NABC’s In-Language Initiative creates glossary of translated industry terms

July 21, 2011

SALT LAKE CITY, July 21, 2011—The National Auto Body Council’s (NABC) In-Language Initiative committee on Wednesday announced it has created a glossary of collision industry terms, translating them from Spanish to English.

The In-Language Initiative, which was approved during the NABC board meeting Nov. 2, 2010, is meant to provide non-English speakers equal access to industry training, service and product resources.

The committee will initially focus on the Spanish-speaking community because they represent the largest and fastest growing immigrant community in the United States, said to Karen Fierst, board member and in-language advisor for the NABC. Twenty percent of mechanical and collision repair technicians are of Hispanic decent—many of which are non-English speakers.

There are many issues that need to be addressed to improve industry communication with non-native English speakers, Fierst said. The committee identified that creating a glossary of terms that translate Spanish to English would be the best preliminary first step to address the issue.

The committee created translations for about 4,400 industry terms. The glossary is a combination of the Collision Industry Conference’s (CIC) glossary of terms, which has existed for more than 10 years, with the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence’s (ASE) Spanish-English dictionary.

The glossary will be available to the industry for free on the NABC website by mid-August, according to Fierst.

“Over the next six months, we’re going to promote the existence of this tool,” Fierst said. “We’re going to survey the industry to evaluate the usage of this tool.”

The project is funded by the Alliance of Automotive Service Professionals’ (AASP) “Industry Improvement Grant”. NABC’s In-Language Initiative committee was one of two entities to receive the grant in 2011, Fierst said.

Members of the In-Language Initiative committee include:
• Karen Fierst, NABC board member
• Javier Avalos, Ina Road Auto Collision
• Al Estorga, Estorga’s Collision Repair
• German Mejia, I-CAR Southeast Regional Manager
• Gene Lopez, I-CAR Southwest Regional Manager
• Denise Pina, Brea Auto Body
• Ben Mendoza, Kelly's Body Shop

Visit autobodycouncil.org for more information.
 

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