I am a freelance conference interpreter and translator, columnist and author. I am a member of STIP – Association of Translators and Court Interpreters and a board member of Translators’ Association at Croatian Chamber of Economy. I specialize in legal translation, shipbuilding, sport, marketing, civil sector, but my true love is literary translation. My working languages are Croatian, Russian and English. After teaching English and Russian for 15 years and translating in parallel, I decided to quit my job at a state school and turn to translation. And I never regretted it. During networking with colleagues and working actively in professional associations, the same problem issues would crop up again and again until I decided to do something about it. I have been abundantly rewarded for taking action and am looking forward to tell the story about how I did it.
Changing the public perception of translation
It is a well-known fact that translators are mostly people who work hidden, in small hours of the night, and are underpaid. Also, the profession of a translator is very often perceived as something that can be done by anybody in their free time, almost as if it were not a real work, but a kind of activity to pass the time and make some extra pocket-money. The only people qualified to change this perception and raise awareness of the wide public are the translators themselves. People believe what they see on TV and read in papers, especially if it is not a paid advertisement, but a real story.
This presentation will be all about examples of best practices by which the visibility of translators and their role can be enhanced, including very concrete examples of collaboration with Croatian Association of Employers, press and TV, local community, NGOs, local and national government, entrepreneurs, social networks, organization of public events to mark International Translators’ Day, etc…
As a result of this kind of campaign, better sensitivity to all language issues was achieved. Also, through communication with the public, translators can develop their social and communication skills and improve their employability and position on labour market.
This talk is scheduled for Thursday, 19 April 2018.
