The Interpreter as Word Detective: An exercise to test the fluency of your languages

By Yvette Citizen, Federally Certified Court Interpreter

Some people think bilinguals are like two monolinguals in one, but the truth is, most bilinguals have a well-developed vocabulary for certain subjects in one language and not in the other.  Monolinguals of course, have an overdeveloped vocabulary in their language because they’ve had to do everything in one language.  For example, you may encounter an Argentine businesswoman who can negotiate business deals fluidly in English (her second language) but not know how to say “diaper, spatula, door-hinge, screwdriver,” and other household words in English because she doesn't need to.  Many immigrants to the United States don’t know how to say “mortgage, handbrake, timecard,” and the like in their mother tongues because they never had cause to use those words in their home countries.  And that’s perfectly fine, unless you’re a professional interpreter, in which case, you will aspire to literally be “two monolinguals in one body.”[1] To that end, we must always be striving to maintain our languages at equal levels.  This is why we must become ‘word detectives’, investigating every term that comes our way and asking ourselves if we have equivalents in all our working languages.  Here’s an exercise that will not take up too much time but will help you expand your vocabulary. Take on the role of a linguistic Sherlock Holmes – cap, pipe, and spyglass are optional. 

[1] For more on bilingualism, I recommend you read the wonderful book by Francois Grosjean, Life with Two Languages, An Introduction to Bilingualism.

EXERCISE:

Go into every room in your house and see if your can name all the items you see in your working languages. If there’s an item you don’t have an equivalent for, investigate it! Look for synonyms, think of similar or related items, and fatten up your glossary. Start sleuthing! In the meantime, see how you do with the following sight translation exercises:

THE KITCHEN

Do you know your utensils? Spices? Appliances? Sight translate the following passages:

A search warrant of the premises revealed numerous kitchen accessories that appeared to be used for the preparation, packaging, and distribution of illicit substances. The following items have been confiscated in conjunction with this case:

• Three funnels
• Forty-two quart-size Ziploc baggies
• Thirty-seven gallon-size freezer bags with zippers
• Scoops, measuring cups, measuring spoons, tongs, spatulas, and mixing bowls, all with traces of a white powdery substance.
• A food scale.

The body was found in a prone position on the kitchen linoleum floor. It appeared the victim was in the midst of preparing a meal when he was attacked. There was a Dutch oven on the stove, as well as a non-stick pan with a pad of butter and a ladle to its side. The victim was clutching a plastic turmeric container in his right hand. It appeared the victim was attacked from behind with a wooden cutting board and a meat tenderizing mallet.

THE BEDROOM

Ok. Now let’s take our sleuthing to the bedroom. Do you have equivalents for bedroom furniture? Translate the following:

• nightstand

• dresser

• vanity

• twin bed

• bunk bed

• bedding

• headboard

• window blinds

• comforter / bed spread

• headboard

• futon

• dust bunny

• ceiling fan

• bedding

How about clothing, hair products, and makeup? And while we’re at it, how about descriptors for people’s appearances? Here’s a little practice for you.

“The assailant reportedly had a pock-marked face, a handle-bar mustache and a goatee. He was wearing a navy and turquoise blue flannel checkered shirt with a rip on the left shoulder area; torn jeans, argyle socks, and moccasins.”

“The witness described the perpetrator as follows: “She had dishwater blonde hair with indigo blue and fuchsia highlights. She wore excessive rouge and fire-engine red lipstick; black eyeliner and her mascara was so thick and gloppy, she had classic tarantula eyes.” (I realize the last one was really a stretch, but I had fun writing it!) 🙂

If you do go through your house as a word detective, let us know how it went – what words stumped you? Do share!

Copyright 2017, 2024: The Confident Interpreter, LLC., Yvette Citizen, and Irene Radillo. All Rights Reserved.

Originally posted in 2018.

If you are interested in exploring a career in interpreting…

Thinking of becoming an interpreter? As you explore your options and come up with your plan, here is some information to help you navigate the waters of interpreter certification: Interpreter Certification Resources.

