Babel represents an advance for the team of director Alejandro Inarritu and writer Guillermo Arriaga over their previous collaboration, the needlessly convoluted 21 Grams. This is an intense, absorbing narrative of four stories which are connected in non-traditional ways. The audience is not aware of all of these connections until the end of the film; many of the characters never become aware of them.

One theme is how politics, language and cultural barriers, and the means to overcome them, have unintended consequences. For instance, how did international politics delay the medical treatment of a wounded American woman in Morocco? Was it also complicated by the use of sign language by a deaf-mute teenage girl in Japan? On top of this, how did the delay of treatment affect an undocumented Mexican woman's life in San Diego?

The film intercuts all of their stories in an exciting and original way, but the fracturing of the narrative can unsettle audiences. That's why it didn't hurt for these trailblazing filmmakers to have a little of the showman in them. The film is front-loaded with mega-star power (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett), fair-haired moppets in peril, hot Japanese schoolgirl outfits and, to nail it down, the supremely appealing Adriana Barraza as the Mexican woman. Smart moves all. If you're going to demand so much of an audience, give them candy in every bite.

Afterwards, one is forced to think of the ways modern technology creates new interdependencies between people, even if they live on different continents and will never meet each other.




The N.Y. Times had an interesting article (12/27/06, B7) concerning how immigrant children are tested in English proficiency as part of the No Child Left Behind law. It seems the law requires testing of third and fourth graders who may have been in the school for only a year. This often lowers the overall test scores for the school, and can mean the loss of federal money. But isn't the purpose of the law to evaluate how the school is performing? Advocates of the law say that you need a basis to compare the child's progress, and that it helps the child to have that as soon as possible. Opponents contend that a poor score will stigmatize the child, and actually slow the learning process. An additional factor is the community's image to prospective homebuyers who may choose to live in a district where the schools have highest scores.

Although the legal implications remain open to debate, one thing is certain: the law is forcing us to re-examine assumptions about the necessary language skills of an educated person in this country. All children, no matter what their native language, need to begin acquiring those skills while they are young. If language barriers prevent the child from learning them, how will that person be able to live independently after graduating from high school? This is a problem today, and it will only get worse without a new approach in public education. I will be addressing this issue in the future. I would like to hear from teachers and others involved in bi-lingual education.

Let me take a moment to introduce myself.

My name is Michael Scott, and I live in New York City. My small circle includes my family, office colleagues, some long-standing friends.

As an Administrative Law Judge for New York State, I hold fair hearings about a person's right to various entitlement benefits. I work hard, but I enjoy the intensity, the contact with people telling their stories. Many of them speak in foreign languages, and often a professional interpreter is needed. I have been impressed with their overall professionalism under difficult circumstances.

Many of them are concerned that the job of interpreter or translator can never be a lifetime career that can support a family. They are hopeful, but until now few of them could say they had job security.

I believe that is changing now, and it is mostly due to globalization. The computer has vastly increased the rate of business activity. Nowadays, traditional business owners operate with the expectation that they can reach consumers anywhere in the world. Their products and services can reach people who speak different languages, and all that needs to be done is to communicate with them in their language.

Of course that has been true for decades. Walt Disney movies have long been popular throughout the world, even though the same animated characters speak different languages when shown in other countries. But it is all happening much faster now. That's why the opportunities for language interpreters have improved so much. It is unpredictable, but also exciting because the skill of being bi-lingual is such an advantage today.

That, in brief, is my perspective. I will be writing about the interpreting profession during this period of change. I hope that many of you will send me your own opinions and experiences. Various friends and language professionals will do "guest" blogs in this space, and you should be reading interviews with people whom I believe are "leading the way" into the future.

Finally, you should be learning some things about me as well. No, not because of popular demand, but because I just want to get my ideas across. Or just talk about things that annoy or delight me. Until next time, I wish all of you happy holidays!

Welcome to The Interpreters' Group!

This blog will be dedicated to serving those interested in the profession of foreign language interpreting and translating. Given the need for global communication in today's economy, we are sure there will be a lot to discuss. To sign up as a professional interpreter, please visit our website at

www.interpretersgroup.com.