Sarah's Archives

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CPD Matters: What is CPD?

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I refer frequently to professional development on this blog (in fact, I have an entire category dedicated to it), but life-long learning is not specific to translators or language professionals.

Doctors do it, engineers do it, and I have it on good authority that even educated fleas do it. So I’m running a mini-series on CPD over the next few weeks: what it is, how to do it and most importantly, where to get it, even if you’re not in a position to fly 10,000 miles for a one-day workshop. [Read more…]

Book review: The Entrepreneurial Linguist

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The idea of the linguist as an entrepreneur resonates very strongly with me. In fact, exactly how entrepreneurship “fits” with freelancing is something I mulled over (not very eloquently) in the very earliest days of this blog. So it’s been exciting to see the idea finally given a name and a widely accepted definition, and even more inspiring to see two such capable professionals give it a face.

The Entrepreneurial Linguist is Judy and Dagmar Jenner’s new book on the nuts and bolts of growing a language service business. It is aimed at translation and interpreting practitioners who want to work with direct clients, a largely neglected area which I’m sure will pique the interest of many.

Translating twins Dagmar and Judy maintain the popular translation blog, Translation Times, and are regular contributors to the ITI Bulletin and ATA Chronicle. ATA members will almost certainly have heard of their well-received Entrepreneurial Linguist workshops. Judy is actively involved with the Nevada Interpreters and Translators Association, while German-speaking linguists may know Dagmar through her role with the Austrian Interpreters and Translators Association.

The following are some of the points that particularly impressed me about this book, and which in my opinion, make it stand out from other books in this genre.  [Read more…]

Smells like team spirit: establishing a team culture when you work remotely

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Team Spirit, December 2006

Lots of practising translators serve on committees, groups or teams, and often work remotely with colleagues. For example, most professional associations are run by volunteer teams and offer many opportunities for translators to work with fellow wordsmiths and get involved in running their institutions at the same time.

As a result, meetings via Skype or Gotomeeting.com are increasingly popular, even among us (traditionally technology-reticent) translators. They save money, travel and time away from work and family, but a downside to this can be a lack of team spirit – one of the benefits of volunteering for a committee role in the first place.

Céline Roque and her readers over at WebWorkerDaily have some great tips on creating a team culture in a teleworking environment. Her post and the follow-up comments are well worth a (re-)read if you find yourself organising meetings remotely. These are my favourite:

  • Don’t hold group meetings for every important decision. Instead, talk to people individually before coming together as a group to summarise or moderate decisions.
  • Give teams the freedom to find and develop their own processes.
  • Encourage team members to work on projects they feel passionate about.
  • Establish one or two communication norms from day one.

This last one in particular strikes a chord with me. A company I once worked at had a strict policy regarding the format of subject lines on all internal email. As a result, it was easy to quickly scan your email inbox, see precisely what kinds of events, actions and information it contained and prioritise accordingly.

This is something I’d like to see more groups and organisations implement. Of course, as per point two above, over-prescribing can be damaging to team spirit in itself and it’s always better to wait and see how things evolve naturally. However it’s usually a given that any group of organisers will generate a deluge of email, which isn’t very helpful when we’re all trying to achieve the holy grail of email zen (email filters can only do so much – believe me, I know).

Finally, information specialist Clare Aitken had some great tips for getting the most out of teleconferencing on a recent guest post at Ramblings of a Remote Worker. She included some tips on establishing communication norms around turn-taking, for example, which can be particularly tricky in a teleconference where we sometimes lack helpful visual clues.

All in all, it’s clear that with a little planning, there’s no reason why working in a remote team can’t be as uniting and as satisfying as working in a face-to-face one.

Photo credit: Team Spirit December 2006, Jiheffe’s photostream on Flickr.

Translator education in Australia

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Whatchu Lookin At Willis?


Debates on appropriate education levels for translators and interpreters are common in Australia, and heated discussions on the value of professional development regularly pop up on association egroups and forums. A recent exchange reminded me of a session I attended at the 2008 AUSIT Biennial Conference, which gives – I think – some context the situation in this country. [Read more…]

Unprofessional isn't always bad

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Ever wondered about the kinds of people who translate for free, or in their spare time? Maybe assumed they’re unskilled, or at the very least unprofessional, in its broadest sense?

If so, here are three things that might change your mind:

First, a very interesting interview with Masahiro Kyushima, a volunteer translator for TED – nothing unprofessional at all what’s going on there.

Second, a whole blog dedicated to “unprofessional translation” – or what is known more specifically as natural translation, native translation and language brokering (definitions here). Brian Harris is clearly more than qualified to address this oft-maligned aspect of translation, and his blog is a fascinating look at the stories behind those practitioners of translation who do not fall into the professional category.

Finally, the University of London will address this very issue in a public roundtable discussion on 27 April 2010.

A reminder perhaps that a per-word rate shouldn’t be the only way we measure respect for our fellow translators.

5Qs with Andrew Bell, AAA Scandinavian Translations

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After working as a nurse in several countries, Andrew Bell set up AAA Scandinavian Translations in 2001 and now specialises in medical/pharmaceutical translation services. He also runs the popular translator-networking site Watercooler. Here Andrew tells us about how he became a translator, and offers a wealth of advice for new and experienced translators interested in moving into the highly specialised field of medical/ pharmaceutical translations.

Sarah Dillon: You have many years of experience in healthcare, and are in fact a Registered Nurse (RN). How difficult was it to make the conversion to being a medical translator? What preparation did you have to undertake to supplement your existing knowledge, and do you have any tips for aspiring medical translators who might not have this background? [Sorry, I know that’s really 3 questions but I couldn’t resist!] [Read more…]

Conferences for Introverts: 15 Top Tips

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I’ve attended my share of conferences over the years, and they generally all have their own unique vibe. As a translation professional, I joined colleagues for conferences in niche areas, to retain my accreditation and certifications. As a business owner, I attended industry events to network with the wider business world. And now, as an aspiring academic, I attend conferences to develop my skills as a scholar and gain insight into a new career path.

Like most introverts, my preference is to listen to interesting talks, events, or training. But I still do OK on the social front. Here are some things I do to manage the transition from knowledge worker to networker.

You at your next conference after reading this post. Via GIPHY

[Read more…]

Don't ask, don't tell: translating and parenting

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A juggler entertains outdoors in Devizes, Wilt...
Image via Wikipedia

One of translation’s biggest trump-cards is the opportunity to work for yourself. Long before I started my masters, I decided that if I couldn’t work freelance I wasn’t interested in being a translator at all. This might sound a little extreme, but it has always been important to me to be able to pursue personal projects outside of work. After a couple of years in the workplace, I realised that a traditional desk-job was never going to give me the flexibility I needed to do this. So I assessed my strengths and weaknesses, researched a couple of options and identified a course I was sure would prepare me in the areas I needed. And here I am, give or take a stage, working for myself.

I know that not everyone entering the profession has gone about it in such a deliberate way. But I’m certain that the lure of flexible working is a huge part of what keeps translators, both aspiring and experienced, in the game. [Read more…]

Translator identities: multiple personalities or a dynamic whole?

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How important is it to you to speak another language? How is ‘being multilingual’ viewed in your country? How closely do you identify with the translation profession? These were just some of the questions asked by Floriana Badalotti, a PhD candidate from Monash University, in a session titled Considerations on the Cultural Identity of Interpreters and Translators at the 2008 AUSIT Biennial National Conference in Brisbane. [Read more…]