| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5 6] | Poll: Have you ever spent a significant amount of time (>2 months) working or studying in another country? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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| Brazil and Portugal | Nov 9, 2008 |
I did my "compulsory" year abroad for my degree studying in Belo Horizonte and have been in Rio since 2005. Some years ago I spent just under two months working for a Port company in Portugal....
| | | | Fabio Descalzi 
Uruguay
Local time: 01:47
Member (2004)
German to Spanish
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| Germany, etc... | Nov 9, 2008 |
I was fortunate enough to have 3 great opportunities of being abroad for a long time - the three of them were wonderful for my knowledge of languages:
1) When I was 18 and nearly out of school I won a prize in a research contest held by my school. The first prize: an airplane ticket to Frankfurt and some money to stay 1 month in Germany. My parents gave me some extra money and I spent 10 weeks visiting Germany, Belgium, England, France, Spain, Italy and Austria.
A great occas... See more I was fortunate enough to have 3 great opportunities of being abroad for a long time - the three of them were wonderful for my knowledge of languages:
1) When I was 18 and nearly out of school I won a prize in a research contest held by my school. The first prize: an airplane ticket to Frankfurt and some money to stay 1 month in Germany. My parents gave me some extra money and I spent 10 weeks visiting Germany, Belgium, England, France, Spain, Italy and Austria.
A great occasion to practise German, French, English and Italian!
2) Our School of Architecture has been organizing big, long student trips for decades. So when I was 25 I joined "Arquitectura Rifa"; we worked very hard and managed our own 8-month trip. Mexico, USA, Canada, Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Russia and all of Europe. As I had already travelled before I presided over the committee in charge of defining the route, so you can imagine: I put all my energies to the definition of a great, wonderful journey. Everybody enjoyed and learned a lot!
And, of course: I was an ad-hoc interpreter in every possible occasion.
3) The new millennium started at full speed for me: I was offered a job abroad - a German building contractor and realtor was THE opportunity to develop my professional knowledge of the German language. So I spent from June 2000 till July 2001 (inbetween I travelled home 3 times to see my family). While working among architects, I realised how much I would like to "be the translator of the architects".
So here I am now: translating architecture, construction, engineering and other related texts!
P.D.: needless to say that I had 3 very different occasions to visit Berlin: 1987, 1994 and 2000. Three different cities in the same geographical location!
[Edited at 2008-11-09 13:41] ▲ Collapse
| | | | ElliBe
France
Local time: 06:47
French to German
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During my studies in Germany, my native country, I participated in an Erasmus program and I left for 6 months at a French university. Finally I've stayed in France where I've been living for 17 years now.
| | | | | 2 1/2 years in Japan | Nov 9, 2008 |
I'm from Argentina and I spent 2 1/2 years in Japan, Kanagawa and Tochigi Prefectures, since 1989 till 1991 with my husband and eldest son. There I worked as an English conversation assistant at a private institution, and I taught Spanish and German on a freelance basis. I kept on studying Japanese for a while, but living there helped me more than anything else. Once I got pregnant of my daughter, we all came back to our country. What an experience!
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Chun Un
Macau
Member (2007)
English to Chinese
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I obtained my bachelor's and master's degrees from the US and UK respectively. Worked in the US for a few years before returning to China. So, I spent a significant amount of time in an English speaking environment.
| | | | Oleg Osipov
Russian Federation
Local time: 07:47
English to Russian
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Join the NAVY, some say, and you'll see the world. Become a translator/interpreter and you'll become the part of that world, I'd say.
Extensive traveling in the capacity of translator/interpreter including Africa (2,5 years), US (nearly a year all years accounted for) and Europe is a great professional asset.
Join now!
| | | | | Spain, France and Mexico | Nov 10, 2008 |
I'm English, apart from living in France and Belgium as a child, I have also studied in France (1 year) as an adult, and worked in Spain (2 months) and Mexico (8 months). Currently living in the UK, but wanting to live elsewhere again (maybe Spain or try out Dubai.....??)
| | | | Kalinka Hristova
Bulgaria
Local time: 07:47
Member (2007)
English to Bulgarian
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MODERATOR | Yes, Portugal | Nov 10, 2008 |
I had the great opportunity to be Erasmus in Lisbon, Portugal, even for just one semester. Still, it was very enriching, both in terms of learning Portuguese and in getting acquainted with a different culture. I also learnt an awful lot in my major (Tourism). Those several months were the happiest period of my life and I still have good friends there, too.
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| Blanket judgments | Nov 10, 2008 |
I think it's completely unfounded to say that a good translator must have spent more than 2 months in another country.
Main reason: we don't know exactly HOW he spent his time.
How many words did he talk? How many words did he learnt?
And what if an English woman stayed in Italy in a UK-company?
And what if you live near the border and visiting neighbouring country every weekend?
What if you are an very active member of an Italian/Puerto Rican etc - community?
ariffo wrote:
I answered "no", because I have neither studied nor worked abroad and that was the specific question. But I have visited countries where my source language is spoken for longish periods (more than 8 weeks each) as a tourist/backpacker, so I have gathered first-hand experience with the live language, its culture and its native speakers.
Yes, of course you can make the best of it. And there is no need to stay longer.
I stayed in a village in Sicily* just 2 weeks in a language school, but I bet I learned more than some people staying 2 months in Perugia where people from all over the world are learning Italian.
ariffo wrote:
I'm pretty sure there are a few more "no" respondents who are in a similar situation.
They do not dare because it should be a "shame".
I did not expect so many blanket judgements here!
* there were even longer stays in Italy
[Edited at 2008-11-10 09:26]
| | | | | Some translators just do not have the possibility | Nov 10, 2008 |
Kalinka Hristova wrote:
I had the great opportunity to be Erasmus in Lisbon, Portugal, even for just one semester.
It's great that you have had the opportunity.
I went to Sofia in 1991 and met some Bulgarian students who studied Italian. They were absolutely brilliant and knew a lot about Italian culture in the Pre-internet era!
But for most of them there was no possibility to go to Italy because it was too expensive for them.:-(
They were Bulgarians speaking perfectly German because there were German schools.
Just a few examples.
| | | | | Yes, 4 years in the US | Nov 10, 2008 |
Just like María Itatí I lived and studied (Elementary and High School) in the U.S.A. but for around 4 years.
It's was a great experience because I learned English enframed by the culture, which IMHO is the fastest, easiest and best way. Both worth and rewarding.
Cheers!
Letty
| | | | | Ireland, US, Canada and UK | Nov 10, 2008 |
I was born in Spain.
4 summers in Ireland as an exchange student.
3 summers in the US and 1 in Canada.
Almost 6 years in the US (university and working afterwards).
Back to Spain.
3 months in the UK (special project for my company in Spain).
I would love to move to Asia for a few years. My husband doesn't wanna hear about it... c'est la vie!
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