SC Upstate’s First Comprehensive Language Service
Beginnings
Founder
AccuLingua founder Orlando González is a man of many skills. Over the course of his life, he has served as a high school principal, a paramedic, a nursing instructor, and a national trainer in the fields of management, human resources, health, education, and interpretation. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, he pursued undergrad and graduate degrees in the U.S., eventually completing a B.A., an M.S. in Education, an M.B.A., and an Ed.D, as well as certifications in translation and interpreting. As a pioneer in the field of interpretation, he developed a training curriculum for medical interpreters, which is now approved by The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters and the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters. Dr. González has extensive experience as a traveling speaker and trainer and is known for his passion and sense of humor.
AccuLingua Origin Story
Dr. González started AccuLingua in 2002, in response to the need for interpreters and translators in the healthcare system. As an experienced educator, he created a training curriculum which eventually became the nationally approved, as federal healthcare authorities began to establish industry standards. He soon started training legal interpreters as well, developing the only curriculum currently approved by the SC chief justice.
Growth
Since 2002, AccuLingua has grown into a multi-state operation, serving clients in SC, NC, and GA, and providing courses and seminars in other locations by request. With more than 500 trained interpreters and translators working in 300+ languages and a wide range of courses, AccuLingua provides comprehensive language services. AccuLingua contractors are ATA (American Translation Association) certified, and AccuLingua courses prepare legal and medical interpreters for their national certification test.
Our core values of courtesy, compassion, consideration, and competence drive everything we do. We are dedicated to excellence and committed to service.
Our passion is communication with understanding.
Meet our Team Members
Kathy Casillas Burget
Kathy Casillas Burget is a bilingual administrator and educator with more than 20 years of experience in education administration and teaching English as a second language. She’s had the privilege of teaching English to CEOs, banking, manufacturing, and retail professionals, as well as students in all walks of life. She has taught students from over 10 Latin American countries, the Caribbean islands, and Spain. She enjoys teaching, tutoring, and getting to know her students whether in private lessons or in small groups. Kathy served as the administrator of a small college in Puerto Rico which opened the door for a variety of experiences both in and out of academic settings. In the early 90’s, she taught English in a Korean Language Institute in the city of Seoul and enjoyed her introduction to Asian culture. Kathy’s holds a degree in Secondary Education and a certificate from the Royal Society of Arts in the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language to Adults. She is nationally certified as a Health and Human Services Interpreter and is currently pursuing a certification in legal interpretation.
Elizabeth Garrett
Elizabeth Garrett was born to missionaries serving in Colombia, South America. She grew up fully bilingual, with an appreciation for cultures and people. After graduating high school, Elizabeth attended Tabernacle Baptist Bible College in Greenville, SC and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. She taught in a Christian school and privately tutored students. Seeking new opportunities, Elizabeth enrolled in the Medical Interpretation Training Classes taught by Dr. Orlando Gonzaléz at Greenville Technical College, and at Dr. Gonzaléz’s encouragement, she took the CCHI written and oral exams and became a certified Spanish interpreter. Elizabeth began working as an interpreter for AccuLingua Communications in March 2015. In August 2015, she became the coordinator and manager of AccuLingua. Elizabeth maintains her CCHI certification and continues to take advantage of opportunities to learn and grow in the world of medical interpretation and translation. Elizabeth stays actively involved in church ministries with the Spanish-speaking people.
What People Are Saying About Us
Taking the medical interpretation class gave me a feel of what is like to be working around medical staff. The vocabulary that was given and explained to me was very relevant in the exam and so was the code of ethics. I also learned many techniques that helped me study. I always talk about Acculingua when I see that somebody else is interested in becoming a medical interpreter. I learned many great things while taking this class: THANK YOU!
–Shelsea, Greenville, SC