El Sentinel, a Spanish language newspaper of Florida, recently published an article regarding mother and daughter businesses.  Emma and I were interviewed for this article published in May over Mother’s Day week-end.  Click here to see the short article:

  http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/photo.php?pid=4507609&id=6383467915&ref=mf

“When Carla Fisher and her husband announced plans to travel the globe with their adolescent daughters for a year, some friends called them crazy. Seven years later, with wonderful memories and a book documenting their world trek, the Fishers now seem like global trailblazers.

Despite a recession that may have limited the number of U.S. students traveling abroad in exchange programs, some parents are going out of their way to make sure their children have extended international experiences.

“It’s really encouraging to hear that there are a lot of other people who want to educate their kids in that manner,” said Fisher, an environmental biologist in suburban Houston.

Some parents are trying to raise enlightened “world citizens,” young Americans who aren’t caught up in the race to acquire more stuff. Others want to give their children the skills they’ll need to compete globally…”

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=9442554

Maria Constanza traveled to New York City for the 50th annual American Translators Association which proved to be one of the largest gathering of linguists and language service providers (LSPs) yet. Approximately 2,400 attendees gathered over four days at the Marriott Marquis to meet and greet colleagues as well as learn about the advances in the profession.  It was a fitting tribute to the Association which was born in NYC.

This year the Conference offered over 150 sessions related to the language services industry. I particularly enjoyed Ewardo Magalhaes’  Unlocking the Booth: Interpreter Secrets and Tactics Revealed. Ewardo’s wonderful, humorous presentation addressed many topics relating to conference interpreting, including what to do when you freeze mid-sentence. Yes, this does happen, even to the most seasoned interpreters! Another informative session, Translating for the U.S. Hispanic Markets discussed the imporatance of considering “U.S. Spanish” as a geovariance of Spanish due to the fact that there are Spanish speakers from so many countries residing in the U.S. and in essence it is a second language evolving in a new environment. Certainly food for thought.

All in all, there were interesting, thought-provoking sessions from which I learned. However, the best part of the conference was the people; I had the chance to meet and spend time with terrific linguists, several of whom I know will be friends for years to come. Next year’s conference will be held in Seattle; looking forward to it already!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Competence in speaking a foreign language is increasingly important today.  Globalization means that individuals who speak more than one language have a distinct advantage over those who don’t; professionally, it is often a decisive factor in long-term career prospects. On a personal level, with so many possibilities to travel around the globe, communication with locals is often the key to a wonderful and memorable trip. The rewards of speaking another language are endless! To be aware of other cultures, people and their form of communication, is truly among the most interesting and magical experiences life has to offer.

Overcoming communication barriers is becoming a necessity in order to do business around the world. Trust MultiLingua to handle your translation or interpreting needs with great care and attention to detail. We provide trained translators and interpreters sensitive to cultural differences and proper protocol. For interpretation services, we provide the latest in equipment such as sound-proof booths and headsets.