| Pages sur ce sujet: [1 2] > | Poll: In which areas do you principally undertake CPD (Continuing Professional Development)? Auteur du fil: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "In which areas do you principally undertake CPD (Continuing Professional Development)?".
This poll was originally submitted by Angus Stewart. View the poll results »
| | | | Evans (X)
Local time: 14:50
espagnol vers anglais
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| Source languages but not only... | Jun 18, 2012 |
Source languages and subject specialisms in pretty much equal measure. I think you have to strive to stay at the top of your game in both. You are only as good as your last translation, and each translation has to be the best you can do. CPD is a big part of achieving that.
| | | | | My work is my teacher | Jun 18, 2012 |
In this business, I think learning by doing is the best way to develop professionally.
| | | | Tim Drayton 
Chypre
Local time: 16:50
turc vers anglais
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| Subject specialisms | Jun 18, 2012 |
I am primarily a legal translator, and spend time almost every day carefully reading a few pages of a university law text book in my source language, often noting technical terms that I think it worth later researching.
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| CAT tools!!!! | Jun 18, 2012 |
For me it's these.
I worked for years as a translator, but using Office programs only for translation, totally unaware of the Wonderful World of CAT tools that was out there.
When I launched myself as a freelancer, and found out about CAT tools, I was surprised and shocked - how could all this have happened without my noticing? But this is what comes from working alone and coming to the profession from 'outside' - i.e. not via a language or translation course at colle... See more For me it's these.
I worked for years as a translator, but using Office programs only for translation, totally unaware of the Wonderful World of CAT tools that was out there.
When I launched myself as a freelancer, and found out about CAT tools, I was surprised and shocked - how could all this have happened without my noticing? But this is what comes from working alone and coming to the profession from 'outside' - i.e. not via a language or translation course at college etc. I suppose.
So my challenge right now is getting to grips with the CAT tool I've chosen, and my money is going there, and I consider it to be money well spent. I love my CAT tool, so useful, so elegant, so logical - when I'm doing it right!!!
Otherwise, as a general translator, I watch the news on Portuguese TV everyday and note down words and phrases that I'm not familiar with, and once I've achieved CAT tool mastery (!!) I plan to pick another area to study - perhaps an area in which I think I could specialise - But I'm not at that point yet!
But the good thing about translation is that there are so many areas to study and perfect! At this rate I'll still be studying/learning when I drop dead! This is a good thing! I asked my friend, who is an interpreter in London, whether she would be forced to retire on reaching 65, and she said "My dear, the oldest interpreter that I know of died, aged 92, while interviewing a client in custody". I thought this was quite satisfactory, and so leaves us all lots of time for further study.
[Edited at 2012-06-18 08:44 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | In my native language!!!! | Jun 18, 2012 |
Funnily enough, this wasn't an option, so I had to vote "other".
Having lived in Germany for nearly twenty years now, it's funny to see how English changes - very subtly - over time. Not to mention new technology-related vocabulary. There were no mobile phones around when I left England - no text messages, no facebook, no-one had email....
So I have to read British newspapers and magazines whenever I get the chance to try and keep up on the latest developments in my ow... See more Funnily enough, this wasn't an option, so I had to vote "other".
Having lived in Germany for nearly twenty years now, it's funny to see how English changes - very subtly - over time. Not to mention new technology-related vocabulary. There were no mobile phones around when I left England - no text messages, no facebook, no-one had email....
So I have to read British newspapers and magazines whenever I get the chance to try and keep up on the latest developments in my own dear mother tongue. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sebastian Witte
Allemagne
Local time: 15:50
Membre (2004)
anglais vers allemand
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| Over time I have come to realize genuine | Jun 18, 2012 |
specialization in one's major field(s) is actually more important than general proficiency in your souce language(s) is for doing really well in terms of quality of output.
You need to on a deeper level understand what is described in the source text beyond a superficial linguistic ability to tell what the equivalent of a given sentence in the target language is (which in itself already requires subject matter expertise) to really shine in this industry.
Thanks guys for... See more specialization in one's major field(s) is actually more important than general proficiency in your souce language(s) is for doing really well in terms of quality of output.
You need to on a deeper level understand what is described in the source text beyond a superficial linguistic ability to tell what the equivalent of a given sentence in the target language is (which in itself already requires subject matter expertise) to really shine in this industry.
Thanks guys for making that clear (you know who you are ... which is not to say that some or even most of you are not bilingual/almost bilingual ...).
Sebastian ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Target language + tools (and more) | Jun 18, 2012 |
To write with style, to be able to use clear and plain language, to be aware of new words, to understand how to accommodate the needs of non-native readers of the target language, to avoid ambiguity, to recognise and use the appropriate conventions in the target language genre (be it a press release, website, instruction manual, etc.), ...
