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TLC Translates Documents for Special Census

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TLC translated documents for a special census for the city of Smyrna, TN, into Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese so that residents who speak those languages can fully participate. If the city population has grown as much as city leaders estimate, it could mean an additional $500k a year in shared state revenue for the city.

“Eileen and her team at the Tennessee Language Center have been fabulous to work with for our upcoming special census project requiring the translation of various forms,” says Amber Hobbs with the City of Smyrna. “From initial contact, through correspondence, and up to the delivery of the translated materials, working with the Tennessee Language Center has been a seamless process!”

This project is being funded by the Language Collaborative for Municipal Officials (LCMO) partnership with the Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS).

Young woman at podium presenting

TLC Holds Interactive Presentation for TN Clerks and Recorders Conference

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Jenny Rish, Director of English Programs, and Irma Hernandez, Spanish Bilingual Admin Coordinator, held an interactive presentation for the Tennessee Association of Municipal Clerks and Recorders (TAMCAR) on Thursday, June 3, about “The Basics for Communicating with All of Your Residents.” TAMCAR is a professional organization dedicated to the advancement of the municipal clerk and encourages clerks and recorders to continue their professional growth and development through continuing educational opportunities. TLC helped participants think through interactions they have had with people from other cultures who speak other languages and provided some basic phrases in Spanish to help with their work.

Two TLC employees at the Conference

Municipal Court Clerks in TN Learn about Importance of Accurate Interpreting

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Some translation mistakes can have a lasting, if mostly harmless, impact. Like early Biblical translators thinking Moses was “horned” instead of “radiant,” leading to some really interesting sculptures, statues, and illuminations of Moses with horns on his head. Or people thinking that Mars had manmade “canals” on it instead of erosion-created “channels” due to a translation error. But other translation mistakes can have lifelong, or even deadly, consequences, as Richard Ponce-de-Leon Monosalva, Interpretation & Translation Project Manager, illustrated during his presentation “Language Access in the Courts” at a recent MTAS Conference for Municipal Court Clerks from across Tennessee on May 21.

TLC provides certified court interpreters, and also offers training for court interpretation throughout the year.