TLC Welcomes New Assistant Director of World Languages

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TLC is very pleased to announce we have a new Assistant Director of World Languages, Mauricio Lopera.

Mauricio has a degree in Teaching English and Spanish from Luis Amigó Catholic University and a TESOL certification from Arizona State University. He has been a language instructor for more than 16 years – including teaching Spanish for TLC. He also recently coordinated a language program in Colombia that was overseen by the U.S. Department of State through the U.S. embassy in Bogota.

Welcome Mauricio!

TLC and Second Harvest Partnership Featured in Podcast

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The Tennessee Language Center and Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee partnered to provide Spanish language classes for Second Harvest staff, volunteers, and partners. Hear more about it on the latest episode of In Touch with Tennessee, “Bridging Language Barriers in Community Service.” Listen.

TLC Helping Metro Nashville with Language Access Plans

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TLC is collaborating with the Metro (Nashville) Human Relations Commission on language access plans. Language Access Plans are policy documents required by Title VI that contain information on the LEP individuals served by an organization, and they are composed basically of a Language Needs Assessment (Four-Factor Analysis), a Notice of Language Access Services, a guide on how to request services and other related information. TLC has delivered a brand-new language access plan for the Metro Arts Commission and updated and added statistical information to the language access plan for the Metro Office for Family Safety.

TLC Hosts High School Students

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TLC hosted the Spanish 3 students from Renaissance High School in Franklin, TN. The students were on a field trip to explore language career opportunities. The 16 students were divided into small groups and met with Translation Project Manager Eileen Bernstein to talk about translation jobs and Spanish Bilingual Administrative Coordinator Irma Hernandez about the work she does with students studying English. Training Specialist Richard Ponce de Leon had them role-play as interpreters and clients, and they got to create a short video about studying Spanish with Director of Marketing & Communications Missy Pankake. The goal was to expose them to different career opportunities using their language skills.

TLC Offers Onsite English Classes for Companies in Middle Tennessee

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TLC has signed a contract with Trew Industrial Wheel Inc. of Nashville, TN, to provide 60 hours of English instruction to 12 employees with limited English proficiency. Trew manufactures heavy-duty caster and drive wheels for the automotive, chemical, robotics, construction, and material handling industries.

We have also signed a contract with Ultimate Linings in Lebanon, TN, to provide 30 hours of English instruction to 12 employees with limited English proficiency. Ultimate Linings manufactures protective coatings for the robotic, industrial, and manufacturing industries.

TLC Receives $7,500 Grant

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The Tennessee Language Center received a $7,500 grant from the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. The grant will be used to fund hiring graduates of TLC’s Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) course to teach English for TLC.

Gavel resting on a desk with a book and balance in the background to illustrate our Court Interpreter Workshop

Congratulations to the Fall Court Interpreter Graduates

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21 students completed TLC’s November Court Interpreter Workshop which qualifies them to register with the TN Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) as interpreters. Most of the students were fluent in English and Spanish, but there were two who were fluent in English and Kurdish who completed the course.

Fall MITC Students Graduate

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: The Fall cohort of TLC’s MITC program recently completed the 70-hour, 18-week course. 12 people completed MITC, including a high school student and a participant from Argentina. 11 are Spanish speakers and 1 speaks Arabic. 7 counties were represented. TLC’s program prepares students to take the test to become certified medical interpreters through either the CCHI or the NBCMI, the two organizations that certify medical interpreters in the U.S.

Fall TESL Students Graduate

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Congratulations to our newest Teach English as a Second Language (TESL) program graduates! Four students completed TLC’s Fall TESL program. It was the 64th cohort to graduate.

TLC Executive Director Announces Retirement; New Interim Director Named

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Dr. Janice Snow Rodriguez, the Executive Director of the Tennessee Language Center (TLC), has announced her retirement, effective February 1, 2024. Eric Amos, currently Director of TLC’s Interpretation and Translation Services (ITS), has been named Interim Executive Director, a position he will assume on Dec. 1, 2023.

Dr. Rodriguez joined TLC (formerly the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute) in 1999 and has been the executive director for 22 years. She leaves a legacy of substantial contributions, notably the introduction of a certification program for court interpreters in Tennessee, which gained state adoption.

Dr. Rodriguez’s career at TLC included extensive community involvement across various boards, including the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Committee, the Metro Nashville Police Department’s El Protector Program, and the Metro Nashville Human Relations Commission. Additional boards on which Dr. Rodriguez has served include the Japan-America Society of Tennessee, the College of Public Service Board of Advisors at Tennessee State University (TSU), Sister Cities Nashville, and the International Education Advisory Board at TSU.

Staff headshot of Eric AmosHer efforts have earned multiple accolades, including the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Bridges Award and recognition from TSU as an Outstanding Doctoral Alumna. Under her guidance, TLC and its precursor, the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute, garnered significant honors, including the Nashville Business Journal’s Leaders in Diversity and Best Places to Work awards, and a Level Two Baldrige National Quality Award from the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence.

Amos, the new Interim Executive Director, joined TLC as a project manager for Interpretation and Translation Services in 2018. He was named interim director of ITS in November 2022 and was named director of ITS in June 2023. His recent receipt of the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service’s Pinnacle Award underscores his commitment to excellence. He has both bachelor‘s and master’s degrees in Intercultural Studies.

As we navigate this transition, TLC remains committed to our mission of fostering language and cultural understanding in Tennessee and beyond.