And then to get the most of the tools I use, for correctness and consistency (in genres where those are virtues not handicaps) and to save time.<... See more To write with style, to be able to use clear and plain language, to be aware of new words, to understand how to accommodate the needs of non-native readers of the target language, to avoid ambiguity, to recognise and use the appropriate conventions in the target language genre (be it a press release, website, instruction manual, etc.), ...
And then to get the most of the tools I use, for correctness and consistency (in genres where those are virtues not handicaps) and to save time.
Of course, specialist-subject knowledge and business matters are also important. When will ProZ introduce multi-answer polls ? ▲ Collapse
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phoeberuth wrote:
Funnily enough, this wasn't an option, so I had to vote "other".
Having lived in Germany for nearly twenty years now, it's funny to see how English changes - very subtly - over time. Not to mention new technology-related vocabulary. There were no mobile phones around when I left England - no text messages, no facebook, no-one had email....
So I have to read British newspapers and magazines whenever I get the chance to try and keep up on the latest developments in my own dear mother tongue.
As I have been living in Belgium for over 25 years now, not only I am always extremely careful about "faux-amis" but also I try to read Portuguese newspapers and magazines to keep up with new vocabulary that comes along.
| | | | Angus Stewart
Royaume-Uni
Local time: 14:50
Membre (2011)
français vers anglais
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The type of CPD I undertake varies according to what I perceive to be most pressing needs at any given point in time.
When I first started as a freelance translator, I found that a lot of the time I invested in CPD was weighted towards getting to grip with CAT tools.
Over the past year, my focus has been on studying new languages, principally Spanish. The main reason for this to assist in you communications with the substantial number of my clients are agencies based o... See more The type of CPD I undertake varies according to what I perceive to be most pressing needs at any given point in time.
When I first started as a freelance translator, I found that a lot of the time I invested in CPD was weighted towards getting to grip with CAT tools.
Over the past year, my focus has been on studying new languages, principally Spanish. The main reason for this to assist in you communications with the substantial number of my clients are agencies based outside both my source and target countries. Of course, it also is of assistance when loan words appear in my source texts.
Tim Drayton wrote:
I am primarily a legal translator, and spend time almost every day carefully reading a few pages of a university law text book in my source language, often noting technical terms that I think it worth later researching.
In future, I anticipate that my the primary focus for my CPD activities will shift in favour of undertaking further in depth research in particular subject areas within my specialism. Accordingly, I find Tim's suggestion an exceptionally good one. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Target language | Jun 18, 2012 |
Which is my native language. Therefore I voted other.
For the rest (source and specialties), I discover during the translation process, but I am unable to train those without having a specific subject.
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| Subject specialisms | Jun 18, 2012 |
... in both languages, whenever there are suitable offers, and then CAT tools.
As an ex-pat I too have to 'watch' and listen to English all the time too. My source language is said to be degenerating (I've just heard people bewailing it on the radio...) so maybe I should NOT follow suit too carefully!
| | | | Simon Bruni
Royaume-Uni
Local time: 14:50
Membre (2009)
espagnol vers anglais
| Plain English | Jun 18, 2012 |
Some people call it CPD but I just call it 'life'. An endless learning experience. We translators are by and large quite scholarly types (how else would we become translators?) so learning is pretty high on the agenda for most of us, I'd say.
If we are talking formal education like courses, then I've done some post-grad training in literary translation, but most other things I self-teach, with varying degrees of success.
I'd argue that the really important learning, the... See more Some people call it CPD but I just call it 'life'. An endless learning experience. We translators are by and large quite scholarly types (how else would we become translators?) so learning is pretty high on the agenda for most of us, I'd say.
If we are talking formal education like courses, then I've done some post-grad training in literary translation, but most other things I self-teach, with varying degrees of success.
I'd argue that the really important learning, the really juicy nectar of the translation flower which we busily gather every day, is in the detail - exploring the differences between two languages, and how to overcome these differences. And you can only really do this by translating, and if you have the chance, discussing certain decisions (Kudoz can be great for this). ▲ Collapse
| | | | Clara Chassany
Finlande
Local time: 16:50
Membre (2012)
finnois vers français
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| CPD is essential in many professions, | Jun 18, 2012 |
but I think in translation it is more necessary than in others. World and languages are changing fast, and it's a lot of work to stay up to date. I can't make up my mind about what is more important, CPD in source language, in target language, speciality fields, marketing, CAT tools, ... After all you need to manage all those aspects to be successful in this field.
Right now, as a beginner in the world of translation, I am putting all my efforts in self-promotion and marketing.
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then quickly forget about being a translator.
then translation's a good career choice.
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