2011-12 Winter Newsletter | The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters. The latest issue of CMI Tides is out! Get your copy here. In this issue: — An entire interpreting team certified in Houston, Texas — the first interpreter who is blind to get her CMI! – congrats! — some changes in the Board […]

SPC: Patrick Delhaye, Crossing the Language Barrier. “We are not here to interpret words; we are here to interpret meaning and the words carry the meaning. You have to do a lot of research in order to be able to cope with what is being talked about and get it right.” — Patrick Delhaye

The Associated Press: French resist new spelling rules.   An official body that includes government ministers and a representative of the Academie Francaise, the eminent French language institution, issued a new set of rules to simplify the spellings of many words, either to bring them in line with pronunciation or to eliminate exceptions.

5 Ways to Win at Website Localization.   Five important points to remember when it comes to website localization. A must read!

Why verification matters in international marketing – Ecommerce – BizReport. “…Smart organizations realize that translated versions of their website are extensions of their brand. Furthermore, the companies that they partner with to translate their online messages are serving as their international ambassadors.” – Liz Elting, Transperfect CEO

Technology To Bridge Language Barriers for Doctors, Patients – Ellicott City, MD Patch. Language barriers can lead to difficulties communicating, which in turn can lead to problems at every step of treatment, according to medical professionals.

Technology helps deaf students chat with Santa – Framingham, MA – The MetroWest Daily News. “If you take your (deaf) child to the mall, they have a Santa speaking English — they see their brother or sister talking with him, and they have to rely on them to talk to him as well,” she said. […]

Addressing the Linguistic & Cultural Needs of Florida’s Diverse Patient Population. A free symposium for health care providers that addresses standards, regulatory and legal compliance, as well as best practices and solutions to provide language access and culturally competent care for the state’s growing diverse patient population.

Global Online Markets Represent Major Growth Potential for U.S. Companies – MarketWatch. Businesses that don’t address the needs of foreign users miss a major opportunity. When companies translate and localize their content, they glean a significant competitive advantage, sometimes to the point of becoming the dominant player in an entire country.