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Latest news:

Coming soon: Nicaragua talk at Wokingham Library

7th July, 2016, 6:30pm

Join me for a discussion about my recent work in Nicaragua, where I led a team of volunteers working on a water and sanitation project. i will be covering the aims, challenges and achievements of the project, the realities of rural NGO work and the impact that the project has had on my life since. There will also be plenty of time for questions!


Seats are £2. To book, call the library on 0118 978 1368 or send an email to katrina@kbtranslation.co.uk. 

NGO work in Nicaragua

January - May 2016

A water and sanitation project in rural Nicaragua with Raleigh International. I led a team of twelve British and Latino volunteers in the planning and delivery of educational events, training sessions and awareness campaigns. I provided daily translation and interpreting for the team and the community, which allowed me to develop my knowledge of a previously unfamiliar variety of Spanish! A fascinating, challenging and enriching experience.

Tips for travellers talk at Reading and Wokingham libraries

December 2015

An advice session for prospective travellers, in which I discussed my journey through North and South America. The talk included advice on how to work while travelling, as well as planning and language tips. 

 

Travelling and translating in North and South America

July - December 2015

Projects included:

 

Remote work - Portland, OR and San Francisco, CA, USA

 

Translation of marketing material for Casa Y Selva - Tena, Ecuador
http://www.akangau.com/

 

Subtitling and translation of the shamanic works of Chamalu at Planeta de Luz - Cochabamba, Bolivia
http://janajpacha.com/

 

Website translation for Inn Eco at La Manzana - Buenos Aires, Argentina
http://inneco.com.ar/index.php/en/home/

 

Have a read of my blog for details, anecdotes and impressions from my journey.

MA Thesis Distinction!

November 2015

After months of planning, theorising, experimenting, re-testing, writing up and waiting with all extremities crossed, my beloved thesis turned out to be a winner! My research looked at how we can apply professional translation techniques to language learning in British schools.

 

I am hoping that the thesis will be published in a TBC journal in the near future, but please get in touch if you are interested in discussing any of my findings - I would love to hear from you!

Translation Games at Library Fest 2015

9th May 2015, 2-3.30pm

As an addition to our Schools project, Ricarda and I will be bringing Translation Games to Wokingham Library. The workshop promises to get you thinking between the lines and across languages, literature and the visual arts.

 

We would LOVE to see you there - please call (0118) 978 1368 to book a place!

 

...And in the grand spirit of 'Making Connections', please pass the info on to anybody else who you think could do with a little unusual inspiration! 

 

There is so much great stuff going on across Wokingham Borough Libraries - take a look at all the events planned for Library Fest 2015.

 

Translation workshops in Colchester and Reading

May 2015

Armed with newly-acquired knowledge from the Translators in Schools training, I designed and ran a series of workshops at Colchester High School and Leighton Park School in Reading. The workshops aimed to introduce GCSE students to techniques used by professional translators, and to show them how they might incorporate these skills into their language learning. Activities included a discussion about the world of professional translation, web-based mistranslation exercises and a collaborative translation task using authentic Spanish language material. 

Student feedback:

 

"Translation definitely helps with learning Spanish, and also with being aware of writing in different ways."

 

"The activities gave me confidence. When I first saw the translation I thought I'd never be able to do it. But there was a big sense of achievement at the end."

 

"I enjoyed the mistranslations exercise... it helped me realise that what we were doing was relevant to the real world. That made it really fun."

 

 

Translators in Schools

March 2015

I have recently been working a lot on merging two sides of my work: translation and teaching. Along with my MA thesis (which centres on using translation in the language classroom), I have been on the Translators in Schools training programme. This fantastic set of workshops brought me and other translators together with kids from Edward Allen Primary the other day. I was truly inspired by the openness, perceptiveness and linguistic flair demonstrated by the students who, almost without exception, speak at least one language other than English at home.

 

We had them translating storybooks from our working languages into English, and the results were incredible.

 

Quote of the day from a 9-year-old Somali student: "Can I translate the Spanish 'error' as 'mistake', because 'error' in English just sounds like a computer, far too technical for a children's story... is that okay Miss?" 

 

How's that for register awareness?!?

 

A beautiful and exhausting day. Check out the video (left) featuring yours truly!

Wokingham English Language Circle

First Thursday of every month

I am now hosting the English Language Circle every first Thursday of the month at Wokingham Library. If you are a speaker of English as a second language and would like to come along and practice with a friendly group of learners, then do pop along from 6pm. And it's FREE!

 

Please get in touch by clicking here for more details.

Interpreting for Global Justice Now

2nd February, 2015

I had the pleasure of interpreting for Lapiztola Stencil, a street art collective from Oaxaca, Mexico, during their visit to the UK. They are here thanks to the support of Global Justice Now, an incredible organisation who are fighting on the front line for social justice across the world.

 

Lapiztola use their powerful images to combat injustice and social inequality; hearing their perspectives and witnessing their passion and bravery was inspiring. 

 

To see Global Justice's testimonial of my work, please click here.

 

For details of Lapiztola's London exhibition at Rich Mix, Bethnal Green (5 - 28 Feb), please go here.

 

Here is the link for Global Justice Now and details of their latest campaigns.

Translation Games

January 2015

I usually translate from French and Spanish into English. But recently, my thoughts have also turned to translating film into poetry and Spanish into silk painting...

 

I have now teamed up with Dr Ricarda Vidal of King's College London, to run a series of workshops based upon her already successful Translation Games project. The project explores the links between different art media and challenges our understanding of translation itself.

 

We are currently looking for schools who would be interested in having us workshop TG with their students, with the aim of linking their language learning with creativity and sparking some exciting new out-of-the-box thinking.

 

For full details of the project, please click here.

 

If you are a teacher, a student or from an organisation interested in inviting us to run a workshop, please get in touch!

Language Learning Against All Odds

23rd October 2014

I gave talk at Wokingham Library on how to get a fresh perspective on language learning and overcoming your doubts about mastering a new language.

 

So many people tell me that they are terrible at learning languages, and I simply refuse to believe that this is the case. The talk included evidence from science, personal anecdotes and a variety of tips on how to get back on the path towards bilingualism.

 

If you missed the talk, please feel free to get in touch for more information and advice :)

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