And don’t forget to check out Irene’s interview on KZYX Mendocino to hear about going from bilingual to professional translator or interpreter!

Free Glossary: Medication Delivery Methods

By Irene Radillo

By popular demand, this English/Spanish downloadable document explaining most of the ways drugs are medically administered, is being offered to you for study. We hope it’s helpful as you gain further knowledge in your chosen field of work. Check back for more shared documents, or to share any of your own (respecting copyright, of course)!

THANKSGIVING CHALLENGE: Sight Translation of Police Report

By Yvette Citizen, FCCI

Here’s a little sight translation to get into the spirit of Thanksgiving.  Pull out your audio recorder, phone, or tablet and record yourself sight translating the police report below into a non-English language. Remember, standard procedure is to spend two or three minutes reviewing the document before rendering it to prepare your brain for the linguistic challenge.  When you listen to your rendition, listen for content – did you get all the concepts? Does it sound identical to the original? How about your style – was it a smooth delivery?  Did you have many pauses?  Did you add “ums” or “uhs”? Did you sound confident and professional?  And how did you handle the tricky terms? Did you freeze or did you come up with an on-the-spot solution?

PRACTICE, LEARN, AND HAVE FUN!!!

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POLICE REPORT: THANKSGIVING DAY DV ALTERCATION 

On November 28, 2019, our unit responded to a call at 2245 W. Doomed Turkey Lane regarding a domestic disturbance.  Upon arrival, Officer Pavofeo and I heard loud voices coming from inside the dwelling. Before we approached the front door, a woman who appeared to be middle aged came running out.  She appeared to be agitated – she was speaking loudly and rapidly and was flinging her arms about as she ran toward us.  She was uttering things like, “Thank God you’re here!  They’re going to kill each other! They’re out of control.” The woman identified herself as Griselda Gobble.  Officer Pavofeo asked Ms. Gobble a series of questions and after ascertaining there were no firearms or other weapons in the house and getting a general idea of the situation, and how many people were in the house, we entered the dwelling.  We identified ourselves, and spoke in a calm, non-threatening manner in order to de-escalate the situation. Upon entering, we immediately observed a woman with the left side of her face and left shoulder covered with what appeared to be blood. The woman was later identified as Pamela Groundbird, 36, and the paramedics subsequently determined the red substance was in fact cranberry sauce. She was yelling at a man who had a brown thick liquid substance running down his face, later determined to be gravy. The man was later identified as Paul Poultryman. [233 word mark]

The woman screamed, “You narrow minded, ignorant jerk! It’s people like you are that are destroying this country!” The man retorted with, “You get your sorry flexitarian ass out of my house!” Officer Pavofeo and I separated the man and the woman by taking them to separate rooms. Paramedics and back-up were called. After interviewing all the people in the household, it appears the events were as follows.  Ms. Gobbler miscalculated by about three hours the length of oven time the 18.3 pound turkey needed to be fully cooked.  In the meantime, the family members proceeded to consume mixed alcoholic beverages, to wit, rum and cokes, Red Bull and vodka, strawberry wine, in addition to beer. Ms. Gobble stated that at some point in the evening, after the parties were apparently inebriated, the conversation turned into the recent political events, namely, the impeachment hearings.  It seems Ms. Groundbird and Mr. Poultryman have opposing political ideologies and, according to Ms. Gobble, most of the time it is not a problem due to a mutual pact to not discuss politics – a pact which was broken this evening. According to Ms. Gobble, Ms. Groundbird at one point in the discussion picked up a gravy boat and dumped the gravy inside it on Mr. Poultryman who retaliated by dumping a ramekin with cranberry sauce onto her.  Mr. Poultryman and Ms. Groundbird were transferred to the station in separate squad cars.  They were detained for several hours in different cells, processed, and released. They were each charged with misdemeanor offenses and a court hearing was set for December 6. (498 words)

Copyright: Yvette Citizen and Irene Radillo. November 2019. 

