are in high demand as the country's population becomes more and more diverse, said Cindy Roat of the American Translators Association. The boom in Hispanic population has led to the Spanish demand, but there's short supply of speakers of other languages as well.

CyraCom, a Tucson, Ariz.-based language services provider, recently opened an interpreter center in Las Cruces, N.M., tapping the Spanish-speaking population of the Mesilla Valley to fill the need for interpreters in hospitals across the country. Eleven interpreters were on staff when the center began taking calls, and company officials said they expect to hire up to 150 people within three years.