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Translation - art & business » Interpreting »
Transition from translator to interpreter
Thread poster: Robyn Auer

Robyn Auer  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 20:35
German to English
+ ...
Dec 13, 2015

Hello all!

I'm sure this question has been asked many times, but here goes...

What is the general opinion on trained and experienced translators becoming interpreters?

I have an MA in Translation and have been living in Germany for some seven years now. I really do eat, think and sleep German.

I was recently asked (not via Proz.) to interpret for a client of an outsourcer. I informed my them that although I was a qualified translator and interpet for my family every time they visit Germany, I had never actually been paid to do so professionally.

Something made me say to myself; hey, let's give it a go. After all, I'd been absolutely honest about my lack of experience.

I must admit, that I had always assumed interpreting was best left to linguistic gods and not to be attempted by mere mortals such as myself. The thing is, I relished being pushed to limit. Quite frankly, I really enjoyed interpreting and have since realised that this is something that I could actually do. I do, however, need to learn some techniques, especially for improving my short-term memory.

Any suggestions on how I should go about doing this? I would consider doing an additional qualification but would need to do so from home.

Thanks,
Robyn



[Edited at 2015-12-13 22:20 GMT]
 

Mariella Bonelli  Identity Verified
Local time: 20:35
Member (2004)
English to Italian
+ ...
Germersheim Dec 14, 2015

Dear Robyn,

I would suggest you to consult Uni Mainz http://www.isg-uni-mainz.de/kursangebot_online.php and select Kursangebot. You can chose both Präsenzkurse and Online-Kurse. This does not give you a formal qualification - except of course if you attend their normal courses - it helps you anyway to improve your techniques. I attended more times both courses, so please contact me also privately if you need information from direct experience.
 


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