Human energy can be mysterious. Some are early risers, others are late-night owls, and others seem to never run out of steam. However, one of the universal human experiences is how just the right set of circumstances can leave us energized for more.

In our personal lives, these circumstances might relate to good relationships, holidays and birthdays, trips, etc. But what about our business lives? What gives us energy in the workplace, especially when we need it?

Leadership might get energized by smooth operations. By that, we mean things like business relationships and teamwork. For example, if team members take accountability, act to make things happen, and double check operations to ensure projects go smoothly, that will surely bring in a lot of momentum which makes everyone feel surrounded by growth and partnership. Equally important is when clients show understanding and provide positive feedback, which truly creates a very enjoyable working environment and energizes everyone as a team.

Management might like getting their hands on new projects. Bidding on a request for proposal and working on something brand new could get them energized for making new connections and new success stories. For example, even management of long-term assignments can be exciting if challenges and successes feel new.

As for others, energy at work can come from appreciation. Not just appreciation for the work they perform, but also for the work others perform. Be they coworkers, clients, vendors, or anyone, giving and receiving thanks energizes employees to do a good job for all those involved.

What gives you energy in the workplace? Let us know in the comments of this post, and we wish you a good day!

On March 3^rd, Monterey’s local Middlebury Institute of International Studies had its annual Translation, Interpretation, and Localization Management career fair—and for the first time in years, the event was in-person rather than remote.

As many in our office at Monterey Language Services—including our director—are alumni of the Middlebury Institute, we join the career fair every year to speak to promising students and other alumni who attend the event. Those involved ranged from conference interpreters to patent translators or localization project managers, and each one spoke with lots of enthusiasm and eagerness about their experiences and hopes for the future.

The career fair takes months of planning to invite and coordinate the attending companies. When the doors initially opened at 8:00AM for preparation, we were there to set up. As in years past when the event was live, we prioritized mobility with our booth—with our information placed on the table, we were free to walk around the booth and meet attendees at eye-level. One attendee mentioned that it made them feel much more at ease to speak with company employees while we were all standing, rather than speaking with company employees who were sitting.

Our booth was a roaring success. Between the official hours of the fair, 9:00AM-12:00PM, a never-ending multitude of people came to inquire about our positions. It was a treat to meet such friendly faces and discover talent from across the globe. We hope and know that regardless of the positions these students and alumni earn, they will achieve great careers.

We would like to thank not only the attendees, but also the staff at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies for making this event such a success. We know that many, including ourselves, were eager to come to the career fair in-person after such a long time away, and we think that it could not have been better. Thank you.

Whether you’re conducting an international conference, a training event, a meeting, a tour, or any number of things, chances are that you’ll be working with an international or multi-lingual crowd. There are a lot of different ways you can go about these situations, but by far, the most effective and prevalent method is hiring interpreters to provide simultaneous interpretation. Monterey Language Services offers not only interpretation, but the equipment behind it to ensure that your event goes smoothly.

Imagine that you’re at an event. All your participants are eagerly awaiting to hear from you. Your presenters are anxious to begin their presentation. In that moment, they’re all focused on the content of the presentation and have an expectation that the equipment provided will work. That’s why it’s extremely important to have the right kind of tools for the job, and with Monterey Language Services, that’s exactly what you will get. We have worked all sorts of events and have a wealth of experience making sure that our equipment will be the right fit for the job.

The size of venues can differ, so whether you’re trying to reach someone in the front row or the back row, it’s important that your equipment has range. In particular, our transmitters and receivers allows participants and interpreters to freely move around a large range of area, up to 150 feet, maximizing audio quality while eliminating the worry of ever falling out of range.

It also comes with ample different channels, allowing for increased flexibility for switching between languages as necessary. This is perfect for situations where you need simultaneous interpretation for multiple languages.

We’ve all been there when you’re giving a presentation and then there’s feedback from the microphone. It’s not only disruptive, but very nerve-racking for the presenter. To prevent this from happening, it’s important to make sure that all the equipment being used correctly interact with each other and have high synergy. A Conference Room walk-through is important. The best part is we are here locally if you plan to come to Monterey, California for your events! All the trouble shooting if any can be taken care of right here locally before the start of your conference.

