On Tuesday 10th December, I had the opportunity to speak with students at Williamwood High School’s Modern Languages careers day. The day focussed on using languages in your career and the benefits of continuing to learn a language. Working at Global Connects, I was able to share many examples of the different careers in language services and how rewarding they can be. Having prepared some new activities for the next generation of linguists, project managers and booking coordinators, I was excited to meet current 4th years and learn more about their aspirations.
I was invited into four different classes. In the first, students benefitted from a presentation with key insight into the work we do at Global Connects. The presentation was broken up with opportunities for students to share their own language-learning experiences and an interactive activity putting their knowledge of our key roles to the test. They also gained some insight into accessible translation including Easy Read, Large Print and BSL interpring. The second class grilled me with a really interesting Q&A session including questions about where I had been in Spain and times I had used my language skills. I was happy to tell them about my travels in Valencia, Catalonia, Galicia and Andalusia and encourage them to broaden their own horizons with their French or Spanish language learning. They were also interested in my experiences outside of Europe with Jamaica and Jamaican patois.
The third class worked much like the first a greater focus on the interactive activity. Students were keen to learn about the different roles open to them through fluency in languages they speak at home and their studies. Languages such as Arabic and Bengali are very relevant in the languages landscape. The fourth class experienced a day in the life of a project manager and worked to put a translated document back together in the same layout as the source text. They had to use their language and formatting skills, and an eye for detail to successfully reconstruct the target text. They were able to spot the correct translation, numbers and similarities in formatting, and explain these to me as I quizzed each group. It was a fun occasion to work with classmates and do something that project managers do every day.
Teachers were really supportive and encouraging students to get involved and think about the different paths their futures could take. Students had some idea about public sector translation and interpreting, especially what might be needed in the courts and the NHS. Emphasising the distinction between document translation and interpreting speech is always important and by the end of each session, students felt much more confident about the different work translators, interpreters, booking coordinators and project managers do. I was happy to learn that while some students we’re convinced, others were very eager to continue with their language learning and pursue a career using their languages. The day flew by and soon it was time to brave the fog again.
I very much look forward to returning to Williamwood and visiting other schools to welcome the next generation of linguists, project managers and booking coordinators. If you would like Global Connects to visit your school, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us!