Mi Viaje a México (My Trip to Mexico)

        As part of my independent component, I went to Mexico for two days with a group from my church. We were at an orphanage in Ensenada hanging out with the kids. We also made them food and taught them how to clean their kitchen. The trip fit perfectly with my component because I got to speak a lot of Spanish and experience the culture of Mexico as well. The majority of the people on the trip spoke Spanish, and I was proud of myself for being able to understand most of what they said to each other and for being able to respond to them. None of the kids at the orphanage spoke any English, so I got to talk to them too. And I even interpreted for my brother and a non-spanish speaking friend! That was one of my favorite parts of the trip. I felt like I was actually able to experience for a tiny second what interpreting is like. A significant portion of the cultural aspect came in the form of the food we ate. I have Mexican food all the time but it was really cool to eat a taco in the actual birthplace of tacos. I also found crossing the border quite fascinating. It was the first time in my memory that I have crossed an international border by car (usually I'm in a plane). Going into Mexico, there was no line and they didn't check at all for any kind of identification from anyone. Some random cars were searched, but that was it. However on the way back, we sat in a two-hour line to get to the window at the border (there were 26 open windows and it was still taking forever), where each of our passports, or birth certificates in the case of my brother and me, were looked over and verified with their respective owners. Then we were asked 20 questions about why we were in Mexico, where we were going, what we were bringing back, etc. No wonder the line had moved so slowly. I'm so glad I was able to go and get my IC Spanish hours finished up but also bring smiles to the kids' faces in the process. Unfortunately I was only able to get pictures at the actual orphanage and none of the city of Ensenada.

The kids loved soccer

This the main gathering area at the orphanage

Not a good picture of me, but it proves I was there!
I was the group photographer, which explains the lack of pictures with me in them

They had a little playground

Here are some team members making lunch for the kids

Craft time

Blog 18: Fourth Interview Preparation

Post 20 open-ended questions you want to ask an expert in your field concerning your senior project. The focus of your questions should be on your answer to your EQ.

1. What is the purpose of interpreting?
2. What is the most important aspect of interpreting?
3. How does creativity tie into interpreting, if at all?
4. What does it mean to be fluent in a language?
5. What is the best way to achieve fluency?
6. What is the best way to deal with words that don't have an equivalent in the target language
7. Does an interpreter’s accent affect what the people listening think about the interpreter and/or what is being said?
8. What is the best way to make sure you have a realistic accent?
9. How important is it to know the culture of a language?
10. What role does a person's culture play in their understanding of a message/interpretation?
11. What aspects of culture are most important to know?
12. What are some strategies you use when you encounter someone who is difficult to interpret for?
13. How important is it to go through some kind of formal interpreter training?
14. How has your training helped you in the "real world" of interpreting?
15. What is the greatest challenge you have encountered while interpreting?
16. How can you be sure the audience is understanding your interpretation?
17. How can an interpreter best ensure understanding between people who do not speak the same language?
18. How can I go more in-depth on my EQ?
19. How can I improve any of my three answers?
20. To you, what is the best part of being an interpreter?

Blog 17: Answer 3

1. What is your EQ?
        How can an interpreter best ensure understanding between people who do not speak the same language?

2. What is your third answer?
        By using a combination of different interpreting strategies, an interpreter can best ensure understanding.

3. List three reasons that your third answer is true, with a real-world application for each.

• In a context where not many people would relate to a word or phrase, one strategy would be to just skip it instead of trying to find an equivalent.
• If a speaker is going too fast, paraphrasing while preserving meaning can be more beneficial to listeners than attempting every word.
• Anticipating what the speaker will say next is a useful strategy which can aid in a smooth delivery and keep the interpreter from getting too far behind the speaker.

4. What printed source best supports your second answer?
        Bartlomiejczyk, Magdalena. "Strategies of Simultaneous Interpreting and Directionality."      Interpreting, 8.2 (2006): 149. 

5. Give a concluding thought. 

        Although there are some universally recognized strategies for conveying accurate meaning of a message to listeners, every interpreter ultimately has to develop whatever works best for them. Strategies can be very useful, especially in high-level, high-stress contexts like large conferences. Using strategies can help an interpreter's working memory to not become overloaded, which would result in a lower quality interpretation for the listeners.