Keepin’ It Fresh! (by Irene Radillo, FCCI)

Talking about our native tongues, here.

Much has been said, written and discussed about this topic, and it is particularly interesting to those of us who find ourselves in the same position as the author whose article I share at the end: long-term immigrants to an English-speaking country. Think of the overall impact being surrounded by the English language has on our fluency and breadth of vocabulary, especially if everyone in your household prefers English: it becomes our default language, our go-to language for everyday things. Please read on!

Many of us acquired our computer skills and professional language here, and not in our native country, for example. So being as eloquent in that language may be less easy the longer we stay here. Please read on! I’ll share with you some ways I’ve challenged myself to “live” more Spanish. It’s been amusing but frustrating at times.

1. I always pick “press X for Spanish” whenever calling customer service. When I’ve heard the CSR struggle, I offer to switch to English and they usually sound relieved, but others have told me they MUST speak in Spanish when on the phone, so we muddle along. Sometimes their Spanish is less than ideal, sometimes it’s me being stumped on a term. Banking, in particular, is something I’ve only done here in the United States as an adult, so it’s not as smooth as it’d be in English.

2. I’ve switched my cell-phone and computer interface language to Spanish, and that has proven very challenging. For both, I eventually switch back to English. If I were to keep it in Spanish, I’m sure I’d be less frustrated, but for now I switch back and forth.

3. I choose the Spanish audio option for any show I can, and keep it that way unless I feel the dubbing has been done inartfully.

4. When watching a movie in a language I don’t speak, I choose subtitles in Spanish.

5. Whenever possible, I text in Spanish (siblings, colleagues, friends), even if they are fully bilingual. Texts from my sibs in Mexico help me keep abreast of slang and neologisms that postdate my departure from the country (ie, godinismo, godinear).

6. Spanish-language podcasts (Radio Ambulante, Algarabia, BBC and tons of others) and some radio programs (Radio Educación from Mexico).

7. Choosing opening pages on my browser from various news sources in Spanish. I make sure to read some headlines and articles before navigating away.

One last thing to consider is that there is the Spanish (or other language) spoken HERE, and then its counterpart in the country of origin. Frequently, they differ in interesting ways. You can sometimes tell when that non-English article has been written by a person who lives here in the US. So it´s good to find articles written in the foreign country itself.

There are of course other ways to stay connected with your living, ever-changing native language. Other examples that don’t work for me, for example, are telenovelas and local Spanish radio stations.

Find the article below. I hope you’ll share other ideas you’ve put into practice, and tell us of the results.

Let’s Welcome Spring with Some Terminology Practice

by Irene Radillo, FCCI

Spring arrived and then decided to disappear on us in Northern California… but I have faith it’ll return soon! So… yes, Spring is here, and many of you are practicing and studying for various certification exams: so exciting! We support your commitment, so read on!

We have 2 goals today: to share some interesting phrases  which could prove challenging (heard recently in a trial), and to offer you something extra. 

Listening in at trials even when interpretation is not required is great, because there is always something to learn. So, we at The Confident Interpreter are offering you this worksheet containing a list of phrases and terms to consider.  Maybe you know them already, maybe you need to look them up. Give it a whirl. The term or phrase in question is italicized, but make sure to provide the whole phrase in your translation, because context will help you make sense of it and remember it. Did you get them all, were any of them tough? Could you think of more than one equivalent? Now, if you’ve been thinking of purchasing one of our packets for practice  and have answered ALL of these, send them back to us with your researched equivalents (must include source, even if it is YOU),, and we will write you back with a 10% discount code you can use on any of our products. All languages welcome (make sure to indicate your language, in case we might not recognize it!).

