August is here! That means, for many of you out there, that summer holidays are in full swing. And why not? In just over one month’s time, the MCI will be revving up to once again welcome a new cohort of online students in Year One, and to meet face to face with our students in Year Two.
So it’s important to enjoy what the summer has to offer. Yet at the same time, the school term and intensive interpreter training will be here before we know it. For that reason, perhaps we shouldn’t lose sight entirely of good habits for interpreters to be.
That said, if the thought of interpreting practice is more than you can handle at this point in time, you may need a more deliberate break. I’ve written before on the topic of an “interpreting holiday“. Sometimes we do need to walk away from interpreting entirely, at least for a while. This allows us to return to our practice refreshed and re-energized.
But if you are reading this blog entry, you are likely not suffering from burnout. Instead, you may actually be looking for gentle ways to ease yourself back into the mindset you will need to make progress. Of course, I could always trot out a set of tips that I have given before to students who are actively enrolled in an interpreter training program. If that is what you are after, be sure to check out the following articles: Article 1, Article 2, and Four tips to make your A language razor sharp! But this week, I wanted to share some interpreting advice you can follow while on vacation.
1. Keep open to opportunities to use your languages
I grew up in the Niagara Region. For the most part, it is a linguistically homogenous place. So when I returned to the region after living in first in Germany and then in Brazil, I did despair a bit for my language skills. That is, until I realized that Niagara Falls was just crawling with international tourists, many of whom spoke German and Portuguese. So at times I would admire the beauty of the Falls, all the while keeping my ear tuned. When the opportunity lent itself, I would strike up a conversation with German and Brazilian tourists. Most of the time, these folks were amused to find someone so far from home who spoke their language, and they were happy to be able to ask a local for advice on sights to see and things to do.
I’m not suggesting that you wander the streets where you live searching for wayward tourists. But in the era of globalization, there are always opportunities to rub elbows — either physically or virtually — with people who speak our languages. Be open to these opportunities, and you’ll be able to keep your languages active.
2. In bilingual settings, apply a bit of discipline
Sometimes our travels take us to places where there is more than just one language in the mix. As a native English speaker, I find that this is often the case. Wherever I go, it seems there is always someone who wants to speak English with me. When I travel to Europe, English seems to be what most Europeans are using to communicate with one another. So it's the language people most often use with me when I arrive at hotels, restaurants and shops. The same appears to hold true in Montreal. Most people who work in retail or hospitality are ready to serve in English, and this is particularly true west of St-Laurent Boulevard.
So what do you to when the locals seem intent on using your language, and not theirs? I usually respond in their language, gently and politely. By the second or third exchange, most people have understood the message — I don’t want to speak my mother tongue. And if ever someone doesn’t seem to be getting the hint, I will often say, in the other language, “I was hoping to practice my_________. Would you mind if we spoke it together?”
Just do be sensitive. Once, while checking into a hotel in Brussels, I repeatedly spoke in French while the young woman at the reception desk kept responding in English. Finally, she explained to me that she was a native Dutch speaker! Belgium, like Canada, does have some tricky language politics, and I had just blundered right into them. I apologized for my linguistic faux pas, and I think the young woman could see I was genuinely embarrassed. We spoke in English from that point.
Long story short, I think we can let ourselves enjoy a summer vacation, and yet not divorce ourselves completely from who we are as interpreters. That way, we get to benefit from a bit of downtime, but the transition back to reality isn’t too much of a shock.