West Texas A&M University’s ‘Translators in Residence’ program trains community interpreters

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Faculty and students collaborate on best practices and other techniques to help community interpreters.

WT’s Spanish Program started ‘Translators in Residence’ in February. The program addresses interpretation issues for many languages in the Panhandle. Today, students presented their ideas and received feedback from interpreters in the area.

“When it comes to interpretation, anyone can know the language but to actually interpret takes specific techniques,” said Joy Rosas, a student at WTAMU.

Students also reflected on their personal experience with growing up as a cultural mediator for their families.

“Growing up with both of my parents being from Mexico, there’s the language barrier, but there’s also a cultural barrier. It takes practice knowing how to overcome those cultural obstacles and those linguistic ones as well,” Rosas.

WT is committed to raise awareness to the language barriers we have in the Panhandle. This program explores the professional applications of bilingualism

“This program is very popular with students and addresses a problem that is very real, that is very underserved. The community and students seem very eager to address this, but what we need are resources,” said Juan Garcia Oyervides, assistant professor of Spanish at WTAMU.

The goal is to grow and continue the Translators in Residence program by bringing awareness to as many people as possible.

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