China is a multiethnic country with a complex linguistic history. Aside from the dominant Han Chinese group, there are 55 ethnic minority groups living in China. These minorities have their own languages (an estimated 200 dialects) and writing systems. Referring...
A concierge at a resort hotel who must communicate with guests in their language… A nurse practitioner must be able to tell a Spanish-speaking patient about their medical treatment options… A legal assistant hired to provide foreign language document reviews...
Consider the following conversation: A: “Yesterday was, like, the worst day of my life. I got home from work around five-thirty and I was, like, so hungry so I went to the fridge to make a sandwich but when I...
ALTA is happy to support women’s equality through our Medical Interpreter Training course! Check out Ana’s story to learn how being a medical interpreter has helped her achieve her goals and leave a legacy for her daughter. Ana Salvadore Interview:...
News host Laura Ingraham recently brought grammar into the political spotlight during a segment in which she criticized NBA players LeBron James and Kevin Durant for a conversation they had about politics. What Ingraham criticized in this instance was not...
Lithuanian Haris Poteris and his Dutch best friends Hermelien Griffel and Ron Wemel attend a French school for magic called Poudlard (“bacon lice”), get in trouble with the Dutch Severus Sneep, and receive medical attention from an Italian Madama Poppy...
Spectacular translation fails are the stuff of legend. While one of the most famous marketing translation fail examples is that of Chevy’s attempt to introduce its new car model “NOVA” in Mexico, which translates to “No go” in Spanish, this...
After the Helsinki Summit, it feels like the whole world is seeing the field of interpretation for the first time. Everyone has eyes on one interpreter, the only person apart from President Trump and President Putin who knows what was...
A Russian and an American step into an elevator – let’s say the two know each other vaguely as colleagues at work. If this elevator happens to be in America, what ensues is likely a very uncomfortable (Russian) and confused...
This year, my coworker and I went to California to present at the CHIA conference. Three hours before our presentation, I got this text message from my mom: “I’m ok, but I’m in the hospital.” She’d fainted in her bathroom...
If the term “translation software” makes you think of paid language professionals plugging text into Google Translate, guess again! Computer-assisted translation tools are complex, varied, and integral to any seasoned translator’s daily work. This overview will help you learn more...
Imagine someone running up three flights of stairs to convey some astonishing news to a friend. As soon as the excited speaker opens his mouth to talk, the words tumble forward in gasps and bursts, punctuated by pauses that allow...
The Roma are a traditionally nomadic ethnicity with communities all the way across Europe and beyond. Often misunderstood and mistreated – a topic I won’t go into – they are typically thought to be homogeneous. Language variation is just one...
Are you interested in becoming a medical interpreter? Sign up Now and get started. I recently took an interpretation assignment at a mental health facility. Usually, I think these assignments are challenging and fascinating, so I was excited about this...
Most of us would rather go to the same doctor for medical questions, the same mechanic for car repairs, and the same barber or hair stylist for a trim. The level of trust and personalized knowledge that grows with time...
It’s been years since I’ve interpreted for Elena, but I can still hear her voice in my head. There are patients that just stay with you. Elena was in the hospital for weeks, and she memorized everyone’s names. Everyone’s. Every...
ALTA Qualified Portuguese Interpreter: Breaking Boundaries in Healthcare® alumni Tell us a little bit about the first moment you realized you were bilingual. “I remember I heard a song, and I could understand the meaning without translating it. I used...
In published reports from recent years, the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP) compiled the results of the first stage of a three-year study into the languages of Austronesia. Focusing on five languages used in Taiwan – a state with 14...
Are you interested in becoming a medical interpreter? Sign up Now and get started. A common question from untrained interpreters is: “If I take a medical interpreter training course, can I get hired at a hospital?” The simple answer to...
Today I worked with a patient that I’ve seen a thousand times. As a Spanish interpreter, I work with the same patients a few times a week in the emergency room for dialysis. Many of these patients have no health...
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