Interpreters

I decided to write my next post on a job that I've become more and more interested in since taking this class. I have always loved languages and have begun to think that maybe a translating hob is something I should look at. I did a little research to find out more and was very intrigued by what I found.

Interpreters are people that help enable communication between two or more different languages. My main languages as of now are spanish, french, and sign. I hope to pick up some arabic, german, and italian as well. Many of these are primary languages that require a translator. Sign is one of the most important. While english, french, and spanish words sometimes sound the same and may be able to be understood, deaf people have less similarities with other languages. There are certain signs that people may understand, but not as many as speaking languages.

I also learned that there are two different kinds of interpreters. There are simultaneous and consecutive. Simultaneous occurs when an interpreter listens and speaks at the same time. Simultaneous interpreters are known to work in pairs because of the difficulty of maintaining several different conversations at once. Consecutive interpreters are more likely to take notes and then explain the information they have received. I think simultaneous sounds like a lot of work and I don't know if I have enough time to become fluent in enough languages. But it does sound like a lot of fun!

Interpreters can be used in many different kinds of jobs. They can be seen in occupations like libraries, courts, schools, business conferences, etc. Because of the high demand for bilingual or more speakers, I was very surprised to find out that most interpreters are self employed. If there is such a high demand, why do many people work by themselves and often times as a part time position?

I would like to learn more about the possibility of becoming an interpreter. It seems like a very gratifying job and one that may fit my interests. I am still very unsure but it is always fun to learn about new occupations and those of interpreters are fascinating to think about!!!!