Thanks for your interest in the Language Bank. Our goal is to help you successfully engage with the many populations in our area who speak languages other than English.
In order to submit a project, you will first need to enroll in the Language Bank program. This will enable you to request new services without having to fill in your personal information every time. To get started, follow these steps:
1. Go to Create Account in the upper menu and create an account in our Language Bank system.
2. Once the account is created, Log In as a non-Rutgers member.
3. The first time you log in, you will need to enroll in the Language Bank program. Go to the menu Sign Up and select Translation and Interpreting Services.
Once logged in and enrolled, you will be able to submit new requests, as well as access the dashboard to check current and past requests.
For detailed instructions on other functionalities of the Language Bank, please refer to our Canvas site.
Important Information
Before you request a translation or interpreting service, please read our disclaimer. This is not a professional service and therefore not appropriate for legal, medical, confidential or other similar applications. We recommend reading the guide “Translation - getting it right” to better understand how translation and interpreting services work. Individuals or organizations needing translation or interpreting services should take into account the following:
Proficiency in a second or native language does not mean that one is qualified to serve as an interpreter or a translator.
Usually undergraduate students are unlikely to have the training necessary to provide quality interpreting services. In some cases, students could be trained to take on the tasks associated with what is sometimes described as “language mediation,” which may involve spending time with individuals who need assistance understanding certain procedures (for example, filling out a form, renting an apartment, or registering their children for programs). However, even this type of task requires preparation.
Please finalize your texts before sending them for translation. This will avoid unnecessary later changes and communication overload.
The use of Machine Translation services such as Google Translate or DeepL is still imperfect. If you decide to use them, we ask that you do not use The Language Bank to post-edit the texts.
In order to provide high-quality translation or interpreting services, it is essential to understand the context and the purpose of the text or assignment. When you request a service, please provide the translator and interpreter with any relevant information and resources.
Communication with the client is essential, so please be open and available to answer any questions the translator or interpreter might have.
As an academic unit of Rutgers University, the Language Center supports and promotes recognized professional translation and interpreting standards. A core tenet of professional organizations for translators and interpreters, including the American Translators Association (ATA) and the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC), is that anyone performing interpreting or translation services must be qualified and adequately compensated.
In many cases, all stakeholders are best served by consulting the directories of qualified translators and interpreters available here:
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE BANK SERVICES DISCLAIMER
*The Language Bank is a service provided by the Language Center that partners volunteer faculty, staff and students from Rutgers University who are interested in providing unofficial translation and interpreter services with campus and community agencies who need translation or interpretation services. The Language Bank is not a professional translation or interpreting service and, therefore will not provide any certification. The Language Bank provides no warranty and accepts no responsibility for the accuracy or the completeness of any translation or interpreting service. Neither Rutgers University nor the volunteer translators or interpreters working within the Language Bank will be responsible for any reliance or negative consequences resulting from their services. Accordingly, translation or interpreter services provided by The Language Bank should not be used for any official or legal purpose. Individuals and agencies that use the Language Bank agree to the disclosure of confidential information that may be contained in source material being translated or interpreted.
