Imagine 48 Venezuelan souls unceremoniously deposited in Martha’s Vineyard in September, among them four to six children. Asylum proceedings tend to be lengthy, so in six to 12 months, maybe at a doctor’s appointment, we can imagine those same young children jumping in to help their parents or grandparents understand what the doctor is saying in English.
Children don’t necessarily learn a language faster, but since they have fewer inhibitions, they are more active participants in languagelearning situations. That is why this scene is repeated over and over: immigrant children interpreting for their older family members.
Depending on the diversity of their schools and neighborhoods, many immigrant children look to quickly blend in, to eliminate any perceived “foreign accent,” and hope that against all odds, Mami doesn’t start speaking Spanish in front of the cool kids at school. A split develops: life at home in Spanish with the cultural values of the country of origin and life at school with friends in English, as well as the accompanying cultural values of middle-class, white America. This bilingualism and biculturalism can be weighty and uncomfortable.
The number of heritage speakers of Spanish has grown dramatically at 91̀½»¨ over the past 10 years. Additionally, their level of Spanish-language ability is higher than we have experienced in the past. Students raised in Spanish-speaking homes are referred to as heritage speakers, or Latinx in other circles. They are fully functional in English, but may have family members who only speak Spanish, meaning school life tends to be in English, but home life is in Spanish.
In fall 2017, we launched a certificate of translation in Spanish <>English, which transformed some of our students’ life and linguistic experiences into gold. Students raised in a Spanish-speaking household come with years of exposure to the language, allowing them to listen to a sentence and realize it is inherently clunky. Each and every life experience of heritage speakers has value– all those family gatherings, dancing bachata with a tĂa, watching telenovelas with grandma, the stories of family members immigrating around the world. Every one of those instances translates into cultural and linguistic exposure and knowledge. In the four years since we began offering the translation certificate at 91̀½»¨, 43 students have participated in the capstone translation internship. Of those students, 31 are heritage speakers of Spanish. The program requires students to complete six three-credit classes, and it can be easily added to almost any major at the College. The heritage speakers come from all majors, among them communications, business, accounting, political science, psychology, biology, nursing, education, social work, and criminal justice.
The translation certificate in Spanish < > English at 91̀½»¨ is unique. Most translation programs in the United States are at the master’s level and are theoretical in nature. Some institutions offer only one or two courses at the undergraduate level. Our program sets students squarely on the path to becoming translators, constantly improving and updating their skills.
When we work on transcreation, modifying and translating advertisements so they are culturally and linguistically appropriate, heritage speakers inherently know the cultural values. The terms “immediate family” and “extended family” are incomprehensible – family is family. Coffee is meant to be shared around the table, not in a to-go cup, and the kids also have coffee, even though it is mostly warmed milk. Homes are often multi-generational. Purchasing decisions are discussed with those varied generations. Brand loyalty is earned and maintained across the generations.
As the lead professor for the translation certificate, I sometimes have to pinch myself. The courses in the program are fun to teach, with a variety of activities both in and out of class. Theory is balanced with practical issues, like how to price a translation job, or how to raise your rates as you become more experienced.
In the capstone internship, the students complete pro-bono translation projects for local, regional, and national clients. The projects are varied, offering the students the opportunity to imagine themselves combining their interests with translation opportunities in the future.
Interns have translated confidential documents related to immigration and asylum legal cases. One intern, a heritage speaker and communications major, came to see me about one of those jobs. “I loved this project! I feel like I’m paying it forward, because someone did this work for my family when they came to the U.S.”
She told me how she had thought she wanted to look for work related to her major, but immigration work was where she ultimately wanted to focus her energies. As I have often said to the translation certificate students, sometimes you pursue your areas of specialization, but sometimes an area of specialization finds you.
One fall semester, a translation student approached me and said, “You know how you made us apply to agencies? Well, one contacted me, and I did some jobs for them over the summer. You know what? I think I found my sweet spot. I love this!”
I get a paycheck for observing this growth and success – seeing possibilities open for students. In the case of heritage speakers, the rewards are far bigger than a paycheck. I am privileged to witness their growing realization of the value of their diverse background and upbringing.
Dr. Claire Ziamandanis has been a professor of Spanish at 91̀½»¨ since 1992.
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