For interpretation events, we provide transmitters, receivers, interpreter consoles, interpreter booths, headsets, etc. Our interpretation equipment is compatible with both FM and digital equipment. Regardless of radio or digital, we will have you covered. If you already have AV equipment, we can easily have everything connected to our interpretation system and running in no time.

If you don’t have AV, that’s not a problem at all. We can provide all AV support and equipment including mixers, speakerphones, lapel or hand or table top conference microphones, technicians, any necessary cables, and more..

If you’re considering an interpretation event, consider Monterey Language Services. We have affordable prices, great equipment, and seasoned interpreters. We will make sure that your event goes off without a hitch! The best is we are here locally in Monterey California!

One of the most prominent interpretation in the industry is medical interpretation. It’s also one of the more difficult ones. Whether you’re starting out as a medical interpreter or a veteran in the field, there are a lot of things taking effort to learn and be effective at.

Medical terminology comes on top. Medical interpretation requires a strong understanding of medical terminology in both the source and target languages. It is important to know the meaning of medical terms and jargon in order to accurately convey information. If an interpreter doesn’t understand a word, he or she should ask for a simpler explanation, so that the conversation between the doctor and the patient is flawless.

In addition, it’s best to always use clear and concise language when interpreting medical information. Using straightforward, easy to understand language will help ensure that the patient understands the information being provided. Do your best to avoid medical jargon or technical terms that the patient may not be familiar with. But if you do end up having to use it, be sure you understand what it means so you can explain it if necessary.

That being said, be sure to be in the know-how of how the medical field works. Whether it’s of internal medicine, neurology, radiology, pediatrics, cardiology, outpatient surgery, gastroenterology, urology, intensive care, orthopedics, physical therapy, community health, emergency, gynecology and more, an interpreter should be prepared and understand each specialty. This can help you as an interpreter to better understand the medical information being provided and to accurately convey it to the patient.

There are a lot of cultures out there that deal with medical visits differently. You may have  mastered the source and target languages in the medical field, but you also need to be culturally sensitive and can bridge the gap between the two cultures you are interpreting in. Something important beyond what is being said, the interpreter should serve as an advocate to bring that underlining meaning out to all parties involved. This can help the doctor and the patient understand each other better. Medical interpretation is unique in this sense. To communicate fully in order to provide and receive the best treatment.

As an interpreter, you should always keep whatever occurs in the appointment confidential. Medical interpreters should always respect the confidentiality of the patient and not share any personal or medical information without the patient’s consent or unless required by law. A medical interpreter should always remain impartial and avoid giving personal opinions or advice to the patient regarding make their own decisions and conclusions.

Medical interpretation is a valuable service to the community. It’s a very rewarding experience for us at Monterey Language Services. We have a great sense of helping others by providing medical interpretation to LEP (Limited English Proficiency) patients. Our goal is to put their mind at ease that their words are being understood, and they are understanding the words being said to them as well. This is what we call the essence of medical interpretation.

Monterey Language Services is looking for Spanish medical interpreters to provide in-person interpretation services to federally funded productive health care facilities in Antioch, CA.

We need someone who is living or willing to relocate to Antioch in California for in-person interpretation. Part time, full time, or contract employment are available for six months with possible extension.

If you are available and meet the below requirements, could you share with us your experience, rate, and how far you are from CA 94509, so we can follow up with you? You will find our contact information at the end of this post.

If you are looking to relocate, please also let us know. Please also feel welcome to refer colleagues by sharing this post.

Requirements:

1. Have completed 100 hours of CCHI approved interpreter training
2. Experienced with patients who typically have below sixth grade literacy and may also have limited vocabularies
3. Enjoy working with young children and pregnant women/mothers
4. Female interpreters preferred
5. Reliable and committed
6. Work well with others and in a team
7. Professional in conduct and appearance
8. Entry-level is welcome
9. Authorized to work in the US
10. Willing to undergo livescan background check
11. Willing to undergo some training to ensure that all guidelines will be followed
12. Willing to follow hospital immunization and safety procedures

If you are interested, please go to our website and answer the questions about your medical interpreting experience and rate, so we can follow up with you.

https://www.montereylanguages.com/send-a-resume.html

Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you soon!