Thanks for participating, and we really look forward to your emailed submissions at: theconfidentinterpreter@gmail.com

Crime Logs Offer Great Terminology

by Irene Radillo, FCCI

Do you freak out when you read your local police log? Might as well see the bright side, and use it to get familiar with terms you may run into in court!So open you local paper (OK, online is fine too) and preview lots of useful vocabulary. Here are some examples from my local paper just today:

incident ♦ responded to ♦ dispatched to the address ♦ setting of booby-traps ♦ initiate investigation ♦ 1400 block of Cinder Road ♦ arrested pursuant to CA-PC 647f (public intoxication) ♦ disorderly conduct ♦ vandalism ♦ illegal camping ♦ missing person investigation ♦ suspicious activity ♦ responding to a disturbance ♦ suspicious person ♦ theft investigation ♦ fraud investigation ♦ arrested following high-speed pursuit ♦ starting a brushfire ♦ arson ♦ resisting an officer ♦ reports of threats ♦ report of unwanted subject ♦ loitering ♦ harassment ♦ false imprisonment ♦ illegal dumping ♦ kidnapping ♦ burglary ♦ conspiracy to commit a crime ♦ spousal battery ♦ shoplifting ♦ relieving himself in public.

Were you able to give a correct equivalent for each of these in your language? Start a list! Research! Challenge your friends! As you do these things, you’ll even start absorbing the Code Violation numbers without realizing it (Penal Code, Health and Safety Code, Vehicle Code, Family Code, etc). And as always, have fun… And feel free to share some with other readers, because we all love linguisitic challenges, right?

The Interpreter as Word Detective

By Yvette Citizen, FCCI

As interpreters, we must always strive to maintain our languages at equal levels. This is why we must become ‘word detectives’, investigating every term that comes our way and asking ourselves if we have equivalents in all our working languages. Here’s an exercise that will not take up too much time out of your busy life but will help you expand your vocabulary. Take on the role of a linguistic Sherlock Holmes – cap, pipe, and spyglass are optional.

EXERCISE: Go into every room in your house and see if your can name all the items you see in your working languages. If there’s an item you don’t have an equivalent for, investigate it! Look for synonyms, think of similar or related items, and fatten up your glossary. Start sleuthing! In the meantime, see how you do with the following sight translation exercises:

KITCHEN: Do you know your utensils? Spices? Appliances? Sight translate the following passages:

A search warrant of the premises revealed numerous kitchen accessories that appeared to be used for the preparation, packaging, and distribution of illicit substances. The following items have been confiscated in conjunction with this case:

• Three funnels
• Forty-two quart-size Ziploc baggies
• Thirty-seven gallon-size freezer bags with zippers
• Scoops, measuring cups, measuring spoons, tongs, spatulas, and mixing bowls, all with traces of a white powdery substance.
• A food scale.

The body was found in a prone position on the kitchen linoleum floor. It appeared the victim was in the midst of preparing a meal when he was attacked. There was a Dutch oven on the stove, as well as a non-stick pan with a pad of butter and a ladle to its side. The victim was clutching a plastic turmeric container in his right hand. It appeared the victim was attacked from behind with a wooden cutting board and a meat tenderizing mallet.

Ok. Now let’s take our sleuthing to the bedroom. Do you have equivalents for bedroom furniture? Translate the following:

• night stand

• dresser

• vanity

• twin-bed

• bunk-bed

• bedding

• window blinds

• comforter

• headboard

• futon

• dust-bunny

• ceiling fan

How about clothing, hair products, and make-up? And while we’re at it, how about descriptors for people’s appearances? Here’s a little practice for you.

III. “The assailant reportedly had a pock-marked face, a handle-bar mustache and a goatee. He was wearing a navy and turquoise blue flannel checkered shirt with a rip on the left shoulder area; torn jeans, argyle socks, and moccasins.”

IV. “The witness described the perpetrator as follows: “She had dishwater blonde hair with indigo blue and fuchsia highlights. She wore excessive rouge and fire-engine red lipstick; thick eyeliner and her mascara was so thick and gloppy, her eyes looked spidery.” (I realize the last one was really a stretch, but I had fun writing it.) 🙂

If you do go through your house as a word detective, let us know how it went – what words stumped you? Do share!

