TLC News

Language tells the story of a community—and Dr. Rebecca Todd Garvin is helping uncover those stories on an international stage.

As a research associate with the Tennessee Language Center and assistant professor at UT Southern, Dr. Todd Garvin recently presented two linguistic landscape research projects at the prestigious LL17 Linguistic Landscape Workshop in Ireland. TLC is proud to partner with UT Southern on research exploring how language in public spaces reflects communities, culture, and collaboration.

Congratulations to the 35 participants in our June Court Interpreter Workshop!

This cohort includes interpreters working in Haitian Creole, Arabic, and Hindi/Gujarati—highlighting the growing linguistic diversity of our communities and the critical role interpreters play in ensuring access to justice.

We're excited to see such strong interest in serving our court system and helping bridge communication gaps in legal settings.

Congratulations to the 8 interpreters who recently completed the Tennessee Language Center’s Medical Interpretation Training Course (MITC)!

This cohort included interpreters working in Spanish-English and one Pohnpeian interpreter, a rare Micronesian language. By strengthening interpreting skills across languages, these professionals help ensure patients can access quality care when communication matters most.

Congratulations to our most recent graduates of our Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) course! 

Tennessee Language Center interpreters Gabriela Bohorquez and David Morales provided live simultaneous Spanish interpretation for the recent State of Metro address by Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell. Delivering real-time interpretation at this level requires precision, training, and experience—and we’re proud to help ensure Spanish-speaking residents can fully engage with their city. More than 23K viewers tuned into the stream of the Spanish broadcast.

Jenny Rish, Director of English Programs, and Erin Keafer, Assistant Director, recently represented TLC at the TESOL 2026 International Convention & Expo in Salt Lake City.

Dr. C. Brian Barnett, Director of World Languages at TLC, was in Washington, D.C. last week advocating for language education as part of the three-member Tennessee delegation at JNCL-NCLIS Language Advocacy Days. 

Law enforcement officers in Bristol recently completed the Tennessee Language Center’s Spanish for Law Enforcement training—a hands-on course built specifically for real-world policing situations. Offered in partnership with the Law Enforcement Innovation Center, the class equips officers with practical Spanish vocabulary and communication strategies they can immediately apply during traffic stops, interviews, emergencies, and de-escalation efforts.