Americans Against Language Barriers

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Americans Against Language Barriers

AALB is a nonprofit dedicated towards improving the quality of life of those with language barriers. Learn more by visiting the our website at www.AALB.org.

Americans Against Language Barriers (AALB) is a charity that is dedicated to improving the quality of life of deaf and limited English populations. We help address the shortage of professional interpreters by training medical interpreters with an extremely high degree of efficacy; our medical interpreter training course is accepted by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters, the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters, and the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. AALB works to connect trained interpreters to volunteer their time in an effort to help other charities, such as free health clinics, provide free services reach those with language barriers. Through these efforts, we hope to improve both the quality of healthcare and healthcare access for patients with barriers to care. In addition, we are working to help protect the civil rights of those with language barriers by defending the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Nondiscrimination Provision of the Affordable Care Act; AALB is facilitating systematic change to work towards greater equality of access to essential services for deaf and limited English populations.

03/06/2026

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

Join us this Sunday, March 8th by registering now at www.AALB.org/register or through the link in our bio.

02/26/2026

Did you know there’s no exact translation for the Russian word “bespredel” in English?
Born in the Russian language, bespredel emerged to describe the atmosphere of lawlessness and moral collapse that followed the dissolution of the USSR in the 1990s.

Common approximations like “absolute impunity” or “arbitrariness” are only partial echoes, close, yet not quite enough. But they don’t fully convey the complete weight of ideas embedded in bespredel: unchecked power, moral collapse, boundless chaos, and the absence of limits.

This struggle to carry the full weight of meaning across languages is both the magic and the challenge of what we do.

Special thanks to Irina Fleming for sharing this powerful word with us and sparking today’s reflection.

Want to explore more untranslatable words that remind us why our work matters so much?
Like, follow for more, and share your favorite untranslatable word with us.

02/18/2026

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

Join us this Thursday, February 19th by registering now at www.AALB.org/register or through the link in our bio.

02/13/2026

Save the date!
We’re excited to announce our 2nd Joint Lurie Children’s & AALB Conference, the 2026 edition is here!
A transformative event exploring:

True Language Access: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow https://aalb.org/conference-2026

An engaging journey that explores the roots, the present, and the future of language access in healthcare.

Designed for emerging and experienced professionals alike, this conference brings together medical interpreters, healthcare providers, advocates, and language access professionals to learn, connect, and shape the future of language access.

02/10/2026

The knock sounds the same, but the world hears it differently. Same door. Different languages.
Onomatopoeias change across languages.

How do you knock in your language?

01/30/2026

Today we decided to explore phrases that, when translated from their original language, either make absolutely no sense or sound incredibly funny.

It's a perfect reminder that true communication is about capturing meaning, not just swapping words.

What's a phrase that only makes sense in your language and you always find yourself explaining? Drop it in the comments!

01/23/2026

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

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

01/20/2026

Did you know there’s no exact translation for the word “apapacho” in English?
This word has a very visual origin, linked to the banana and the shape of its leaf.

Banana leaves are large and heavy. When they don't have enough water or it's very hot, they bend and droop languidly to the ground. This is where the analogy with a person who lacks the strength to stand upright or be active comes from.

These kind of words remind us that language isn’t about just communication, it’s about connection, care, and culture.

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

01/15/2026

Shiro explains how technology is helping break language barriers and changing how living beings communicate.

Thank you to our trainer Kelly Henríquez for sharing Shiro’s photo and button communication setup.

Sources:
Amici, F., Caicoya, A. L., & Monsó, S. (2025). How do soundboard-trained dogs respond to human button presses? An investigation into word comprehension. PLOS ONE, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0315555

Bastiaansen, C. (2025). When dogs talk: Technologically mediated human-dog interactions as semiotic assemblages. Signs and Society, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1086/723868
Hunger, C. (2020). How Stella Learned to Talk: The Groundbreaking Story of the World’s First Talking Dog. William Morrow.

12/31/2025

Thank you for standing with the AALB community as we work to improve lives through language access.
Happy New Year! We can’t wait to see what we’ll accomplish together in 2026.

12/30/2025

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

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

12/29/2025

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

This time, our friend Jackie, the sweet and intelligent sidekick of our Interpreter trainer, Yuliya Speroff, traced the origin of the English language.

Swipe to learn more.
Do you have a furry friend too? Drop a photo in the comments.
Let’s celebrate connection: human, animal, and everything in between.

Sources:
Baugh, A. C., & Cable, T. (2013). A history of the English language (6th ed.). Routledge.

Address

1 East Erie Street
Chicago, IL
60611

Website

http://aalb.org/

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