A student has grown up with parents from different cultures. Most of her school and social life requires her to be fluent and literate in English, but living in Japan and speaking mostly Japanese at home have required her to be fluent in Japanese as well. In addition, her interactions with her mother’s extended family are in Spanish. She often finds herself translating between these languages to facilitate communication between her family and friends.

A student has been studying a foreign language consistently through the grade levels of his schooling, developing fluency and literacy. While traveling, the student has been able to use this foreign language not just to get around, but to learn from guides and translate for other friends and family members. Talking with locals in their language has allowed him to understand more of the culture than he might otherwise have had access to.

While interning with an NGO, a student was asked to translate the organization’s website so their materials could be presented in multiple languages. This required more than casual or colloquial translation, but a conscientious effort to convey the organization’s message and tone within an appropriately professional register. Understanding the needs of the organization also required the student to practice oral fluency in questioning to learn and clarify the requirements of the project.