A team of Young Interpreters who speak a total of 12 different foreign languages between them have been helping other TCA students and staff with translation.

The Interpreters all wear purple ‘Young Interpreter’ badges on their school blazers and are on hand to act as buddies for students who have just started at school and do not speak English as their first language. They also help with support and translation around school.

Between them the Young Interpreters speak Lithuanian, Polish, Russian, Latvian, Portuguese, Slovak, Bengali, Hindi, Hungarian, Czech, Tagalog/Filipino and Tamil.

Young Interpreter Evelina Nipane, who is in Year 9 and speaks Russian, said: “I’ve been a Young Interpreter since I was in Year 8. I’ve spoken to quite a few students, they mainly ask me about things around the school and where things are.”

Young Interpreter Gertruda Danbrauskaite, who is in Year 9, said: “I get to meet students who speak Lithuanian, show them around the school and tell them all about it. I’ve been doing this since I was in Year 7.”

EMA Co-Ordinator Jelena Tjurina said: “All the Young Interpreters have had training. Students and members of staff can ask any of the 15 interpreters for help with translation.

“It is also nice as sometimes the students might feel more comfortable speaking to an interpreter who is another student rather than an adult.”

The full list of TCA Young Interpreters are:

Emanuel Malaquias (Year 8) – Portuguese

Redas Andrijauskas  (Year 9) – Lithuanian

Gertruda Dambrauskaite (Year 9) – Lithuanian

Marija Nausedaite (Year 9) – Lithuanian

Evelina Nipane(Year 9)  – Russian

Diana Rubene (Year 9) – Latvian

Bartek Ziabka (Year 9) – Polish

Erika Zukova (Year 9) – Lithuanian and Russian

Dominika Chamkova (Year 10) – Czech

Matas Koskinas (Year 10) – Lithuanian

Domantas Lip (Year 10) – Lithuanian

Agnius Petrusonis (Year 10) – Lithuanian

Jakub Ziabka (Year 10) – Polish

Rosandra Jankunaite (Year 11) – Lithuanian

Soraia Malaquais (Year 11) – Portuguese