Reflection # 6

As a translator for the past 5 years, I have had a great deal of opportunities to see how languages can differ in relating information. I remember recently translating for a presentor who only spoke English to a group of individuals who speak Spanish. At times throughout the presentation the speaker would say something that would take me longer to translate due to more word usage. I have found that when translating from English to Spanish that I need to use more words to translate what is being said. I know that I have to really be on top of my game and not skip a beat inorder to not get behind. Often times I find myself not giving literal translations, but trying to give the meaning or ideas being said. I really enjoy being able to give people the oppportunity to understand in their native language what is being said, even though at times it may be difficult. As a future educator I feel that recognizing and celebrating cultures should go beyond the holiday celebration. The way on should go about that can vary, but should be an important priority in our classroom. I would like to each student to share what they like about their culture, and why. I would make a concerted effort that each student learn about another culture through an research project. I would have the children go beyond learning about foods or holidays. I would give students the opportunity to share where there last name came from.