Volunteerism

A few months ago, at the BYU Translation and Localization Club event, I sat in on a presentation given by Jeff Beatty. He talked about the importance of volunteerism in the professional localization field and how to make your volunteer activities work for you and not the other way around. He explained a few principles including how to describe your volunteer duties in a way that relate to future employers who read your resume. He explained that the hours that you put into volunteer activities can be just as important and valuable to you as a professional as your hours in an internship or a job. I really took that to heart and have been looking, not only for applicable volunteer opportunities, but opportunities that I could really sink my teeth into, using skills I am currently developing and skills I want to attain.

If History Could Speak: “Translation is not a Commodity”

This post is based on my final blog post prompt for ENG 212 at BYU. The purpose of the assignment was to challenge a current dogma while discussing its history or origin. In a previous post, I addressed the dogma of credit. In the last couple of weeks I decided to change my topic from consumerism to translation. You will see key historical events that relate to translation highlighted. This was the end result:

Although many Americans don’t have a constant need for translation, those who do need to understand that translation cannot be bought as a commodity (Inspired by an ATA publication). When I say “translation,” what I really mean is any language service; be it sign language interpretation, literary translation, medical interpretation, etc. And when I say it’s not a commodity, I mean that translation services cannot be compared solely by price. Maybe one translator charges 5 cents per word while another charges 12. If translation were a commodity, the choice is obvious: buy the 5 cent translation. But there are many factors that play into the 7 cent difference. I’m not saying that you should always pay for the most expensive translation, but that you should know what you are buying. Consider the following: