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Language Access Resource Center (LARC)

ABOUT LARC

LARC was founded in 2005 and was developed out of the interest expressed by health and human services organizations to find a cost-effective way to meet the language access needs of their Limited English Proficient patients and clients.  LARC has three main goals that guide its activities:

 

  • To create a pooled resource of trained interpreters for health, human service, legal and educational organizations.

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  • To provide health care, human service, legal, and/or education focused interpreter training for organizations.

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  • To provide consultation services for health care, legal and human service organizations regarding language assistance services and cultural competencies in their institutions.

 

LARC offers an array of services in order to meet the needs of a fast-growing immigrant population.

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Services

SERVICES

LARC's services include face-to-face interpreting, virtual interpreting, telephonic interpreting, translations, training and consulting.

Doctor's Appointment

In-person Interpreting

In-person interpreting is the traditional form of interpreting that most people imagine when they think of language interpreting.  It is the verbal communication of meaning from one language to another and all parties involved, including the interpreter are in-person, or face-to-face.

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Historically, our customers use face-to-face interpreting services for medical appointments, legal situations and parent-teacher conferences.  Face-to-face interpreting is effective for almost any situation in which two or more individuals need to communicate in languages unfamiliar to the other. 

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Online Workshop

Interpreter Training

The LARC Interpreter Training Program has been reformatted to meet the needs of learners during the COVID-19 pandemic.  As a result, current trainings are presented in an online format with classes held on Zoom.  

 

Topics include:

  • Interpreter ethics and values

  • Importance of culture and its impact on interpreting

  • Techniques and skills

  • Legislation and regulations

  • Basic medical, legal and educational terminology

  • And more


All LARC students and interpreters receive a formal assessment of language proficiency in English and the interpreter's target language.

Video Conference

Virtual Interpreting

Virtual interpreting is when two or more parties need to communicate in different languages and some or none of the parties, including the interpreter, are physically present.

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During the pandemic, schools found virtual interpreting to be an effective way to conduct IEP meetings and for teachers to communicate with non-English speaking parents who need support as they assist their children with remote learning.  

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We have provided training and guidance to our local interpreters on the nuances of effectively interpreting via virtual platforms and apps.

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Professional Development Workshops

In an effort to provide local interpreters with opportunities to enhance their professional development, LARC provides continuing education workshops on a minimum quarterly basis.  With the move towards more virtual learning, continuing education workshops can be attended by more than just local interpreters.

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Previous workshops included interpreting for immigration, education, mental and behavioral health and social services with topics covering, public benefits, special education, Illinois Department of Human Services, and more.

 

LARC is also able to develop workshops to meet the needs of our clients.

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Phone Operator

Telephonic Interpreting

Similar to virtual interpreting, telephonic interpreting is when two individuals who do not speak the same language communicate through the use of an interpreter and a  phone.

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Translations

Translation is the written communication of information from one language to another.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic many of our healthcare and school customers have been utilizing this service for the translation of important COVID-19 related information for their parents, visitors, and patients.

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New Hires

Staff Training

Many organizations use a combination of contract, telephonic, and staff interpreters to meet the needs of their Limited English Proficient clients. It is not unusual for organizations to ask bilingual staff to serve as 'ad hoc' interpreters. 

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The key to successful implementation of an interpreter program in any organization is for the organization’s staff to be trained on how, when, and why it is important to recognize when an interpreter may be needed for a patient or client.  Or when one of the other options will be adequate.  LARC provides this type of training.

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In addition, for organizations that heavily utilize ad hoc interpreters, we have provided shortened versions of our interpreter training course.

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LARC - Conact Us

For more information on any of our services, please contact us by calling LARC at 630-782-7544 or submitting the form below.

Languages

CONTACT US

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LANGUAGES

LARC is currently able to provide interpreters for the languages listed below. If languages other than the ones listed are needed, LARC makes every effort to find qualified interpreters and/or translators.  Interpreters are assessed, trained, and certified by LARC, but they provide services as independent contractors for LARC. 

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The list of languages is continually expanding, with particular focus on recruiting interpreters who speak the languages of the area's refugee populations. Please contact LARC to request an Interpreter for a language not listed below.

Albanian
Greek
Romanian
Arabic
Gujarati
Russian
ASL
Hindi
Serbian
Assyrian
Hungarian
Somali
Bantu
Italian
Spanish
Bosnian
Kinyarwanda
Sudanese
Bulgarian
Korean
Swahili
Burmese
Kurundi
Tajik
Cantonese
Lithuanian
Taiwanese
Chinese
Mandarin
Toishanese
Croatian
Nepali
Ukrainian
Dari
Persian
Urdu
Farsi/Persian
Polish
Uzbek
French
Punjabi
Vietnamese
Resources

RESOURCES

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