How To Get Into A Simultaneous Interpretation Career

A job in simultaneous interpretation can be a financially rewarding career. It may also be something that you can easily be hired for if you have the skills required. Very few people actually have the training fit for the job. However, in a world where national borders are being overcome with trade and diplomacy, the demand for people who can serve for such assignments has increased. Consequently, the high demand has also pulled up the salaries and benefits of a certified interpreter. What is needed, on the other hand, is the education and training which could land you in such a position.

Unlike other careers, the interpreter service requires a more specific training. If it is one being done simultaneously for a person speaking in another language, it can require you to be knowledgeable about the subject being discussed so that you can anticipate the next flow of words effectively. Of course, this cannot be done easily if you are just in your first few stints. However, the longer you are in the job and in the same field or subject for interpretation, and then your knowledge is improved to make you anticipate the person whom you are interpreting for. The following are some tips on how you can get such a career.

1. Make yourself bilingual, at least. The job certainly requires you to be fluent in one or more languages. You can do this by actually learning a second language in school or by enrolling in short courses offered online.
2. It is important that you master one subject aside from the language course. For example, if you wish to have a career in the United Nations by doing interpreting jobs, then you may need to learn about international diplomacy and global politics. This will prepare you to easily comprehend the topics for discussion and allow you to anticipate verbalizations as one of the conference interpreters.
3. Even before starting the job of interpreting simultaneously for a person, it would be good if you have enough experience in translation and interpretation first. This means that you may have a background of translating in writing first or in consecutive interpretation. These types of interpretation jobs may not be as real-time as simultaneous interpreting, but it hones you for it.
4. Do not expect to make big steps immediately. At first, you may just have to accept escort interpreter jobs at first for tourists. These may not pay well, but the training you get in speaking another language, as well as in handling people of different cultures, can be very advantageous for your career growth ahead.      

Apply for in-house translating or interpreting jobs as your early steps in your career such as that of Spanish medical translation. From there, you can then make further advances by getting into better opportunities. A career in simultaneous interpretation is indeed one that cannot be prepared for just by a college education. It is mostly through actual practice in the field. 


Source: http://www.howtodothings.com


For quality interpretation services, please visit www.lexcode.com.ph. It's Philippine office is located in Ayala Avenue, Makati.


"Let's Communicate!"                                                          

Three Principles in Fast-tracking Foreign Languages

Facility Principle

What you don't have to do is always easier than what you do have to do.

In other words, the less you have to think about in learning a language, the more rapidly you will learn it. And the fewer mistakes you will make. As I will demonstrate below, French has certain features and characteristics that make it dramatically easier than English. Take advantage of them.
Here is the second principle that can smooth your way.

Familiarity Principle

Familiar habits and patterns of thought are often hard to break.

Paradoxically, some of the aspects where another language is easier than English at first glance appear unfamiliar - and therefore falsely difficult. Although it may take you some time to accept them, once you begin to think in the language, you will rapidly come to appreciate them and enjoy their benefits.

Here is an anecdote to illustrate the point.

One time I was talking with a Dutch-speaking friend. He agreed that English is fundamentally simpler than his own language; nevertheless, he complained that he just couldn't get used to English's simpler sentence structure. In certain instances, Dutch grammar requires the order of the words in the sentence to reverse; this never happens in English. Objectively, then, English sentence structure should be easier than Dutch. But to him, not reversing the word order just didn't seem natural.

Here is a third principle you will find extremely useful.

Context Principle

By themselves, words and sentences have little meaning; often they can be understood only in relation to other words and sentences.

This is very reassuring. It means that even if you say something incorrectly, in general people will still understand you because of the context in which you say it. Likewise, even if people say something to you using unfamiliar grammar or vocabulary, in general you will still be able to understand them because of the context in which they say it.

In short, you don't have to approach perfection in a language in order to use it effectively.

By: Philip Yaffe (http://ubiquity.acm.org/article.cfm?id=1295292)

World Languages Translation Inc.

It's Valentine's Day All Around the World

After the Christmas and New Year festivities, another occasion people look forward to is that sweet day for the lovers and even would-be lovers popularly known as Valentine's day.


Many stories has been told about the origin of Valentine's day. Instead of dwelling on these, let's go global and feel the love across cultures and nations:


Australia


During the Australian gold rush period, miners who were suddenly in possession of money from the new-found wealth of the Ballarat Mines were willing to pay a princely sum for elaborate valentines and merchants in the country would ship orders amounting to thousands of pounds at a time. The most extravagent Australian valentines were made of a satin cushion, perfumed and decorated in an ornate manner with flowers and colored shells. Some might even be adorned with a taxidermied humming bird or bird of paradise. This treasure, contained within a neatly decorated box, was highly valued, being both fashionable and extremely expensive.


Austria


Austria has some rather obscure courtship customs that may or may not be associated with Saint Valentine's Day. Nonetheless, it is customary for a young man to present his beloved with a bunch of flowers on February 14.


