On-Screen Talent

Language: Spanish
Country of Origin: El Salvador

Tell us something about the region of the country where you were born:
I was born in San Vicente, which is located in the heart of El Salvador, also called El Valle Del Jiboa due to the vast nature around the region.

Are there other languages spoken in your country of origin?
Spanish is spoken in most of the country; however a small fraction of the population still communicates in Nahualt & Poton.

Hobbies when not interpreting:
Working out, playing sports, walking the dog, reading.

Language: Portuguese
Country of Origin: Brazil

Tell us something about the region of the country where you were born:
I’m from Belo Horizonte (Brazil's third-largest metropolis, population: 1.4 million), state of Minas Gerais, South East region of the country. When most people think of Brazil, it goes something like this: Toes in the sands of Copacabana Beach in Rio… That's nice and all, but Brazil's beauty extends way beyond sun, sand and samba. In the interior state of Minas Gerais, Brazil's heartland beckons. This landlocked wonderland of rolling pastoral hills and postcard-perfect mountains is steeped in colonial history and boasts a culinary pedigree that counts itself among the South American giant's heartiest and richest.

What other countries speak the language?
Portuguese is an official language in ten countries:
Africa: Mozambique, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe
Asia: East Timor, Macau
Europe: Portugal
South America: Brazil 

Are there language variations within Brazil?
Not really, only moderate regional variations in accent, vocabulary, and use of personal nouns, pronouns, and verb conjugations.

Hobbies when not interpreting:
Creating recipes for meals with nutritious food. I enjoy exploring and enhancing my knowledge on ways to keep a healthy mind and body.

Language: Arabic
Country of Origin: Syria

Tell us something about the region of the country where you were born:
In Syria, there are many Arabic dialects due to its long history of multiculturalism and foreign imperialism. The dialects change according to the location of dweller: dwellers of the mountains, dwellers of the deserts, dwellers of farms & fields and you can identify the speaker by region from their dialect. Class and prestige is bestowed on dwellers of cities rather than other regions of the country. As more and more people move to the city, their dialects shift and change to reflect their new status!

What other countries speak the language?
Arabic is the official language in Syria but there are other language used such as Kurdish, Turkish, Aramaic, Circassian, Chechen, Armenian & Greek. Arabic is spoken in 22 Arab states that stretch from the Atlantic Ocean in the West to the Arabian Sea in the East, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the North to the Indian Ocean in the Southeast. Malta (Sicilian Arabic), Chad, Eritrea & Israel recognize Arabic as one of their official or working languages.

Hobbies when not interpreting:
Art! When I am not interpreting, I am making sculptures, Japanese weaving (Saori), origami, Arabic calligraphy, Asian Brush Painting, practicing yoga, hiking, listening to books, gardening, visiting museums and galleries, and watching a little bit of TV in the evening.

Language:  Vietnamese
Country of Origin: Vietnam

Tell us something about the region of the country where you were born:
- Vietnamese is the main spoken language in Vietnam, but there are three main dialects spoken in the North, Central, and South of Vietnam.
- Some Cambodian and Laotian might speak Vietnamese especially people in the borders.
- There is only one written Vietnamese language. There are some minorities, especially in the mountain of North Vietnam, who speak their own language.

Hobbies when not interpreting:
Baking and reading!

Language: Albanian
Country of Origin: Albania

Tell us something about the region of the country where you were born:
I was born in Tirana, the capital of Albania and moved to the US 23 years ago. I hold a BA in French Language and Literature from the University of Tirana, and a Master’s & CAGS in Psychology from Assumption College.

Are there other languages spoken in your country of origin?
Albanian is the official language and serves as the mother tongue of 99% of the population of the country. The Albanian language, called shqip or shqipe by Albanians, is of interest to linguists as a descendant of the extinct Illyrian tongue, it is the only surviving member of its branch of the Indo-European language family.

Are there language variations within your country?
There are several distinct dialects of Albanian. The two most widely spoken ones are the Tosk which is spoken in the south and the Gheg which is spoken by people in the north of Albania. In addition, Albanian is spoken mainly in the Balkan Peninsula by approximately five million people. It is the principal and co-official language of Kosovo (with Serbian), and the principal and co-official language of many western municipalities of the Republic of Macedonia (with Macedonian).

Hobbies when not interpreting:
Traveling, exercising, and dancing!