"Debabelizing minds beyond language" - Day 1

This year I had the chance for the second time to be a part of the 2012 Translation and Interpretation Students Congress celebrated at INACAP Apoquindo on October 25^th and 26^th.

Gertrudis Payàs at
Debabelizing Minds Beyond Language
INACAP Apoquindo

After the welcoming speeches, the first exposition on day one started. It was someone we already knew from last year. Gertrudis Payàs and her investigation about the Linguistic of Translation. Payàs is a PhD in Translation Studies from Ottawa University. Today, she is a teacher and a researcher at Universidad Católica de Temuco. She was firm about that language caused differentiation and social exclusion, whether for better or worse. Payàs insisted that we must prevent languages from disappearing. We have to keep our identity, translate and keep our language alive, not a mix with the invasive English. 

The second presentation was in charge of María Eugenia Berríos, Manager of Abside Traducciones and English-Spanish State teacher at Universidad de Chile. She exposed “Translation difficulties”.

The following talk was “Systemic Functional Linguistics” by Marta López, teacher at INACAP Concepción – Talcahuano.

Johanna Angulo, Managing Director of Jangulo Language Solutions presented “Global view of market opportunities of Translation”.

The next talk was in charge of Francisca Avendaño, Pricila Rodríguez and Romina Ruiz from INACAP Concepción - Talcahuano. They presented “Strategic competences of an expert Translator vs. an expert Bilingual”.

After lunch, a short presentation of the new Oxford University Press Dictionary on its 8^th version, also available for sale together with far more English books from different libraries.

The following presentation was conducted by Mr. Simon Higginson, Teacher at Universidad de Chile, with “A personal journey of foreign language and cuture” in collaboration with Claudia Valenzuela.

Álvaro Salazar, CEO of Colegio de Traductores e Intérpretes de Chile - COTICH, presented “The Translation Market in Chile”

Three students, Silvia Pérez, Karen Díaz and Dana Krüger presented their graduation projects. All of them studying a Master Degree in Translation at Universidad Católica de Chile.

The next expositor was Brenda Soto with her topic “Experience as a Translator”. Brenda Soto is from Universidad de Artes, Ciencias y Comunicación UNIACC.

Andy Vilches from INACAP La Serena presented “Tools and competences of a Professional Translator”

“Didactic and methodology of Translation Analysis” was the presentation of Paula Michelli and Oscar Subiabre from Universidad Chileno – Británica de Cultura.

Two former Translation students from INACAP Apoquindo, Jorge Sandoval y Diego Muñoz, showed their presentation about “Audiovisual Translation Perspective”.

After thirteen expositions, the first day of the Translation and Interpretation Students Congress was over. You may think it might have taken an eternity to hear. It probably did. But I would absolutely stay further more to hear all this new knowledge, experience that you can’t study or read. 

I was very interested in the topics that talked about subtitling, localization and CAT (computer assisted translation software tools).

Subtitling has been in my head since I became faithful to many English series. The humour in them is not always something easy to translate. That’s the fun part of it. I hope to be in that area someday.

Localization was a word we heard in the previous congress without having my attention. This year I knew what it meant. In simple words, every software is created in a selected language. Those who created had the job, if they wanted it in other languages, to internationalize it. This means that when a translator works in it and translates it, the software is still functional and looking pretty. If you are good at programming language, this could be your goal.

We know a little about CAT software: Wordfast and Trados. But technology is always one step ahead. And CAT software doesn’t stay behind. Today, CAT software with no installation needed and based on “clouds” it’s what’s coming. Be prepared!

A congress with no coffee break wouldn’t be a congress, right? As we had, we had many in fact. Coffee and tea was plenty, no so much the food, that I must say, were just regular cookies that didn’t do me a thing. Lunch was a completely different thing. Every campus has its pro and cons. And their casino was definitely a pro. It was buffet-like. Many different kinds of food, meat, fish, veggies, soup, bread, juice and the plate was huge. Couldn’t eat it all.

PS: Entry still in development.