Daily News reports on “low” interpreter wages

This Sunday, New York Daily News reported on language services provider (LSP) Linguistica International paying what the paper calls “low wages.” Not to be confused with the UK-based LSP of the same name, Linguistica International is located in Salt Lake City and provides telephonic interpreting (OPI) to New York City schools. The company works with interpreters outside the United States who earn as little as 4 USD per hour — well below New York’s minimum wage of 15 USD, but above that of their home countries. Linguistica International’s contract with the NYC Department of Education is for 10 million USD over five years.

This is not the first time Daily News has covered the company. November 19, 2019, it reported on Linguistica International’s up to 20 minute wait times for OPI interpreters.

Covid interpreter dies from virus

Patty Sakal, an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter who interpreted Hawaii’s covid-19 news briefings, has passed away from the virus. She served as an interpreter for almost 40 years.

White House website localized

The White House’s website is again available in Spanish, after translation was put on pause during the Trump administration. Roanoke, Virginia television station WSLS reports “La Casa Blanca” went live on President Joe Biden’s first day in office.

AAA Translation and ProLingo launch app

Two language services providers (LSP) — AAA Translation and ProLingo — have come together to launch a conference interpreting app. The app also provides data metrics that show interpreting session interaction levels.

Danish bill requires sermon translation

A proposed law in Denmark requiring religious leaders translate their sermons into Danish may threaten religious freedom, Catholic News Agency reports. “In a Jan. 22 statement, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, president of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), objected to the bill demanding that all addresses in a liturgical setting are either given in Danish or made accessible in the language,” the organization writes. Latin hasn’t been required for Catholic masses since Vatican II so mass is typically heard in local languages; however, the Catholic Church in Denmark has expressed concerns about neighbor Muslim congregations, which often gather in Arabic.

iDISC receives ISO 27001

Barcelona-based translation provider iDISC is now ISO 27001 certified. ISO 27001 specifically examines information security — in other words, how safely the LSP guards its data. iDISC was already ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 certified.

 ZOO Digital hires Kaj

Localization provider ZOO Digital has hired Andreas Kaj as dubbing territory manager for the Nordics. Kaj previously worked for SDI Media.