[cg] Fwd: Re: Working with ESL and Gardening

**L* B* <B*@Ag.Arizona.Edu>**

>Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 12:23:16 -0700
>To: community_garden@ag.arizona.edu
>From: Stanley Call F98 <calls@alpha.whittier.edu> (by way of Lucy Bradley 
><bradleyl@ag.arizona.edu>)
>Subject: Re: Working with ESL and Gardening
>
>I am glad that to see other people thinking about multilingual access
>because it reminds me of needed tasks in my community's garden. Though I
>have requested translations of our rules, contract, and flyers by
>volunteers, I haven't followed up. We did get one flyer translated.
>So these suggestions will soon be taken by me for the Whittier Community
>Gardens:
>1. Learn the major second language of your community so you can translate
>both written material AND serve as translator during meetings and garden
>events
>2. Make contact with bi/multi-lingual community members and ask for their
>help in translation
>3. Follow up on your contacts. Offer them gifts for their services/show
>your appreciation
>4. If your garden has a sign that is already only in one language, build a
>new bilingual one or add on to the existing one a sign that is in the
>major second language. If you haven't yet made a sign then be sure to
>include space in your designs for both major languages or more and ask
>around for help in translation to make sure it is done right
>5. Try making your gardens a space for cultural events and celebrations of
>the cultures of different people in your community
>6. If you don't yet know the second language, find someone willing to
>translate. Have meetings in the garden where people outside can see you.
>Conduct and advertise the meetings and demonstrations in both languages,
>and make a sign/s in both languages out of available materials to display,
>welcoming more people to participate
>
>Conducting meetings/presentations
>In speaking, it is best to pause for a translation every couple of
>sentences. This gives the translator a chance to digest what has been said
>and translate a segment at a time, and it allows people to know what's
>going on or ask questions without waiting too long.
>
>Check into buying translation devices--somebody still has to know how to
>translate, but people who only speak one language can wear radio receivers
>with earphones and the translator can speak into a transmitter. If you are
>short on funding don't hesitate to try special fundraising for this
>purpose. These devices work really well. I haven't used them in the garden
>but the LA Bus Riders Union uses them at all their meetings and it is
>amazing how much it improves communication and understanding among
>cultures.
>
>Also consider a sign language interpreter if there may be a need.

Lucy K. Bradley
Extension Agent, Urban Horticulture
Maricopa County
The University of Arizona
Cooperative Extension
4341 E Broadway Rd.
Phoenix, AZ  85040-8807

Phone:  (602) 470-8086 ext 323
Fax:  (602) 470-8092
email:  BradleyL@ag.arizona.edu
http://ag.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/

_______________________________________________
community_garden maillist  -  community_garden@mallorn.com
https://secure.mallorn.com/mailman/listinfo/community_garden