America


In the United States of America, there have been many varieties of cards given over the course of the years, some of which have often been rude or even quite cruel in their humor. In the times of the Civil War, cards were flagged with rich colors accompanied by patriotic and/or political motifs. Early American valentine cards were especially lithographed and hand-colored, beautiful and distinctive in design, produced with intricate lace paper and decorated with such ornaments as beads, sea shells, cones, berries and all manner of seeds. Cards were also available decorated with seaweed or moss, in addition to dried and/or artificial flowers, all of which were attached to a string which was pulled and could then be suspended, thereby creating a three-dimensional picture. Many early American cards were imported from abroad, given the poor quality of American paper at the time which was not particularly suitable for embossing. Today, American children usually exchange valentines with their friends and there may even be a classroom party.


Britain



The poets of Britain have probably penned the majority of the best-loved romantic verses associated with Saint Valentine. Different regions of the nation celebrate their own customs to honor this day, although the sending of cards and gifts of flowers and chocolates is standard procedure throughout the entire country. One uniform custom is the singing of special songs by children, who then receive gifts of candy, fruit or money. In some areas, valentine buns are baked with caraway seeds, plums or raisins.


Denmark

The Danish valentine card is known as a "lover's card." Older versions of this greeting came in the form of a transparency which, when held up to the light, depicted the image of a lover handing his beloved a gift. One custom in Denmark is for people to send pressed white flowers called Snowdrops to their friends. Danish men may also send a form of valentine known as a gaekkebrev (or "joking letter"). The sender of this gaekkebrev pens a rhyme but does not sign his name. Instead, he signs the message with dots...one dot for each letter in his name. If the lady who receives the card guesses the name of the sender, then she is rewarded with an Easter Egg later in the year.


France

In France, a custom known as "drawing for" once occurred. Unmarried individuals, both young and not so young, would go into houses facing each other and begin calling out across from one window to another, pairing-off with the chosen partner. If the young man failed to be particularly enthralled with his valentine, he would desert her. As a result, a bonfire would be lit later where the ladies could burn images of the ungrateful sweetheart and verbally abuse him in a loud tone as the effigy burned. This ritual was eventually abandoned since it left much room for nastiness, ridicule or even outright malice and the French government finally handed-down a decree officially banning the custom. Elegant French greetings cards known as cartes d'amities, which contained tender messages, were given not totally as a Valentine but chiefly as a result of a fashion which was popular in England at the time.


Germany

In Germany, it has become customary for the young man of a courting couple to present his beloved with flowers on February 14. Valentine gifts in Germany are usually in the shape of love tokens, complete with endearing messages. However, these are not distributed solely on Valentine's Day, but on any occasion. Even early German baptismal certificates or marriage certificates were considered at one time to have been valentines, but were more likely simply decorative and pictorial documents which contained lovely verses.


Italy

In Italy, Valentine's Day was once celebrated as a Spring Festival, held in the open air, where young people would gather in tree arbors or ornamental gardens to listen to music and the reading of poetry. However, over the course of the years, this custom steadily ceased and has not now been celebrated for centuries. In Turin, it was formerly the custom for betrothed couples to announce their engagements on February 14. For several days ahead of time, the stores would be decorated and filled with all manner of bon-bons.


Japan

In Japan, Valentine's Day is celebrated on two different dates...February 14 and March 14. On the first date, the female gives a gift to the male and on the second date...known as White Day and supposedly introduced by a marshmallow company in the 1960s...the male has to return the gift he received on February 14. Thus, strictly speaking, a Japanese female has the luxury of actually choosing her own gift. Chocolate is the most popular gift in Japan. However, since most Japanese females believe that store-bought chocolate is not a gift of true love, they tend to make the confection with their own hands.


Korea

The traditional gift of candy takes place in Korea on February 14, but only from females to males. There is another special day for males to give gifts to females and this is celebrated on March 14. Very similar to the custom in Japan, March 14 in Korea is known as "White Day." On "White Day," many young men confess their love for the first time to their sweethearts. For those young people who have no particular romantic partners, the Koreans have set aside yet another date...April 14, also known as "Black Day." On that date, such individuals get together and partake of Jajang noodles, which are black in color, hence the name of the day.


Scotland

In Scotland, Valentine's Day is celebrated with a festival. At this festival, there is an equal number of unmarried males and females, each of whom write their name (or a made-up name) on a piece of paper which is then folded and placed into a hat...one hat for the ladies and one for the men. The females then draw a name from the hat containing the men's names and vice versa. Of course, it is highly likely that the two drawn names will not match, in which event, it is usually expected that the male partner with the female who selected his name. This rite having been completed, the company split up into couples and gifts are given to the ladies. The females would then pin the name of their partner over their hearts or on their sleeves. A dance often follows and, at the end of the festival, it is not unusual for marriages to take place. According to another Scottish custom, the first young man or woman encountered by chance on the street or elsewhere will become that individual's valentine. Valentine's Day gifts in Scotland are frequently given by both parties in the form of a love-token or true-love-knot.


Spain

In Spain, it is customary for courting couples to exchange gifts on Valentine's Day and for husbands to send their wives bouquets of roses.


