I have an internship at a Latino Community Center where I help interpret for some students as they interact with the elderly. I interpret instructions for exercises and I'm the general gateway of communication between the students and the elderly as well as the staff. What I've learned there has been unexpected and my understanding of the world has changed significantly.
Interpreting is great but sometimes it can go wrong
Now I haven't caused an international incident between dignitaries by not being able to interpret but sometimes the job can be challenging. If you don't know a certain word, it can throw the entire sentence off and you feel like you can't do your job. Other times you totally nail it and you feel like you're actually being helpful. But like most things you have to do it with confidence instead of waiting to make a mistake.
Old people speak quietly
When they speak in your second language really softly with some Leonardo Favio blasting against your ears, you feel a little disappointed when you have to just smile and nod. But it helps pick up what younger Spanish speakers are saying.
People with bigger mouths are easier to hear
I don't mean this in a mean way but I think that people with larger mouths just use more sound whether they mean to or not. And when they only speak Spanish it's nice to hear things clearly especially when they are older.
Spanish is another language
Yeah, funny enough, Spanish isn't English. What I mean by that is that the structure of Spanish sentences are not exactly like English ones. Thankfully it usually doesn't throw me off so I just add it to my education and start to incorporate it in my own speech.
I learned how to play Dominoes
It's exactly as simple as it looks. For whatever reason I thought it was more complex but it's a nice, relaxing game.
American History
Some people at the center were over 100 years and it's great to see and learn about their stories. It was even more interesting to hear the stories of the people there. Some fought in Korea, others worked in Texas for generations and then moved to Wisconsin, others escaped the poverty and oppression of countries like Cuba. It's really great to hear family histories and travel through time with these people as they came to America and how they watch it change throughout the years.
The elderly appreciate seeing young people
After some pinched cheeks and familial comparisons, you realize that the elderly like your company. I think that's something we need to remember. Now, these people don't live there but the importance is that at that age, people have come in and out of their lives. Their youth is a distant memory and we probably remind them of things they haven't thought of in a long time. As long as I can help, I don't mind.