An interpreter must be prepared for all kinds of interpretation assignments. One of the types is Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings.

The biggest difference between interpretation for IEP meetings versus other types of interpretation is that you have to be understanding of the student, teacher, and parent. You must understand their situation because no child is the same. This will lead to a more engaging meeting as well as a more successful interpretation event.

IEP meetings are very important for students, parents, and teachers in the United States, so being able to conduct one without issue is a very valuable skill that interpreters should do their best to work at. Some skills that you’ve learned from other interpretation work might be applicable to IEP interpretation, yet it’s important that interpreters learn the other aspects of IEP interpretation to ensure that the meeting goes without a hitch.

Familiarize yourself with the IEP process. It’s important for the interpreter to understand what the IEP process entails, including the purpose of the meeting, the roles of each participant, and the importance of confidentiality.

The interpreter should also be sure to gather information about the student, such as the student’s academic and behavioral history, previous IEPs, and any assessments or evaluations. You should also review the current IEP draft and any supporting documentation. If you are working with an LSP (Language Service Provider), you should ask them to provide this information for you.

A successful interpreter should learn about the student’s strengths, weaknesses, and needs to be able to effectively interpret the discussion about the student’s goals and accommodations.

An IEP interpreter should be familiar with the relevant vocabulary and terminology used in special education and ensure they understand the acronyms and terms used in the meeting. If there is anything you don’t understand, try to look more into it and maybe even jot them down as notes to take with you to the meeting.

As the interpreter, you should be mindful of your role as a neutral interpreter and should adhere to the professional standards and ethical considerations. Be sure that you do not provide any advice, opinions or contribute to the content of the meeting.

Monterey Language Services will be at the annual Middlebury Institute of International Studies Translation and Localization Management Career Fair, which starts at 9:00 AM on Friday, March 3^rd and finishes up at 12:00 PM.

We’re very excited to return to the career fair for the first time in person since the start of the pandemic, and we’re even more excited to be able to see all of you!

Ahead of the career fair, we’d like to ask that any interested students sign up using our online form https://forms.gle/hoFssswUREPEHZUw7. This will help us to get to know you better ahead of the event, and will help make our meeting more productive.

We’ll also be collecting resumes, getting to know you, and describing our exciting positions for interpreters or as a Project/Office Assistant.

Stop by our booth, meet our wonderful team, and tell us more about yourself! Don’t forget to sign up ahead of time using the link https://forms.gle/hoFssswUREPEHZUw7. And don’t forget to ask your friends and fellow classmates: Have you signed up yet?

As we start to emerge at the other end of the pandemic, many people are starting to go back to their offices, leaving behind remote work for hybrid or full-time away from home. Many people struggled in making home offices a pure work environment, and some are looking especially forward to the full separation of home life and work life.

That being said, an office environment takes effort and dedication to set up and maintain in order to reflect a warm, comfortable, and connected place to work.

Change of Scenery

Shifting our minds from relaxation mode to work mode takes time, so it helps to change our environment. That’s why many people benefit so much from having their entertainment spaces and items separate from their work environments.

What some people might fail to realize is that office spaces don’t have to be full of things that make us happy. Bright unobtrusive spaces, art, and other meaningful decorations can make us happier. Our production levels can increase right along with our moods.

Keeping Organized

Keeping supplies, items, desks, and other equipment in their proper places also adds to the pleasantness of an office space. Of course, keeping organized makes it easier to remember where things are, to note when you’re out of certain supplies, and where to find important documents. Letting items clutter up interferes with work, makes people frustrated, and negatively affects production levels and how we might interact with coworkers and clients.

It Works

Recently, at our own office we decided to majorly dust off equipment, toss away items that are not in line with our post-pandemic spirit, reorganize, and decorate. After moving our office location several years ago, the sudden onset of the pandemic had halted our original plans to set up our new office exactly as we wanted it. But returning to the office is another story.

Since undertaking a major cleaning up and reorganizing operation, our office has never been better. Now, our office is warm, welcoming, and organized so well that it affects our whole operation, even making those who still can’t make it to the office feel excited and inspired. Art lines the walls, brightening the rooms, and cards from our colleagues all over the world have been hung up to remind us of our cross-cultural connections, and our commitment to our clients.