Taiwan

Valentine's Day is celebrated in Taiwan on February 14, but there is also a special Valentine's Day on July 7 of the lunar calendar, based on an ancient Chinese folktale (**). Both dates are equally as important. Many men purchase expensive bouquets of roses and other flowers for their sweethearts on these days. According to Taiwan tradition, the color and number of the roses holds much significance. For example, one red rose means "an only love," eleven roses means "a favorite," ninety-nine roses means "forever," and one hundred eight roses means "marry me."



Love truly extends across cultures. Same thing goes for translation and interpretation. Be able to reach different cultures and be global through language.


-- YJ (Reference: http://www.novareinna.com/festive/valworld.html)

I Love You... in Different Languages

In the spirit of the love month, it seems romantic to grace the occasion in an Elizabeth Barrett Browning fashion. Just like in her poem “How do I love thee? Let Me Count the Ways,” let us not only count the ways but also say I Love You in Different Languages:

Foreign Language	Translation
Afrikaans	Ek het jou lief / Ek's lief vir jou
Albanian	të dua
Arabic (Egyptian)	To a man - (ana uħibbuk) ٲنَا ٱحِبُّك To a woman - (ana baħibbik) ٲنَا بَحَِّك
Arabic (Modern Standard)	To a woman (uḥibbik ) To a man (uħibbak) أحبك
Armenian	Սիրում եմ քեզ: (Sirum em kez)
Azerbaijani	Mən səni sevirəm
Belarussian	Я цябе кахаю (Ja ciabe kakhaju)
Bulgarian	Informal (Обичам те (Običam te)) Formal (Вас обичам (Vas običam))
Catalan	T'estimo
Cebuano	Gihigugma ko ikaw
Chinese (Mandarin)	我爱你 (Wo ai ni)
Croatian	Volim te
Czech	Miluji tě
Danish	Jeg elsker dig
Dutch	Informal ( Ik hou van je ) Formal (Ik hou van jou / Ik hou van u)
Estonian	Ma armastan sind
Faroese	Eg elski teg
Fijian	Au domoni iko / Au lomani iko
Filipino (Tagalog)	Mahal kita
Finnish	Rakastan sinua
French	Je t'aime
German (Standard)	Ich liebe Dich
Greek	Informal ( Σ΄αγαπώ (S’agapó)) / Formal (Σας αγαπώ (Sas aghapó))
Hawaiian	Aloha Au Ia 'Oe, Aloha No Au Ia 'Oe
Hebrew	(Ani Ohev Otach - to a woman) אני אוהב אותך (Ani Ohevet Otcha - to a man) אני אוהבת אותך
Hindi	मैं तुम्हैं बहुत चाहता हुँ (Maiṅ tumhaiṅ bahut cāhatā hūṅ) - Male मैं तुम्हैं बहुत चाहता चाहती हुँ (Maiṅ tumhaiṅ bahut cāhatī hūṅ) - Female
Hungarian	Szeretlek
Icelandic	Ég elska þig
Ilocano	Ipatpategka
Indonesian	Cinta kamu / Saya mencintaimu
Irish	Gráím thú
Italian	Ti amo
Japanese	愛してるよ (aishiteru yo)
Javanese	Aku tresnasliramu
Korean	사랑해 (sa rang hae)
Latin	(Te amo) טי אמו
Latvian	Es tevi mīlu
Luxembourgish	Ech hunn dech gär / Ech si frou mat dir
Malay	Saya sayang kamu / Aku cintakan kau
Maltese	Inħobbok / Inħobbok hafna / Jien inħobbek
Mongolian	Би чамд хайртай (Bi chamd khairtai)
Nepali	म तपाइलाइ माया गर्छु। (ma tapainlai maya garchu)
Norwegian	Jeg elsker deg (Bokmål) / Eg elskar deg (Nynorsk)
Persian	(asheghetam) عاشقتم In poetry and songs - (dūset dāram) دوست دارم
Polish	Kocham Cię
Portuguese	Amo-te, Eu te amo, Eu gosto de você, Eu amo você
Romanian	Te iubesc
Russian	я тебя люблю (ja teb'a l'ubl'u)
Serbian	Волим те (Volim te)
Slovenian	Ljubim te (m/f), Rad te imam (m) Rada te imam (f)
Tamil	நான் உன்னை காதலிக்கிறேன் (nān unnai kādhalikkiren)
Thai	ผมรักคุณ (phom rak khun) - m ฉันรักคุณ (chan rak khun) - f
Tongan	'Oku ou 'ofa 'ia koe
Turkish	Seni seviyorum
Ukranian	Я тебе кохаю (Ja tebe kochaju) Я тебе люблю (Ja tebe liubliu)
Vietnamese	Em yêu anh (m) Anh yêu em (f) ; Tôi yêu bạn
Yiddish	(Ikh hob dikh lieb) איך האָב דיך ליב (Ikh libe dikh) איך ליבע דיך
Zulu	Ngiyakuthanda

Whatever the occasion is, let the other person get your message correctly and accurately.