Americans Against Language Barriers

12/11/2025

Did you know there’s no exact translation for the word “gigil” in English?
It's related to “apapacho” in Spanish, but not quite. “Gigil” is Tagalog and roughly translates to "cuteness aggression".

It's that feeling that you get when you see something cute and you just want to squeeze it! You might feel like clenching your teeth and your hands.

We thank Kelly Henriquez, Interpreter Trainer on our team at AALB, for sharing this Tagalog word with us.

Do you want to learn more untranslatable words that make our work so powerful? Hit that 💖, follow for more and share your untranslatable word with us.

12/02/2025

Oops!
Our last post had a tiny human error, but luckily, we have the best backup. Zeke, the adorable and loyal sidekick of our Interpreter Trainer, Robin Ragan, sniffed out the right data and is here to the rescue! 🦸‍♂️🐶

He took it upon himself to correct this edition of our “Pet of the Month” series to make sure we learn how to say “dog” correctly in the most widely spoken languages in the U.S.

Swipe to see the corrected info (Zeke-approved, of course). 👉🦴

Do you have a furry friend too? Drop a photo in the comments.

Let's celebrate connection: human, animal, and everything between.

Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau. (2022). Nearly 68 Million People Spoke a Language Other Than English at Home in 2019 (ACS Data). Retrieved from: https://www.unesco.org/es/communication-information/data-center?hub=370

Cambridge Dictionary. (2024). https://dictionary.cambridge.org/es/

11/26/2025

Your bilingual skills can open doors and change lives. Train with AALB.

Join us this Thursday, December 4th by registering now at www.AALB.org/register or through the link in our bio.

11/21/2025

At AALB, our mission is to train qualified medical interpreters to ensure everyone can access safe, effective healthcare.
If you speak Thai and English, you can make a real difference.
Train with us and become a professional medical interpreter: www.aalb.org/register

Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). American Community Survey (ACS). U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved November 11, 2025, from https://www.census.gov/acs

CCHI - Healthcare Interpreter Registry: https://cchi.learningbuilder.com/ . Retrieved November 20, 2025.

NBCMI Interpreter Registry: https://www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org/search-cmi-registry. Retrieved November 20, 2025.

11/07/2025

Your bilingual skills can open doors and change lives. Train with AALB.

Join us this Monday, November 10th by registering now at www.AALB.org/register or through the link in our bio.

11/03/2025

In Spanish we say "cafecito," "cochecito," "corazoncito"… but do you know why?

A story that intertwines Latin, Náhuatl, and the way we understand the world. Swipe to discover it.

Sources:
La influencia del sustrato en la gramática…Hemos querido poner en tela de juicio un artículo de sobre la influencia gramatical del sustrato náhuatl.https://algarabia.com/la-influencia-del-sustrato-en-la-gramatica-del-espanol-mexicano/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Los nahuatlismos en el español de México byIngrid Petkova (2011)
"Posible influencia del náhuatl en el uso y abuso del diminutivo en el español de México" J. Ignacio Dávila Garibi. UNAM.

10/23/2025

Your bilingual skills can open doors and change lives.
Train with AALB.

Join us this Sunday, October 26th. by registering now at www.AALB.org/register or through the link in our bio.

10/16/2025

Attention dog lovers and language enthusiasts!
Our ‘Pet of the Month’ series is back.

This time, our friend Léo bring us a French lesson about dogs presence in that language.
👉 Swipe to learn more.
💬 Do you have a furry friend too? Drop a photo of your pet in the comments.
Let’s celebrate connection: human, animal, and everything in between.

Sources: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS). (n.d.). Chien. In Trésor de la langue française informatisé (TLFi). CNRTL. https://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/chien

Larousse. (n.d.). Chien. In Dictionnaire de français en ligne. https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/chien

10/10/2025

10/10/2025

Volunteer as a courtroom observer to protect language access: https://www.aalb.org/law

Every single person in the United States is entitled to due process and equal protections, but what happens when the justice system does not communicate in your language?

Join the Language Access Watch and protect the human and civil rights of Deaf and limited English people across the United States.

10/02/2025

Honoring Dr. Jane Goodall, whose research invited us to rethink the limits of language. By illuminating signals and relationships across species, she proved that understanding can cross boundaries we once assumed were fixed.

May her legacy inspire us all to keep opening paths of connection.

10/01/2025

Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/HxaGIKJwQv-dAIEjSe9NDg

Illinois State Representative Dr. Theresa Mah will join AALB for a moderated conversation on state-level protections for people with language barriers. We will open with a plain-English briefing on federal civil rights and the right to language access in the justice system. After that briefing, Representative Dr. Theresa Mah will take the stage for the conversation, followed by questions from the virtual audience.

We will then present the Language Access Watch 12-month plan and conduct a volunteer onboarding so participants can begin the process of taking on defined roles and commitments. The rollout begins in Chicago with an in-person cohort. Remote volunteer opportunities will be available. Expansion to at least three additional cities within three months will be guided by volunteer interest.