Simultaneous Interpretation: A Guide for Self-Study

by Yvette Citizen, FCCI

Many of you are either aspiring interpreters in need of training, or practicing interpreters who need to hone their skills in order to pass a certification exam. To that end, The Confident Interpreter has prepared a brief guide to help you in your self-study program. Here are a few tips to a good self-guided practice:

FIND GOOD PRACTICE MATERIAL. Here I will shamelessly promote the excellent training material we offer at The Confident Interpreter. But I will add that there’s also some good stuff out there not created by us, like the material from ACEBO and the National Center for Interpretation, University of Arizona. You can also use more general but free material from the internet, like TED talks (ted.com). If possible, try to get material for which there is a written script.

EVALUATE YOUR SKILLS. Record your rendition as you interpret simultaneously. Then listen to yourself objectively—emphasis on objectively. Focus on your strengths as well as your weaknesses; oftentimes, we pay too much attention to our deficiencies and ignore our strengths. Be patient (and nice) to yourself. Below is a checklist for you to use to see how you are doing.

CHECKLIST 1: CONTENT ANALYSIS.

First and foremost, are you getting all the messages across? Remember, we don’t interpret words; we interpret concepts or units of meaning. When you listen to your recorded rendition, read the script as you listen along. Are there gaps? Are you finishing your sentences? Are you getting the correct message across or are you distorting the message somehow? Are you by chance adding information that was not provided in the original message (e.g., over explaining)?

1. Were there any gaps in my rendition?

2. Did I finish my sentences? Or did I leave the listener hanging?

3. Omissions: What kind of omissions did I have? [example: adjectives, adverbs, names, the middle parts of sentences, etc.]

4. Distortions: What types of distortions? [example: 25 kilograms became 35 kilograms; or the blue car became a red car, etc.]

5. Additions: Did I add anything that wasn’t’ said in the original? [example: explaining a concept when an explanation wasn’t provided in the original; adding synonyms; adding concepts, repeating prior information, etc.]

6. What terms or concepts gave me difficulty? [example: legal terms, “big” words – tendentious, propinquity, … slang words – sick, bling, hack… ]

7. Resourcefulness. How resourceful was I when I couldn’t come up with the precise term? Was I able to define or describe the term using other words? Or did I just go blank? [example: the original speaker said “scalpel” and you said, “a surgical instrument” or otherwise described it]

Ideally, you want to use the precise term, but it’s important to be resourceful on those occasions when you get stuck – and you willget stuck at one point or another.

CHECKLIST 2: STYLE AND DELIVERY.

Now that you’ve evaluated your rendition for content, let’s look at your delivery.

1. Were there a lot of uh, uh, um, um’s in my rendition or other type of utterances indicating hesitation?

2. Did my voice sound confident?

3. Pace: Was my delivery rendered at a nice pace or was I interpreting so fast, it was difficult to understand? Did my pace speed up then slow down dramatically?

4. Slurring: Did I enunciate properly? Or did I slur my words making it difficult for the speaker to know what I was saying? If you find that you’re slurring a lot, try practicing tongue twisters in all your working languages.

5. Monotone: Was my voice monotonous? Could I listen to my voice for a long period of time?

6. Did I remember to breathe or did I wait until I was completely out of breath and straining my vocal cords before taking a breath?

SET A COURSE OF ACTION. Now that you know where you are, you can set a course for where you want to be. Focus on one issue that you want to work on and work on it for a week or at least several days then, choose another aspect that you would like to improve on and focus on that for a few days and so on. Set little goals and practice every day even if it’s only for 10 or 15 minutes.

GLOSSARY BUILDING. This is a great time to build up your glossary. Note every word or concept that causes you to stumble; research it, find an equivalent or equivalents you like, and note them in your glossary. There are many ways to keep a glossary. If you don’t already have a system, you can use a simple word table like an Excel spreadsheet with column headings like the suggestion below.

Term in original language | Translation | Comments or context in which you heard it

Most interpreters are self-taught. Even those who had formal training continue to work on their skills on their own time. Be patient with yourself – some of you are way too hard on yourselves. Set realistic goals and truck on—you can do this!