ABSTRACT
The interpreters It was appreciation of the important role inter preting would play in the Conquest that led Columbus to take two interpreters on his first voyage: Rodrigo de Jerez had spent some time in Guinea, while Luis de Torres supposedly spoke Hebrew, Chaldean and Arabic. They were obviously unable to use their foreign languages on the American continent. This initial experience made the colonizers aware of the need to train interpreters, and Columbus took 1 0 natives back to Europe precisely so that they could acquire knowledge of the Spanish language and culture , a policy he maintained throughout future voyages. On his return to America, Columbus was accom panied by two interpreters, Alonso de Caceres and a young boy from Guanahani (the Bahamas ) who was given the name Diego Colon.
