I have often been asked what it is like to be the only woman in a room full of men, while doing a job that is so very important for the progress of a meeting. Here are my impressions.
One of the most exciting simultaneous interpreting assignments I ever had took place at the United Nations in Geneva. Find out how I got there (although German is no official UN language) and what I learned from it.
My article for AIIC on being the youngest person in the room is not freely accessible anymore, which is why I am making it accessible on my own blog. What is it like to be the youngest person at a meeting, and how to cope best with the additional pressure?
A good combination of proper note-taking skills and a well-trained short-term memory are indispensable for high-quality consecutive interpretations. Although the notes that interpreters take on their notepad (or lately also on their tablet) can only support their memory, advanced note-taking based on an individual mix of symbols and abbreviations will take your consecutive interpreting skills to the next level.
Interpreting telephone or video conferences consecutively has gained importance during the 2020 pandemic. Due to shortages or lack of technical solutions for remote simultaneous interpreting, many meetings have instead made use of consecutive interpreters. An experience report.
Remember the 10 minute long speeches that you consecutively interpreted in university, to prepare for real life? Although I am glad for the thorough training that I received, consecutively interpreting bilateral meetings was a whole new world for me.
Participating as an interpreter in the 2019 Indo-German Government Consultations in New Delhi was a true highlight of my career so far. I had never been to India, and despite the short time that we were to spend there, I was eagerly looking forward to this experience.
The time has come - you were booked for interpreting during a formal dinner for the first time. Help! What do I wear, how do I behave, do I need to brush up my small talk?