Unit 10: Career choices(My job as an interpreter SB p 72)

Unit 10                 

Student’s Book, pages 72 and 73

Before you begin  

1 Work in pairs. What do the photographs above represent? At international conferences, how do people from different countries understand each other?

Answers
a. a microphone and headphones
b. an interpreter
c. a conference
At international conferences, people from different countries talk to each other through interpreters. The interpreter listens to what is said through headphones and then translates it into the listener's native language while the speaker is talking. The interpreter gives the translation through headphones to other people at the meeting.

2 DW Which of the following can help you to understand foreign languages? Check the meanings of any word(s) that you do not know in the Glossary on page 96 or in a dictionary.

headphones       interpreter         regional          rewarding secure       seminar          translation

 

 

 

headphones (n)	a piece of equipment that you wear over your ears to listen privately to the radio, music, etc.
interpreter (n)  interpret (v) interpretation (n)	Someone who translates spoken words from one language into another
regional (adj) region (n)	relating to a particular region or area
rewarding (adj) reward (v + n)	giving personal satisfaction
secure (adj)  secure (v)   security (n)	safe; free from danger
seminar (n)	a class on a particular subject, usually given as a form of training.

Answer
interpreter, translation

3 Fatima Musa is talking about her career as an interpreter. Listen and read. Check your answers to exercise 1

My job as an interpreter My name is Fatima Musa and I have worked as an interpreter for five years. Many students have emailed me about my work because they want to know what it would be like to do my job.  So here is my reply. I have always been fond of languages. My father worked in many different countries when I was young and we usually travelled with him. When we visited a country, I always wanted to learn the language. At school, I was very good at English. Therefore, I decided on a career as an interpreter. My job now involves going to important conferences and seminars around the world. When a person speaks in English at a conference, I listen to what they say through headphones. I then translate into Arabic while the speaker is talking. I give the translation through headphones to other people at the meeting. This means that anyone in the room who speaks Arabic can understand what people are saying. Is it an easy job? Not at all. English is not the same in all English -speaking countries. For example, the English words that are used in India are sometimes different to the words that people use in the UK, the USA or Australia. As well as knowing regional English, you also need to know a lot of specialist language. Some of the words that are used to talk about business, science or law, for example, make it almost a different language! Unless you have a language degree, you will not be able to become an interpreter. Provided that you have a postgraduate qualification, you will probably get a job as an interpreter quite quickly. If you get an interview for a job, you will need to show that you have good listening skills and a clear speaking voice. You will also need to show that you can think quickly and that you are able to concentrate for long periods of time. If you are successful, it is a secure and rewarding job. You will probably need to travel a lot, but that is not a problem as long as you enjoy visiting other countries. It is a very responsible job. I am aware that if I translate things badly, it could affect an important law or trade agreement between countries. However, you get a huge feeling of satisfaction when you know that people understand everything that you translate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Explanation

Extra Words

fond of (adj)	having affection or liking for someone or something
qualification	Official records of achievement awarded upon the successful completion of a course.

 

My name is Fatima Musa and I have worked as an interpreter for five years. Many students have emailed me about my work because they want to know what it would be like to do my job. So here is my reply. I have always been fond of languages. My father worked in many different countries when I was young and we usually travelled with him. When we visited a country, I always wanted to learn the language. At school, I was very good at English. Therefore, I decided on a career as an interpreter.

• Fatima Musa has worked as an interpreter for five years.
• Many students have emailed Fatima Musa about her work because they want to know what it would be like to do her job.
• Some of the reasons that made Fatima decide on a career as an interpreter are:

         1. Fatima Musa has always been fond of languages.

         2. Her father worked in many different countries and she usually travelled with him.

         3. At school Fatima Musa was very good at English.

• An interpreter is someone who translates spoken words from one language into another.
• The underlined pronoun 'him' in the text above refers to Fatima's father.

My job now involves going to important conferences and seminars around the world. When a person speaks in English at a conference, I listen to what they say through headphones. I then translate into Arabic while the speaker is talking. I give the translation through headphones to other people at the meeting. This means that anyone in the room who speaks Arabic can understand what people are saying.

• Fatima Musa’s job involves going to important conferences and seminars.
• Fatima Musa follows these steps to do her job:

        1. She listens to what people say through headphones.

       2. She then translates into Arabic while the speaker is talking.

       3. She gives the translation through headphones to other people at the meeting.

• Seminars are classes on a particular subject, usually given as a form of training.
• headphones are pieces of equipment that you wear over your ears to listen privately to the radio, music, etc.
• The underlined pronoun they in the text above refers to people.
• The underlined pronoun 'I' in the text above refers to Fatima Musa.

Is it an easy job? Not at all. English is not the same in all English -speaking countries. For example, the English words that are used in India are sometimes different to the words that people use in the UK, the USA or Australia. As well as knowing regional English, you also need to know a lot of specialist language. Some of the words that are used to talk about business, science or law, for example, make it almost a different language!

• According to Fatima the job of an interpreter is not easy because: 

       1. English words that are used in India are sometimes different to the words that people use in the UK, the USA or Australia.

       2. Knowing regional English, you also need to know a lot of specialist language.

       3. Some of the words that are used to talk about business, science or law, for example, make it almost a different language!

• The word regional mean s relating to a particular region or area .
• The underlined pronoun 'that' in the text above refers to words.

Unless you have a language degree, you will not be able to become an interpreter. Provided that you have a postgraduate qualification, you will probably get a job as an interpreter quite quickly. If you get an interview for a job, you will need to show that you have good listening skills and a clear speaking voice. You will also need to show that you can think quickly and that you are able to concentrate for long periods of time. If you are successful, it is a secure and rewarding job. You will probably need to travel a lot, but that is not a problem as long as you enjoy visiting other countries.

• Two qualifications the person should have to be an interpreter:

        a language degree and a postgraduate qualification.

• The qualities an interpreter should have if he gets an interview for a job are :

        1. good listening skills 

        2. a clear speaking voice

        3. thinking quickly

        4. the ability to concentrate for long periods of time

• There are two characteristics of this job if you are successful these characteristics are a secure and rewarding job.
• The word   ''rewarding means giving personal satisfaction. 
• The word 'qualification means official records of achievement awarded upon the successful completion of a course
• The underlined pronoun 'it' in the text above refers to the job of an interpreter.

It is a very responsible job. I am aware that if I translate things badly, it could affect an important law or trade agreement between countries. However, you get a huge feeling of satisfaction when you know that people understand everything that you translate.

• According to Fatima Musa being an interpreter is considered a very responsible job because if she translates things badly, it could affect an important law or trade agreement between countries.

• Bad translation affects an important law or trade agreement between countries.

• The interpreter gets a huge feeling of satisfaction when he knows that people understand everything that he translates.

• The underlined pronoun 'it' in the text above refers to translating things badly.