Interpreters club brings new opportunities
Liaison and Club Sponsor Yolanda Blake addresses senior Brandon Murillo and senior Dalili Clegel-Sosa. Blake quizzed Clegel-Sosa on the differences between a translator and an interpreter as she educated Clegel-Sosa about the conditions of the club. “I had already done some research so it was just was just kind of remembering some certain things… I’ve always had to [interpret] for my mom because she doesn’t know English. I think it’s just a neat way of helping others to be able to communicate with others who don’t speak their language… It really interests me,” Clegel-Sosa said.
¿Quieres aprender más inglés y ayudar a otras personas también? A new club has begun. The Interpreters Club, sponsored by Yolanda Blake, focuses on developing interpretation skills in bilingual students along with teaching the value of community service through interpretation, whether in the school environment, the medical field, the courtroom or wherever language skills can aid people who do not possess them.
“If you are a student with a second language and you would like to be a helper in the community, you can develop the language skills for communication and then interpret for other families that need help. It’s good for your personal communication skills. It’s good to put together some volunteering hours and it gives you a sense of being a useful person,” Blake said.
Senior Noor Albu-Hamzah moved here from Iraq when she was 13. She aspires to be a doctor with a degree in interpretation of Arabic to aid her in the medical field.
“I joined because I feel like you would experience more when it comes to your mother language…you test yourself without knowing that you’re testing yourself…it expands what you know and you meet people from your culture and speak the same language and you’re trying to help them,” Albu-Hamzah said. Albu-Hamzah understands the sacrifice required for helping others.
“[In] my free time, I would use up to three hours [and] go to school parent-teacher conferences and help families who don’t speak English to understand what their kids are doing and how well they’re doing and I think it’s worth it,” Albu-Hamzah said.
Through this club we encourage them… to keep customs. We encourage them to show their roots, to be proud of their heritage, that they should not be ashamed of what they’re bringing with them. They have this feeling of being proud of who they are because they truly should consider that having second language or being bilingual is a gift — Yolanda Blake
Senior Sonia Matute is a member of the Interpreters Club, looking to go on to be a medical interpreter and maybe legal interpreter as well. Coming from Honduras, she has been in the states for six years. Matute found her motivation to interpret in her mother.
“I want to help the community. I know my mom doesn’t know English and…it’s hard for her sometimes but she goes to meeting and things like that, so I wanted to help other people as well as my mom,” Matute said. She sees the necessity for translators in our area.
“We need a lot of help, like our community needs a lot of help. If you were here in school and their [parents] didn’t go to school, we’re supposed to help them.They need our help,” Matute said.
The Interpreters Club is not exclusive to one language; Kurdish speakers, Spanish speakers, Ukrainian speakers, and anyone else can join this club. Interpretation techniques and English vocabulary are being taught, regardless of an individual’s language. The club also stresses the importance and value of a bicultural integration.
“Through this club we encourage them… to keep customs. We encourage them to show their roots, to be proud of their heritage, that they should not be ashamed of what they’re bringing with them. They have this feeling of being proud of who they are because they truly should consider that having second language or being bilingual is a gift,” Blake said. “[Members are] taking the best of the culture you are bringing with you and taking the best of the culture you are adopting and making the best of both worlds.”
The group performs a series of activities to establish their interpretation skills through activities from role playing to racing games. School vocabulary is also reviewed to more so grasp hold of educational surroundings. Matute benefits from the activities and games of the club.
“We act like the one doesn’t know Spanish and the other one doesn’t know English and…we try to explain with the other person is saying, just interpreting,” Matute said. “They actually know english, so if we say something wrong they correct us and later we know.” “ It’s just something you should be proud of. — Noor Albu-Hamzah
Blake has been a certified medical interpreter for fifteen years, only five years after moving from Argentina.
“As an interpreter, I feel like you learn to be a useful person and you learn to respect those that need help…I was a person in need at one time. I needed an interpreter at one time,” Blake said.
The unofficial training offered by the club is based on the official course taught at James Madison University (JMU). Learning these skills and techniques at both HHS and JMU begins an individual on the path to a career as an interpreter. It is the goal of the club to raise enough money per year to have at least one student go on to take this course free of charge. This student must show commitment to the program and training, along with desire to serve to the community. Applications are required for the sponsorship.
The Interpretation Club meets during ELT times and club times. All participants are expected to engage in fundraising activities.
