Identifying Indigenous Language Speakers: Tips for Spanish Interpreters

All times are listed in CST (Central Standard Time, UTC−6).

Duration: 2 hours

Languages: This webinar will be held entirely in Spanish.  

CEUs*: 2 CEU hours have been approved by ATA and Missouri Office of State Courts

*Certificates of attendance will be issued to live attendees only. The webinar recording will be available to all registrants for 30 days following the event.

This session, completely held in Spanish, will address the issues faced by Spanish court interpreters when called to interpret for Latin American indigenous individuals who may not be proficient in Spanish. This poses a challenge for the interpreter and the court in a legal setting due to the complexities of the indigenous languages and the lack of similarities between these and any of the Romance languages. Interpreters must abide by the Interpreter Code of Ethics and make sure they perform their interpretation proficiently; however, the limited Spanish proficiency Spanish a litigant from indigenous descent may have could prove to be an impediment to such performance.

Spanish interpreters will learn about the linguistic diversity of Mexico and other Latin American countries with indigenous populations, as well as the challenges indigenous peoples face, considering the dominant languages of their countries. Attendees will also learn how to identify the linguistic characteristics, both phonetically and grammatically, of litigants who speak one of the many indigenous languages in Mexico and Central America. Thus, this will enable Spanish interpreter’s compliance with the obligation of “proficient performance” as set forth in the court interpreter canons.

Participants will receive a handout with information about Mexico’s linguistic diversity and several other resources put in place by the Mexican government to raise awareness about the linguistic and cultural rights of indigenous peoples.

About the Presenter

Lorena Pike is a court interpreter and legal translator specializing in the legal, accounting, finance, and business fields. She holds certification as a court interpreter in the states of Nevada and California. Originally from Mexico City, Lorena holds a B.S. in Accounting and a Specialization in Taxation from the Escuela Bancaria y Comercial, S.C., as well as a Certificate in Translation from Universidad Iberoamericana and a Certificate in Medical Interpretation from the University of Massachusetts. She also holds a Master of Arts in Hispanic Studies from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Lorena is a regular speaker at national conferences such as NAJIT and ATA, covering legal translation and terminology topics. She is past President of the Nevada Interpreters and Translators Association (NITA). Lorena works for the Superior Court in California and is an adjunct faculty member for UCLA Extension and UCSD Extension translation and interpreting programs.

• www.speaktranslation.com
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenapike
• www.exetranslations.com

Location

via Zoom (Link will be sent to registered participants)

Cost

* Please note that MICATA members receive a discount for the webinar. If you are not a MICATA member, you are encouraged to join to receive the full benefits of membership, including lower prices for events. Non-MICATA members must select the non-MICATA member ticket options.

Click HERE to join MICATA.

** Attendees of the 2025 MICATA Conference (Saturday only) receive complimentary access to this webinar because this presentation was cancelled during the conference. There is no need for you to purchase tickets. A Zoom link will be sent to all 2025 MICATA Conference registrants closer to the date of the webinar. If you don’t receive it two days before the webinar, please contact micata@gmail.com.