doing something different with language
Language use both reveals and motivates human behavior; utterances invoke the past and foreshadow the future. I dubbed my dissertation research project SI(squared) as soon as I landed on the title: Simultaneous Interpretation and Shared Identity in the European Parliament. I am actually working three-dimensionally (SIcubed) at the juncture of social interaction, … Read more...
“Mahmoud is een wonder!” Anne teased him at the moment when comprehension dawned: the lightbulb went off and Mahmoud got it: heel goed! I can tell you that I need a few more miracles if I am going to pass de examen in Januari.
I agree with Amin, who said “remembering” when we were discussing our various challenges with … Read more...
There is “the problem no one talks about,” one Member of the European Parliament (MEP) explained, referring to the lack of relationship between MEPs and the interpreters. This gap poses a barrier for developing the kind of rapport that makes simultaneous interpretation most effective.
There is also the reason for using simultaneous interpretation which is “so obvious it doesn’t need … Read more...
Thanksgiving in the Verenigde Staten is a holiday and a protest. The mood at the dinner hosted by the American Club was celebratory, although rumblings went round during an aggressive invocation I admit I could have done without. I was also a bit disappointed that no mention was made of the terrorist attacks … Read more...
Over the past few days, I have been spoken to in Flemish by a stranger on a few occasions, and what happens? My brain shuts down completely – I can’t think of words in English, let alone in Vlaamse! I know, I know. I was teasing Mahmoud before, and now I’m having the same … Read more...
During our third Flemish class, Marsi found out how old I am. “My mother is one year younger than you,” she told me. “Next year – funeral or what?” she continued. “What kind of flowers do you like?” Possibly all of the women in class besides me are here because they are married or engaged to a Belgian. Today there … Read more...
A polarization of viewpoints on the value of simultaneous interpretation (SI) was obvious from my first conversations with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). At first glance, MEPs who are fluent in two or three languages seem not to perceive much use for interpreters, while MEPs who are not so fluent beyond their mother tongue recognize and value the immediate … Read more...
This post distills a series of thoughts from reading three different texts: The Heroic Model of Science (Chapter 1, Telling the Truth about History by Appleby, Hunt & Jacob, 1991); The Talmud and the Internet by Jonathan Rosen (2000), and an Interview with Ilan Stavans by Richard Birnbaum (@ 2003).
Three threads are primary: language, interaction, and science. “Language” is … Read more...
The pressure to use English is intense.
There are so many reasons.
“The most important question is, are you certain you need a translation, for all those speakers are fluent in English. It seems such a waste of time.”
Ah yes. … Read more...