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

Ponce de Leon Named Director of ITS

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TLC is pleased to announce our new Director of Interpretation and Translation Services (ITS) – Richard Ponce-de-Leon.
Richard joined TLC in 2019 as a project manager for ITS and most recently served as a training specialist. In that role, he coordinated several key programs, including our Medical Interpreter Training Course, Court Interpreter Workshop, Spanish for Medical Personnel program, and Spanish Toolkit program.
He earned a B.A. in Linguistics from the Catholic University of Peru and later completed a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Tennessee. Richard is a certified public manager, a certified Spanish court interpreter in the State of Tennessee, and currently serves as the president-elect of the Tennessee Association of Professional Interpreters and Translators.
Congratulations, Richard!
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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.

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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.

 

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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.

Tennessee Language Center Names Eric Amos Executive Director

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Eric Amos has been named Executive Director of the Tennessee Language Center. He has been serving as the Interim Executive Director since December 2023.

Eric joined TLC in 2018 as an Interpretation Senior Project Coordinator and was named Director of Interpretation and Translation in 2022. He has served as interim Executive Director since December 2023.

Eric received his Bachelor of Science in Intercultural Studies from Liberty University and his Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies from Southeastern College. Eric lived in China for almost three years and loves to interact with and explore different cultures and languages.

TLC Teacher Finalist for Louisiana Teacher of the Year

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TLC Teacher Joy Stalnaker is one of the nine finalists for the 2024 Teacher of the Year in Louisiana, where she teaches at the Myrtle Place Elementary School in LaFayette Parish. Joy also teaches French online for TLC.

TLC Attends Adult Education Summit

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TLC Assistant Director of English Programs Erin Keafer represented and promoted TLC at the Nashville Public Library’s Adult Education Summit. The Summit offers Nashville’s adult education providers the opportunity to engage in discussion and strategy-building around the issues most pressing to our community.

TLC Provides Simultaneous Interpretation for Nashville Mayor’s Speech

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TLC partnered with Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell to provide simultaneous interpretation of his first State of Metro speech earlier this month. The speech was available in Spanish and Arabic through TLC as well as ASL. This was the first time that a Nashville Mayor has provided spoken interpretation for a speech.

In addition to providing the simultaneous, live interpretation of Mayor O’Connell’s State of Metro speech in Spanish and Arabic, TLC also did the voiceover for the recording of the speech.