Let’s talk about a word that gets thrown around way too often: fluent. You’ve seen it, probably even written it on your resume or LinkedIn: “Fluent in Thai and English.” But what does fluent even mean anymore? In the world of professional interpreting and translation, that word barely scratches the surface. As interpreters, linguists, and […]
Rootless Yet Rooted: The Strengths and Struggles of Third Culture Kids Growing up as a Third Culture Kid (TCK) is an experience shaped by constant transitions, cultural blending, and a sense of belonging to multiple places while simultaneously feeling like an outsider. As someone who grew up in the Middle East in an American household, […]
A thought-provoking story from Thailand has me reflecting on how we perceive linguistic authenticity. In the field of interpretation and translation, authenticity in language use is paramount. Adam Bradshaw, an American educator fluent in Thai, recently highlighted the trend of adopting foreign accents to appear sophisticated. He publicly criticized Thai people who speak Thai with […]