The Language Bank
What is The Language Bank?
The Language Bank is a free service provided by the Rutgers University School of Arts and Sciences. Its mission is to provide high-quality translation and interpreting services to local non-profits, social services organizations, and outreach initiatives. The program provides our volunteers – Rutgers students, staff, and faculty – with the opportunity to engage with and serve the local community.
How does it work?
Prospective clients create an account to enroll in the program, and then submit a description of a translation project. We evaluate the project to ensure it is appropriate for The Language Bank and, if so, match it with a volunteer translator/interpreter. High-stakes projects or those requiring certified translations or under tight deadlines are not suitable for The Language Bank.
Translator or Interpreter?
Translators work with “written material”, that is, they translate and adapt written content from one language to another. Examples are creating and adjusting subtitles for a movie, localizing a website or translating a contract.
Interpreters, on the other side, work with “oral or sign language”, helping people with different languages to communicate. There are interpreters working in hospitals, in court and in international settings such as press conferences or meetings.