Health Settings, Memphis
Transcription and Translation Workshop, Nashville
February
Feb-Apr
Kaiser Healthcare Interpreter Certificate, Knoxville
March
5-6
April
30-May1
June
10-11
(tentative)
July
(TBA)
September
10-11
University of Arizona, National Center For Court Interpretation, Advanced
Consecutive Skills, Nashville
University of Arizona, National Center For Court Interpretation, Preparation
for the Federal Oral Exam, Knoxville
4th Annual South East Regional Medical Interpreter Conference, Nashville
Holy Mikkelson, Train-the-Medical Interpreter-Trainers, Nashville
University of Arizona, National Center For Court Interpretation, Translation
Techniques, Memphis
TAPIT Annual Conference, Nashville
Page 11
THE TAPIT TIMES
Tennessee Association of Professional
Interpreters and Translators
JUSTICE DEPT. ISSUES
GUIDANCE LETTER TO
STATE COURTS
Why Is This Letter Important?
Comments by Rob Cruz:
REGARDING PROVIDING LANGUAGE ACCESS
This letter is important news for interpreters and translators
across the nation, because:
WASHINGTON – On August 17, 2010 the Justice Department issued a letter to chief justices and administrators of state
courts clarifying the obligation of courts that receive federal financial assistance to provide oral interpretation, written translation
and other language services to people who are limited English
proficient (LEP). This month marks the 10th anniversary of Executive Order 13166 which requires federal agencies to ensure
that recipients of federal financial assistance comply with Title VI
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by providing meaningful access to
LEP persons.
This letter provides state courts guidance regarding the
requirement to provide meaningful access to their programs and
services for LEP persons through the provision of language services, pursuant to the prohibition against national origin discrimination contained in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act (Safe Streets Act),
and their implementing regulations. The letter includes an overview of applicable civil rights laws, Supreme Court precedent,
guidance and illustrative examples of situations that would warrant the provision of language services.
The letter explains that applicable civil rights laws require
courts receiving federal financial assistance to provide meaningful
access to all civil, criminal or administrative hearings, at no charge
to LEP individuals. It further explains that such access should be
extended to LEP parties and other LEP individuals whose presence or participation is appropriate to the court proceedings;
should be provided in court programs or activities outside of the
courtroom; and should include language services for communication between LEP individuals and court appointed or court managed service providers.
―Justice requires that all individuals have meaningful access to
the critical services provided by the nation’s state court systems,
regardless of the individual’s English language skills,‖ said Thomas
E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.
―As we mark the 10th anniversary of the issuance of Executive
Order 13166 this month, it is especially appropriate to remember
our shared responsibility to reduce persistent language barriers in
court proceedings and services that are of such importance to
the daily lives of parties, victims, witnesses and the public.‖
For more information about Title VI and the Safe Streets
Act, or to obtain copies of the letter, visit www.lep.gov.
•
It is a proactive letter to all Chief Justices and Court
Administrators in every state as opposed to a targeted letter
after an investigation in a particular jurisdiction.
— press release forwarded by Isabel Framer, Certified Judiciary
Interpreter, Language Access Consultants, LLC
•
It explicitly states that charging the costs of interpreter
services to a party, in any proceeding, criminal or civil, is a violation of Title IV and thus a violation of Federal Law.
•
It makes a distinction between "providing" interpreters,
which many jurisdictions do, and actually "paying" for interpreters
as they should.
•
It emphasizes that interpreters need to be available at
no charge to the parties for out-of-court encounters that are
crucial to the eventual outcome of a case. Some examples are
probation intake interviews, clerk's counter, etc.
•
It draws the first parallel between sign language interpreter policy and spoken language interpreter policies and suggests that new policies can be crafted on the ASL (American Sign
Language) model.
For more news on language access around the state, read:
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100926/NEWS01/9260369/
Language-barrier-keeps-some-Tennesseans-from-getting-justice
http://www.wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13257168
Robert L. Cruz, a Tennessee State Certified
Judiciary Spanish Interpreter, serves as TAPIT
Advocacy Committee Chair, and is seated on the
NAJIT Board as well as the Language Barriers
and Disability Committee of the TN Supreme
Court’s Access to Justice Commission. Rob can
be reached at: [email protected].
Page 12
THE TAPIT TIMES
2010 TAPIT Conference at the
Scarritt-Bennett Conference Center.
THE TAPIT TIMES
After-hours-fun at the home of outgoing
TAPIT President Marvyn Bacigalupo-Tipps.
Page 13
Tennessee Association of Professional
Interpreters and Translators
TAPIT
P.O. BOX 91116
NASHVILLE, TN 37209
(615) 824-7878 - (931) 209-2230
www.tapit.org
NOTE:
You may register for events and / or membership and pay
online at our website: www.tapit.org