This is a public service announcement for Yokohama City. This week's edition is on the Volunteer Interpreter System.

Have there ever been times when you have wished you could ask something or have something explained to you in your own language? For example when following administrative procedures at the ward office or during parent teacher meetings at your child's school or home visits by your child's teacher.

Yokohama City has a free volunteer interpreter system for

situations involving administrative procedures,

parent teacher meetings at school,

home visits conducted by schools and

welfare facility entrance applications etc.

Interpreting is available in around 30 languages including English, Chinese, Korean and North Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Thai, French, Tagalog, Indonesian and Russian.

To use the service, please enquire at one of the following places.

• Yokohama Association for International Communications and Exchanges (YOKE)

• International Lounges in Aoba, Kanazawa, Konan, Kohoku, Tsurumi, or Hodogaya

Minami's 'Minami Shimin Katsudo Tabunka Kyosei Lounge'

Both the Yokohama Association for International Communications and Exchanges and International Lounges also provide consultation on daily living and information on international exchange. They also hold Japanese language classes.