Woman standing at whiteboard teaching

Bridging Language Gaps for Law Enforcement

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We recently hosted our second Spanish for Law Enforcement class at the Gallatin Police Department in partnership with our sister agency, the UT Law Enforcement Innovation Center, thanks to funding from the TN Office of Criminal Justice Programs.

This intensive three-day course provided officers with essential Spanish-language skills for real-world situations, including traffic stops, arrests, domestic violence incidents, and medical emergencies. By equipping law enforcement with language skills, we’re enhancing safety, fostering community connections, and ensuring better outcomes in critical situations.

A man wearing headphones sitting in a recording studio

Translating Country Music History

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The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is making history—this time in multiple languages! Known as the “Smithsonian of Country Music,” the Museum partnered with the Tennessee Language Center (TLC) to translate and record its Sing Me Back Home audio tour into French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Chinese.

The exhibition features artifacts, photographs, archival videos, and interactive touchscreens to immerse visitors in the history and sounds of country music. The accompanying audio tour features 50 different “stops” as it walks visitors through a chronology of country music history. TLC’s expert translators meticulously converted the 9,000-word script, tackling challenges like distinguishing between “violão” (acoustic guitar) and “guitarra” (electric guitar) in Portuguese. To ensure accuracy, translators took a behind-the-scenes tour of the exhibit, asking detailed questions to capture the nuances of country music history.

Man with dark hair and beard wearing a black shirt and holding a microphone while standing in front of a presentation screen

TLC Training Specialist President-Elect for TAPIT

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TLC Training Specialist Richard Ponce de Leon has been chosen as President-Elect for the Tennessee Association of Professional Interpreters and Translators (TAPIT). TAPIT members are professional interpreters and translators of written, spoken, and signed languages across the state. TAPIT advocates for interpreters and translators, fosters ethical and professional standards, conducts training and workshops, and promotes communication and discussion about relevant topics.

A young woman stands in front of a classroom whiteboard surrounded by medical imagery

TLC Piloting Medical Interpreting Course at Nashville H.S.

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TLC is partnering with GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), a federally funded college and career readiness program, to offer our Medical Interpreter Training Course to bilingual high school students at Maplewood High School in Nashville.  By participating in this training, students will gain valuable experience and certification, opening doors to career opportunities in healthcare and community services.

 

A photo from the back of the room featuring people sitting at table desks looking at a presentation screen

Maya Language Pilot a Success

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TLC Training Specialist Richard Ponce de Leon and Director of Vanderbilt Interpreter Services Hope Collins recently presented to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Office of Health Equity. The presentation, Expanding Mayan Indigenous Language Resources for Vanderbilt Health, provided a brief description of the two 10-hour interpreter training courses we offered to speakers of indigenous languages in 2024.
The training was supported by Vanderbilt’s Health Equity Innovation Awards (HEIA). HEIA support projects that help improve healthcare for underserved communities.