Have you ever wondered what it is like to work for the UN? Sheila Shermet, a veteran UN interpreter, shares an insider’s view in this first of several articles focusing on how things work at the UN, its duty stations around the world, resident teams of staff interpreters, the different interpretation techniques used and much more. Enjoy being a fly on the … [Read more...]
A Bad Interpretation Can Ruin —Even End a Life
By Monica P. Almada Are you bilingual? Can you carry on a conversation in another language? If so, how deep can your conversation be? How detailed? Can you talk about a variety of subjects: medicine, law, psychology, history, geography, construction, etc.? How about hearing an expert in any of these areas provide testimony in one language that you would … [Read more...]
Critical Link 8 Conference Recap
By Milena Calderari-Waldron How would you like to vacation in Scotland?” is how I ended up attending this Public Service Interpreting[1] (PSI) international conference held from June 28th to July 1st at Heriot Watt University in the outskirts of Edinburgh. Attendees were lodged on campus in very modern upscale dorms. Presenters were, for the most part, academics … [Read more...]
Interpreting: Building Competence (Part 2 of 2)
By Daniel Tamayo Read Part 1 of "Interpreting: Building Competence" here Another equally important pillar is subject matter expertise. Bottom line, you may interpret very nicely, but if you are not familiar with the subject matter you will lament accepting any technical assignments (e.g. just because you are a bilingual doctor or attorney, it doesn't mean that … [Read more...]
Where is our PRIDE?
By Giovanna Carriero-Contreras At the office this morning our staff received an email that read: “The interpreter that assisted yesterday was one of the best we’ve had. He was very professional and accurate. Please make sure the interpreter knows that we are appreciative of his work!” So was our staff! Proud of the interpreter’s work. But, what’s my point? In a … [Read more...]