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What is required for state courts to provide proper language access?

1 Comment / Ethics, Legal Interpreting, Spanish Interpreting, Workers' Comp / Jeffrey Alfonso / November 24, 2016 / Court, court interpreter, ethics, interpreter ethics, interpreters, Legal Interpreting, simultaneous, spanish, Workers compensation

Federally funded state courts are required to provide language services to all people, regardless of the language they speak or their English proficiency. Failure to provide access can interfere with the capacity of state courts to accurately evaluate the facts and fairly administer justice. Below is a list of six essential steps every state must […]

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Why do Court Interpreters Need this Information?

1 Comment / Ethics, Legal Interpreting, Spanish Interpreting, Workers' Comp / EOAlfonso / September 30, 2016 / court interpreter, interpreter ethics, language services, Legal Interpreting, simultaneous, spanish, workers comp., Workers compensation

Trials are expensive. A good number of lawyers love them. Some attorneys hate them. Many persons have vowed to have their day in court, and that day usually involves a trial. Disagreements are why trials exist. When individuals cannot agree or are at an impasse, this formal examination is brought before a competent court of

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Court Interpreters Serve All Parties

Ethics, Experience, Legal Interpreting, Spanish Interpreting / EOAlfonso / August 24, 2016 / Court, court interpreter, simultaneous, spanish

I am fortunate that it has been many years since I received a traffic citation for a moving violation. After all, no one wants to visit traffic court, much less suffer the consequences, like fines and increased automobile insurance. When I was a child, I used to watch a show titled Let’s Make a Deal.

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When Good People Interpreting Are Unethical

1 Comment / Ethics, Interpreting, Medical Interpreting, Spanish Interpreting / Jeffrey Alfonso / August 19, 2016 / ethics, Hospital Interpreter, Legal Interpreting, Medical interpretation, medical interpreter, spanish, workers comp., Workers compensation, workers' comp

Imagine this scenario. Instead of hiring a professional interpreter, familiar and cognizant of the code of ethics, an untrained bilingual person is hired to simply cover the assignment, a warm body. Without proper knowledge and training, the bilingual person who interprets most likely will unconsciously commit serious ethical violations, all the while believing she is

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How can you ensure your legal interpreter is skilled?

3 Comments / Ethics, Experience, Legal Interpreting, Spanish Interpreting, Translation, Uncategorized, Workers' Comp / Jeffrey Alfonso / July 16, 2016 / court interpreter, interpreting, language services, Legal Interpreting, simultaneous, spanish, Workers compensation

First and foremost, there is no room for mistakes for interpreters in a legal proceeding. A mistake with just one word can be detrimental to a person’s life, liberty, and future, resulting in a grave injustice. The nuances of language in a court case demand complete familiarity with legal terminology and fluency in the languages

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Journey to Safety Excellence

Communication, Conference Interpreting, Interpreting, Safety, Uncategorized / Jeffrey Alfonso / June 11, 2016 / employees lacking English, language services, Safety, Safety training, simultaneous, spanish

The National Safety Council is a great resource for any company interested in protecting its most important asset: employees. They have a fantastic Infographic called Journey to Safety Excellence: JSE-Infographic-Printable. A lesson learned is that companies that participate in voluntary safety performance measurement programs demonstrate a 52% decrease in number of claims and an

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The Cost of Injuries in the Workforce among Limited English Proficient Employees

1 Comment / Conference Interpreting, Interpreting, Interpreting for company meetings, OSHA, Safety / Jeffrey Alfonso / May 23, 2016 / court interpreter, Hispanic Workers, interpreting company meetings, language services, OSHA, Safety, Safety training, spanish

There are an estimated 53,000 workplace fatalities each year and 427,000 non-fatal workplace illnesses. My purpose for this post is to make the case that investing in safety and language services can result in great value and savings in the long run. How much does a work injury cost you? Nationwide, the average direct

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8 Indicators that Reveal if an Interpreter is Professional

4 Comments / Business, Communication, Ethics, Interpreting, Legal Interpreting, Medical Interpreting / Jeffrey Alfonso / March 1, 2014 / Business, Business ethics, court interpreter, interpreter ethics, interpreting, Legal Interpreting, Medical interpretation, spanish

There you are, sitting in a doctor’s office with a patient and his interpreter. Since you don’t speak the LEP patient’s language, how can you ensure that the interpreter is doing his job properly? On some level, you might not be able to tell for sure, but there are markers that will give you clues.

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When an Interpreter´s Ethics are Tested – Part II

1 Comment / Business, Communication, Ethics, Interpreting, Medical Interpreting, Spanish Interpreting, Workers' Comp / Jeffrey Alfonso / October 29, 2013 / Business ethics, ethics, interpreter ethics, interpreting, Medical interpretation, spanish, workers comp., Workers compensation

My previous blog described a claimant desperately beseeching assistance. I remained strong and reminded myself of the code of ethics and why they are in place. Sometimes following the ethical course feels unethical or wrong; it is a thought-out, logical process that at times conflicts with our feeling of right and wrong. Case Number Two

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What I learned last year to make ATA54 work even better!

2 Comments / Business, Communication, Ethics, Interpreting, Legal Interpreting, Medical Interpreting, Sales/Marketing, Spanish Interpreting, Translation, Uncategorized / Jeffrey Alfonso / October 4, 2013 / Business ethics, ethics, interpreter ethics, interpreting, Legal Interpreting, Medical interpretation, Networking, spanish, Translation

Last year ATA53 in San Diego was fantastic! I did learn a few things that I believe will make ATA54 in San Antonio even better. I will share with you the blog I published about that experience last year. Then, I will share a few new thing I plan to do. I can never say

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What is required for state courts to provide proper language access?

Why do Court Interpreters Need this Information?

Court Interpreters Serve All Parties

When Good People Interpreting Are Unethical

How can you ensure your legal interpreter is skilled?

Journey to Safety Excellence

The Cost of Injuries in the Workforce among Limited English Proficient Employees

8 Indicators that Reveal if an Interpreter is Professional

When an Interpreter´s Ethics are Tested – Part II

What I learned last year to make ATA54 work even better!

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