Working with interpreters is crucial in a multilingual environment. Knowledge and experience on how to work with an interpreter can be a highly effective tool for you as a client. By taking an active role to facilitate the interpretation process and make the interpreter feel comfortable can help you achieve the goal of communication. Therefore, it is important to maximize the effectiveness of hired interpreters. Here are some thoughts.

1. Choose the right interpreter: Effective interpretation starts by choosing the right interpreter. Ensure that the interpreter has the necessary skills and experience to interpret accurately between the languages involved. Consider their expertise in the subject matter and their cultural sensitivity as well, as these factors can greatly impact the accuracy of the interpretation.
2. Provide background information: Background information such as subject matter, names and titles of participants, context and purpose of the event can greatly help with the accuracy of the interpretation. The more information interpreters have before the event, the better their performance will be. To provide and gather background information is considered a necessity in the interpretation process. To be exact, the interpretation process starts before the event itself.
3. Create favorable environment: Ensure that the interpreter has a clear line of sight and sound to all participants in the conversation. Experienced clients usually treat interpreters with courtesy and thoughtfulness in order to provide a favorable environment for the interpreter to work in. The goal is to help the interpreter enhance their performance and ensure that the interpretation is as accurate as possible.
4. Speak clearly and at a moderate pace: Interpreters must be able to understand the language they are interpreting. Speaking clearly and at a moderate pace can help the interpreter accurately convey the intended message. Avoid using overly complex language, because it can reduce the processing time in interpreter’s brain, help the interpreter render interpretation in an easy and smooth way.
5. Avoid distractions: Interpreters must concentrate to accurately convey both the content and tone of a conversation. Any distractions or interruptions can disrupt the flow of the interpretation process and impact interpretation in a negative way. For instance, if video interferes with audio output, then refrain from asking interpreters to appear on video. Asking interpreters to be on video usually is more distracting than not to be on video. Also avoid any activities that may be distracting, such as talking on the phone or texting.
6. Provide feedback: If there is any confusion or misunderstanding during the interpretation process, it is important to provide feedback to the interpreter. Collaboration rather than confrontation is more conducive to the outcome you would like to achieve in a communication event.

Artificial Intelligence has been in the spotlight. Let’s start with one of the most famous AIs right now, Chat GPT. Currently, it is open for free use to anyone. It is a very versatile AI that can actually have a sustained conversation with the user. All you need to do is simply enter a query and it’ll answer it accordingly. Teachers have begun banning chat GPT due to students using it to write entire essays for them. The fact that students are able to pass it off as if a human actually worked is amazing and also perhaps a little frightening.

How does AI apply to the language industry? AI has always been a constant question mark in the back of our minds especially regarding automatic translations. Now that AI can do so much, is it time for translators to become worried?

Today, translators use machine translation programs such as Trados or MemoQ to give them a baseline to work from, so called post-editing machine translation (PEMT). PEMT can greatly improve translation times especially for longer translations. For translators, it has been recognized as a valid strategy and working method. However as we all know, the translations that machine translation programs produce aren’t perfect. They are often more than not flawed. But what happens if you begin using AI such as Chat GPT which is designed to produce fluent and natural sounding language? Would a translator have a more powerful tool? Or would you have a competitor?

Translators will find that the answer is the same as it always has, ever since machine translation was introduced into the world. A machine will most certainly not remove the need for a translator. Language is always so fluid, full of nuance and possibilities that it’s almost impossible for a machine to pick up on every last detail. On the flip side though, translators may find a new ally with AI as it can cut their work time, allowing them to work on more projects. For example, translators can enter questions into Chat GPT, maybe have it check for fluency or suggest different ways of phrasing things, or even come up with new ideas.

If you’re an interpreter, you probably have even less to worry about. Though AIs such as Google Assistant are popular for quick and easy phrases, it still runs into the same problems as it is pulling from Google Translate. Interpretation especially is a field where accuracy and nuance is important and a lot of that is easily lost with AI translations.

Overall, in the language field, whether the advancement of AI would replace the role of human translators and interpreters is nothing to be concerned about, at least not in our life time. If anything, we should be excited about it. As the technology advances, translators and interpreters may find a powerful ally that will help them advance their work efficiently.