And, further, how do they know that the "interpreters" they hire aren't in the pockets of the drug dealers they're supposed to be chasing?
On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 4:02 PM, Martin Baxter <martinbaxt...@gmail.com>wrote: > Keith... if the link weren't there, I'd be thinking that it's April 1st. > > > On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 2:29 PM, Keith Johnson > <keithbjohn...@comcast.net>wrote: > >> >> >> http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/dea-seeks-ebonics-experts-597842.html >> >> By GREG BLUESTEIN >> >> The Associated Press >> >> ATLANTA — Federal agents are seeking to hire Ebonics translators to help >> interpret wiretapped conversations involving targets of undercover drug >> investigations. >> >> The Drug Enforcement Administration recently sent memos asking companies >> that provide translation services to help it find nine translators in the >> Southeast who are fluent in Ebonics, Special Agent Michael Sanders said >> Monday. >> >> Ebonics, which is also known as African American Vernacular English, has >> been described by the psychologist who coined the term as the combination of >> English vocabulary with African language structure. >> >> Some DEA agents already help translate Ebonics, Sanders said. But he said >> wasn't sure if the agency has ever hired outside Ebonics experts as >> contractors. >> >> "They saw a need for this in a couple of their investigations," he said. >> "And when you see a need — it may not be needed now — but we want the >> contractors to provide us with nine people just in case." >> >> The DEA's decision, first reported by The Smoking Gun, evokes memories of >> the debate sparked in 1996 when the Oakland, Calif., school board suggested >> that black English was a separate language. Although the board later dropped >> the suggestion amid criticism, it set off a national discussion over whether >> Ebonics is a language, a dialect or neither. >> >> The search for translators covers a wide swath of the Southeast, including >> offices in Atlanta, Washington, New Orleans, Miami and the Caribbean, said >> Sanders. He said he's uncertain why other regions aren't hiring Ebonics >> translators, but said there are ongoing investigations in the Southeast that >> need dedicated Ebonics translators. >> >> Linguists said Ebonics can be trickier than it seems, partly because the >> vocabulary evolves so quickly. >> >> "A lot of times people think you're just dealing with a few slang words, >> and that you can finesse your way around it," said John Rickford, a Stanford >> University linguistics professor. "And it's not — it's a big vocabulary. >> You'll have some significant differences" from English. >> >> Critics worry that the DEA's actions could set a precedent. >> >> "Hiring translators for languages that are of questionable merit to begin >> with is just going in the wrong direction," said Aloysius Hogan, the >> government relations director of English First, a national lobbying group >> that promotes the use of English. >> >> "I'm not aware of Ebonics training schools or tests. I don't know how >> they'd establish that someone speaks Ebonics," he said. "I support the >> concept of pursuing drug dealers if they're using code words, but this is >> definitely going in the wrong direction." >> >> H. Samy Alim, a Stanford linguistics professor who specializes in black >> language and hip-hop culture, said he thought the hiring effort was a joke >> when he first heard about it, but that it highlights a serious issue. >> >> "It seems ironic that schools that are serving and educating black >> children have not recognized the legitimacy of this language. Yet the >> authorities and the police are recognizing that this is a language that they >> don't understand," he said. "It really tells us a lot about where we are >> socially in terms of recognizing African-American speech." >> >> Rickford said that hiring Ebonics experts could come in handy for the DEA, >> but he said it's hard to determine whether a prospective employee can speak >> it well enough to translate since there are no standardized tests. He said >> the ideal candidate would be a native speaker who also has had some >> linguistics training. >> >> Finding the right translators could be the difference between a successful >> investigation or a failed one, said Sanders. While he said many listeners >> can get the gist of what Ebonics speakers are saying, it could take an >> expert to define it in court. >> >> "You can maybe get a general idea of what they're saying, but you have to >> understand that this has to hold up in court," he said. "You need someone to >> say, 'I know what they mean when they say 'ballin' or 'pinching pennies.'" >> >> (This version CORRECTS Corrects name of DEA to 'Administration' instead of >> 'Agency.') >> >> > > > > -- > "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell > wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik > -- "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
