Join us for this month's meeting of the Interpreters Special Interest Group. We will have two speakers:

First, Leonard Sepeda will tell us about the language services program at Dell Children's Medical Center and how they are implementing the Spanish Bilingual Assistant Program.

Then, Tomas Leon will tell us about court interpreter legislation considered by the Texas Legislature this year: what passed, and what didn't.

The meeting will be held from 1:00 to 3:00 at AATIA Headquarters. See map in right column for directions and parking information.

Everyone is invited.

In recognition of St. Jerome, the principle translator of the Vulgate Bible and patron saint of translators, the AATIA will host a historic International Translation Day celebration.

There will be entertainment from the Executive Director of the Austin Classical Guitar Society, Dr. Matthew Hinsley, the lively and funny Gabacha-chas led by Maurine Mclean and Lisa Rogers, and an exciting samba exhibition with audience participation led by Rebekah Fowler.

A rich variety of delicacies and beverages will be offered for your pleasure.
Free parking is available at the Convention Center Parking Lot. Enter by turning north on Brazos from East 1st Street, going 2/3 of a block, entering the CC Parking lot on the right, and telling the attendant that you are with the AATIA. See the map in the right column.

Please join us at the ICA office on October 3rd from 7-10 p.m. for fun, friendship, and food. Friends and family are welcome.

Michael Blumenthal, President

The next membership meeting of the AATIA will feature a special presentation by Jorge Ungo, Southwest Region Manager for Pacific Interpreters, current President of the Texas Association of Healthcare Interpreters and Translators (TAHIT), and a board member and membership co-chair of the National Council on Interpreting in Healthcare (NCIHC). From wikis and blogs to social bookmarking – this presentation will demystify the world of the Web 2.0 to demonstrate how translators and interpreters can connect more effectively with colleagues and share important tools and resources.

At the meeting this Saturday, the candidates for the 2010 board will share their platforms and plans. Don’t miss this opportunity to inform yourself in preparation for the upcoming on-line election.

In recognition of the contribution to our profession by St. Jerome, the patron saint of translators, Michael Blumenthal will discuss the historical significance of the principle translator of the Vulgate Bible, share some lessons his work can teach, and announce plans for the International Translation Day celebration.

Please join us at the ICA office on September 12^th at 1 p.m. for fun, facts, and food.

Linguistic technologies are taking giant steps in the translation industry. You can stay ahead of the game by participating in our hands-on presentation on Memo Q, an innovative translation memory tool. The presentation will be made by Dr. Mark Ritter, Chief Language Officer at McElroy Translation.

Download a trial version from http://en.kilgray.com/?q=node/download to inspect its many features and learn how to use it at our next meeting.

Come for the presentation, then stay to enjoy delicious refreshments while meeting up with fellow translators and interpreters for an afternoon of information and great networking at our downtown space at the ICA premises on Saturday, July 11th, from 1 to 4 pm (check www.aatia.net for the address and directions.)

Free parking is available at the Convention Center parking garage, which is on the west side of the building that houses our offices. Enter from Brazos Street, inform the attendant that you are attending an AATIA event, and sign a garage parking record sheet. There is no charge.

See you then!

Esther Diaz has been tapped to deliver the keynote address for the Medical Friday and TAPIT Conference, to be held on September 12 – 14 in Nashville.

Sponsored by the Tennessee Association of Professional Interpreters and Translators (TAPIT), the three-day conference will offer practical, actionable tools for judiciary, medical, and community interpreters and translators.

Diaz will also speak on “Women’s Health, the Digestive System, Medical Terminology” and “National Certification: Where do we stand?” Other topics include the following:

• Interpreting for Children in Medical, Forensic and Legal Settings
• General English-Spanish Terminology for Immigration Matters
• Interpreting for the Deaf from Other Countries
• Expert Testimony on Tape Transcription and Translation
• Best Business Practices and more!
• Intonation Patterns
• Phone Interpretation

The TAPIT website has complete Medical Friday and TAPIT Conference information.

The National Council on Interpreting in Health Care  (NCIHC) will hold its 2nd Annual Membership Meeting at the Emory Conference Center in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 5-6, 2008. It will be followed by the Southeast Regional Interpreters Conference, held by the Medical Interpreter Network of Georgia (MING), at the same location on June 6-7, 2008.

The NCIHC offers a brochure on this year’s meeting and a report on last year’s event. Register and get hotel information. Information about submitting presentation proposals, exhibiting, or sponsoring may be viewed on the website or obtained by contacting a representative of NCIHC.

Don’t miss the chance to attend two great events over a long weekend!

The National Center for Interpretation’s Agnese Haury Institute will take place July 14 to August 1. Applications are currently being accepted and there are still a few partial-scholarship opportunities left for the court interpeter training course.

Scholarships range from $250.00 to $1000.00 for all participants. For NAJIT and ATA members, contact the National Center for Interpretation to learn more about special scholarship offers. To apply for scholarships, download the application form and answer the essay questions to the best of your abilities. (Note: if you have already applied for a scholarship, your application has already been submitted to the scholarship committee for review.) Deadline for new applications is May 23, 2008.

To learn more about the Agnese Haury Institute, download the brochure and contact the National Center for Interpretation if you have any questions regarding the application process. Remember, enrollment is strictly limited to ensure a good student to instructor ratio, so make sure you sign up early!

FCICE Written Test Prep Seminars are beginning in a city near you! These training seminars by the National Center for Interpretation have assisted up to 40% of participants in passing the written portion of the FCICE. Test Prep Seminars will be offered in Texas on these dates:
El Paso - May 31 and June 1, 2008
Houston - August 9 and 10, 2008

Cost: $375. For more information download the brochure.

If you cannot attend one of these seminars, take a look at the FCICE Written Sample Examinations so that you can practice at your convenience!