Presentation for HIN

1
January 27, 2009

• Presentation for HIN

2

• My Name is Eva Assaff I have been with Across
  Languages since 1997. I Manage the Translation
  and the ILSAT Administration, Assessment and
  Development Departments.
• In the 1980's Across Languages was a pioneering
  concept of those who recognized that London had
  become a culturally and linguistically rich and
  diverse community. The vision was of trained,
  paid professional interpreters available in the
  community and organized by a single non-profit
  agency. Fees from the service-providing
  organizations and institutions would sustain the
  interpreting agency. This goal was realized when
  Across Languages was created in 1989.

3

• Mission
• Across Languages exists to eliminate language
  barriers to communication between people of
  diverse languages and cultures. Our mandate is to
  advance intercultural understanding and assured
  exchange of meaning so that together, people may
  achieve fundamental needs and rights.

4

• Across Languages Translation and Interpretation
  Service exists to enable service providers and
  decision makers and their non-English speaking
  clients and patients to communicate accurately
  with one another through qualified, impartial
  interpreters and skilled translators. We possess
  special expertise in training interpreters for
  health and medical care, for legal settings and
  tribunals, for situations involving victims of
  domestic violence/sexual assault, and for work in
  community and government services.

5

• ILSAT
• The Interpreter Language and Skills Assessment
  Tool (the ILSAT) is designed to test an
  individuals skills in English and another
  language, as well as the ability to perform
  competently, at an introductory level,
  consecutive interpretation and sight translation.
• Across Languages Translation and Interpretation
  Service, located in London, Ontario is
  responsible for translation and production of the
  ILSAT. The agency also developed the marking
  system by which the ILSAT is assessed. Across
  Languages recruits, trains and manages the
  bilingual markers who score the ILSAT.

6

• ILSAT
• The ILSAT was initially produced in 11 languages
  in 2001 by the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship
  and Immigration. Across Languages Translation and
  Interpretation Service of London, Ontario,
  translated and produced 12 new ILSAT languages in
  2005 the agency produced 8 additional languages
  in 2006, and another 6 in 2007 and another 8
  languages developed in June 2007. In 2008 13
  languages were developed. The ILSAT is available
  in 58 languages.
• 31 Practice Dialogues have been developed, and 27
  more will be developed in the near future.

7

• ILSAT
• The ILSAT is recognized by The Ontario Ministry
  of Citizenship and Immigration Language
  Interpreter Services Program as one of its
  requirements for acceptance as an interpreter
  qualified to provide services to agencies working
  with victims of domestic violence, abused women
  and sexual assault victims across Ontario. The
  ILSAT is also used by Ontario Colleges, community
  agencies and public institutions to assess
  interpreting aptitude and language skills of
  training candidates, staff and volunteers.

8

• ILSAT
• The ILSAT Consists of two parts
• Sight translations, one in English and one in the
  other language.
• Dialogue Interpreting, between a Non English
  Speaker and a Service Provider.
• Candidates gets 10 minutes to practice each
  sight translation, then they are recorded.
• Candidates gets a practice dialogue in the
  language they are being tested for to use and
  practice at home before the test. (If available
  in that language)

9

• ILSAT
• Markers are Interpreters that have taken the
  ILSAT In their language and passed the test, or
  translators that have worked on the translation
  of the documents used to develop the ILSAT.
• We currently work with 19 agencies in Ontario,
  Winnipeg and Calgary.

10

• ILSAT
• We have marked a total of 1130 tests to date,
  with the highest number in July 07 (62 tests
  compared to an average of 26 during other
  months).
• There is no limit on the quantity we can
  receive.
• The turn around time is normally 2- 3 weeks, it
  varies depending on the availability of the
  markers. It could be turned around in one week or
  up to a month.

11
ILSAT LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
(2001-2005)23 ILSATS DEVEOLPED

• ALBANIAN
• BENGALI
• BULGARIAN
• BURMESE
• CZECH
• DARI
• DINKA
• DUTCH
• FINNISH
• FRENCH
• GUJARATI

• GERMAN
• HEBREW
• HUNGARIAN
• ITALIAN
• JAPANESE
• LOW GERMAN
• NUER
• PASHTO
• ROMANIAN
• TAGALOG
• THAI
• UKRAINIAN

12
ILSAT LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT 20068 ILSATS DEVELOPED

• Arabic
• Armenian
• Farsi
• Mandarin
• Punjabi Perso Arabic Script
• Slovenian
• Spanish
• Swahili

13
ILSAT LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT 2007 14 ILSATS
DEVELOPED

• Indonesian
• Kinyarwanda
• Punjabi Gurmukhi Script
• Tamil
• Russian
• Vietnamese

• Assyrian
• Sinhala
• Greek
• Hindi
• Korean
• Polish
• Slovak
• Twi

14
ILSAT LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT 200813 ILSATS
DEVELOPED

• Serbo/Croatian
• Karen
• Contonese
• Portuguese
• Somali
• Urdu

• Amharic
• Cambodian
• Kurdish Badini
• Kurdish Sorani
• Turkish
• Tigrinya
• Oromo

15
18 ILSAT PRACTICE DIALOGUES DEVELOPED IN 2007

• Albanian
• Arabic
• Cantonese
• Dari
• Farsi
• French
• Japanese
• Korean
• Mandarin

• Polish
• Portuguese
• Punjabi (PAS)
• Russian
• Somali
• Spanish
• Tagalog
• Tamil
• Vietnamese

16
13 ILSAT PRACTICE DIALOGUES DEVELOPED IN 2008

• Serbo/Croatian
• Karen
• Bengali
• Burmese
• Urdu
• Gujarati

• Amharic
• Cambodian
• Kurdish Badini
• Kurdish Sorani
• Tigrinya
• Turkish
• Oromo

17
27 ILSAT PRACTICE DIALOGUES TO BE DEVEOLPED IN
2009

• Bulgarian
• Czech
• Dinka
• Dutch
• German
• Hungarian
• Italian
• Nuer
• Pashto
• Romanian
• Thai
• Ulrainian
• Sinhala

• Armenian
• Slovenian
• Swahili
• Kinyarwanda
• Punjabi Gurmukhi
• Assyrian
• Greek
• Hindi
• Slovak
• Finnish
• Hebrew
• Low German
• Indonesian
• Twi