You need to be visible
Translators and interpreters are often taught to be so good, it’s as if they weren’t even there. We have been taught that the essence of good translation and interpreting is that it can be mistaken for something originally created in the target language.
While this is often useful ideal, it has led many translators and interpreters to view their work simply as a linguistic act – forgetting the real social and commercial impact that it has. This in turn, has led to increasing price pressure and a reduction in the status of our profession. When clients understand and appreciate our impact, however, they are much more likely to want to pay the prices we ask.
This session will confront the results of the invisibility myth and give examples of how and why we can become more visible, both in our marketing and PR, and in the way we deliver our work.
Dr Jonathan Downie
Dr Jonathan Downie is a conference interpreter (French to English, English to French), author, research and speaker on interpreting. A regular at conferences and events in the interpreting and events industries, he has written on the power and potential of interpreting for client magazines and Flight Time, the in-flight magazine of Flybe. His first book, Being a Successful Interpreter: Adding Value and Delivering Excellence, was published by Routledge in 2016.
Practical details
This 20-minute talk is scheduled for Friday, 5 May, 2017, followed by a short moderated Q&A session. You can attend this session by purchasing a 1-day or a 2-day pass to BP17.
