Welcome All!
Thank you for visiting this blog. I know that there are thousands of blogs out there, so I am honored that you have come to mine.
Who Am I and Why am I Blogging?
My name is Aquillia. I have been a Spanish interpreter for the last 14 or so years. I received my certificate in interpreting and translation from the University of Minnesota. I am a certified court interpreter in New York, and I am also a licensed trainer of The Community Interpreter International©.
I Love Interpreting
Honestly, I just like talking; I couldn’t talk enough in English, so I learned a few other languages so that I could talk to more people. I have worked as a staff interpreter, an OPI interpreter, a court interpreter, and now I am the owner of a language company. I like the Idea of blogging because I am an avid listener of blogs, so I decided to add my two cents.
What It’s All About?
This blog is about interpreting, and it is for interpreters of all languages. I hope to also add some insights about translating as my education in the field increases. In my career, I have been fortunate enough to find several tribes of interpreters who are dedicated to interpreter education and the professionalization of interpreting. I am all about interpreters gaining more respect, and that comes with experience and education.
What is Your Tribe?
There are several tribes of interpreters. There are interpreters who are happy with contract jobs here and there, and they may not see the need to invest in education. There are other interpreters who have Master’s degrees in Interpreting and Translation from their perspective countries; these interpreters have invested in their careers, and they believe that higher education in the field is essential.
No one can externally see the difference between an untrained interpreter and an educated one, and since we are all working in the field, it is wise for us to unite, at least, on the belief that some type of education is necessary in order to work as a professional interpreter. My goal in this blog is to stress the importance of unity and education in the field of interpreting.
Yeah… About This Blog
Whether you are a novice or seasoned interpreter, I would be honored if you would read my blog. Be warned: some of what I say will be backed with studies/science, but most of what I blog about will come from my experience and opinion. Apart from that, I will not blog everyday, but I hope to write every month.
The first resource that I wanted to share is this PDF English/Spanish Medical Dictionary offered by the California Office of Binational Border Health. Even though this resource is language specific, the English vocabulary can still be helpful for you if you speak another language. One of the biggest challenges with medical vocabulary is knowing what words to anticipate, so this pdf document provides base terminology in that regard.
I hope that this is the first of several valuable resources that I can provide. It’s a pleasure to meet/work with all of you.
Your colleague,
Aquillia Alowonle
ANA Professional Language Services, LLC