There has been a large influx of Spanish speakers in Grand Junction, Colorado, which has kept interpreters extremely busy. Local interpreters translate legal documents, brochures, birth certificates, business materials, advertising, and other such information into Spanish for those who do not have a good command of the English language.
Interpretation not only requires knowledge of the language and being multilingual, but a very focused concentration. This is especially true during court hearings, public meetings, and other such forums in which interpreters must simultaneously listen, translate mentally what was just said, and then speak that translation aloud into a transmitter for a target audience wearing headsets.
In Grand Junction alone, interpreters may be required to work up to 50 hours a week, since the demand for such services is immense. This demand is likely to grow in the future as more and more immigrants from other countries enter the United States and need help communicating.
13 October 2008
