Eureka
Language Services

Simultaneous Captioning

I can regularly type 110wpm, and captioning stenography software enables me to type near-verbatim content, which can be shared in real-time or delivered later. Clients are able to type their comments for me to voice on their behalf. Captioning is suitable for a variety of contexts including classrooms, court hearings, professional meetings, and celebratory events. 

Details

2008 Certificate in C-Print Captioning Software, Rochester Institute of Technology

ENG>ENG, ASL>ENG, SPAN>SPAN

Select list of clients

Beaver Local Schools

The Butler Art Institute

The Cleveland Clinic

Columbiana County Educational Service Center

Easter Seals of Trumbull, Mahoning, and Columbiana Counties

Eastern Gateway Community College (Jefferson Community College)

Franciscan University of Steubenville

Hope Christian Fellowship

Humility of Mary Health Partners

Kent State University

Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas

Mahoning County Educational Service Center

Ohio Alliance of Community Centers for the Deaf

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (Rehabilitation Services Commission)

Salem City Schools

Stark State University

Summit County Court of Common Pleas

Trumbull County Educational Service Center

The Youngstown Foundation

Youngstown Hearing & Speech Center

Youngstown State University 

Translation & Interpreting

Although I occasionally take interpreting assignments, I much prefer translating documents. The bulk of these have been transcripts, administrative records, website localization, and other Humanities-related content for private clients. My favorite translation projects involve poetry.  

Details

2003 BA in Spanish, Dordt University, Sioux Center, IA, USA

2003 Certificate in Spanish, Instituto de Lengua Española, San Francisco de Heredia, Costa Rica

2004 Post-BA Translation courses, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA

SPAN>ENG translating, SPAN<>ENG interpreting

Select list of clients

Jalisco's Mexican Restaurant

Salem City Health District

Salem City Schools

Shipping Services LLC

St. Paul Catholic Church

Youngstown Hearing & Speech Center

Copyediting

I also offer copyediting and proofreading services, predominantly in humanities and academic content.

English for Specific Purposes

I work with clients to assess their language goals, then create a course tailored for their context. Courses can be as short as one week or last an entire semester. Lessons can focus on listening & speaking, reading & writing, understanding grammar, specific genres like small talk or business English, and more. Learning activities and benchmark assessments reflect real-world expectations. I accommodate neurodiverse, nonliterate, and multilingual learners. 

Details

2004 Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA, USA

2019 MA in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA

Select (anonymized) clients                    

·   Chinese high school student in Zhejiang preparing for university in the United States - listening & speaking improvement; classroom expectations

·   Group of Chinese high school exchange students visiting Ohio - custom curriculum about US American history and cultural values; field trips to places of note

·   Mexican professor of English: expanded technical terminology and idioms; improved pronunciation clarity

·   Khmer nationals in Cambodia working with Indigenous tribes: terminology, genre conventions, and scripts for community aid outreach to local NGOs and to Northern European funders; Internet navigation skills and account set-up; improved listening & speaking proficiency

·   Mexican and Guatemalan migrant workers in Ohio: speaking fluency; reading & writing practice; local cultural customs

Travel Preparation

I offer cultural and logistical preparation to individuals and families preparing to vacation, work short-term, or relocate to other parts of the world. This can include information and/or full handling of travel, lodging, currency conversion, communication modalities, warning about mores & taboos, dress and speaking in public, overviews of religion and politics, medical and dietary concerns, and more. Most of my clients are US American high school or college exchange students, PR Chinese high school students coming to the US, and US American families moving to South America or the Middle East. However, I can offer consulting for other locations via my wider network of friends and colleagues. 

I began consulting nearly twenty years ago - before smartphones, Google, or Facebook. Although this service may seem unnecessary these days due to information on the Internet, facts do not equal knowledge or experience. Internet apps can take care of booking travel and lodging, but they can't help you understand what is most important to a community or how to be a good guest. The process of spending time in another culture is more fulfilling and less stressful when you have an idea of what to expect, how to behave, how to stay healthy, and where to find the things that you most enjoy.