become an Interpreter/translator

Due to the fact that I spent the last half year in France (in the department la Vendée – beautiful place) I didn’t really update here at all. But I’m getting better and better on my way to become and interpreter. I think I wouldn’t be able to write two sentences without making a mistake now, but at least I can answer fluently now when a French person asks me something… you have no idea what a feeling that is.

I am turning into a complete francophile.

If everyting goes according to plan I will spend February until July of 2007 in France! To improve my French skills (which need improving!). Good for me I’m such a geek and all my grades are good because I will be working as a cultural assistant in some local Highschools and, ergo, not going to university.

But most of my teachers have agreed that I can pass the next semester by “distance learning” which will mean an awful lot of work for me – but, I’m hoping also a lot of fun!

Je vous souhaite encore un bon week-end!

And then it’s back to university. I’m looking forward to it, though. We still don’t translate – you can’t expect people who’ve learned Spanish for only one year to write good translations yet, can you. But there are lots of subjects that I’m very interested in and I’m also looking forward to our reading lists… yes, I’m officially crazy.

Let’s just hope my French gets better. I’ve been reading “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” but I’m so slow reading in French… I hope I’ll finish before the holidays are over.

I have officially passed all of my classes (English class with an A ;)) and even the Diploma Exams. I was really scared of those but my oral exams in all 4 languages (German, English, French and Spanish) went really well and I even had fun talking to my teachers.

So now I have three full months of infinite freedom ahead of me – and next Saturday we’ll all celebrate, as my friends still have some exams coming up next week. But I’m as happy as can be.

But that doesn’t mean I’m out of work. Nooooo sir! In a couple of weeks I’m going to write my diploma exams (4 of them – one in each language) and a couple of weeks after that, if I succeed, that is, I’ll have my oral diploma exams – again 4 of them.

I’m scared as hell and as much as I love languages, I hate studying when I’m not in the mood. And right now I’m much more in the mood to read Robin Hobb novels than to study anything about what the Arabs did in Spain round the year 1000.

One wouldn’t believe what a little change of location can do. I got into all my classes here and while I do have tons of work to do (especially catching up stuff the others did last semester) I just love getting up every morning and going to college.
My teachers are great, my Spanish is definitely improving, as (I hope) is my French.
In English we learn more about writing style and cohesive devices but it’s still fun. (Man, I’m a language geek)

So wish me luck, everyone! I think I might just make it on time and in a mere 4 years I’ll be able to call myself an interpretor. wohoo

I’ve now changed locations from Vienna to Graz, where I’ll persue my studies. Vienna was a bit overrun so I didn’t get into all the classes I would have needed to finish in time.
So basically, now I’m trying to cram two semesters’ classes into one which means a lot of work.

I admit, I’m kind of scared that I won’t be able to make it and just have lost a semster but on March 6th school begins and we’ll see if I’m happier here than I was in Vienna.

University starts on October 3rd, so by that day I’ll be only five years away of being a real interpreter (if everything goes fine). I already made my schedule – it’s a bit chaotic, but hey, that’s never been a problem for me. I’m happy for every free hour to study vocabulary!