The Linguist

@Linguist_CIOL OCTOBER/NOVEMBER The Linguist 31 INSTITUTE MATTERS A life with languages Translator and interpreter Patricia Blanco MCIL CL explains, in her native Galician and English, how she left a childhood dream of being a dentist for a fulfilling and varied life as a linguist How many languages do you speak? I have been asked that question many times. My very first words were in Galician, one of my mother tongues. When I was four, my family moved near Barcelona, so Catalan and Spanish became two new languages at home and school until I moved back to the UK. Why do I say moved back? At the age of 9, I went to London for the first time to visit my relatives. I was flabbergasted when I couldn't communicate properly with my cousins although I had been studying English for a year. I was determined to learn, read books and watch TV in English. Language would not be a barrier. I have travelled back and forth to London ever since, and England has always been a second home. Little did I know that languages would play an important role later in life. Before I went to university, an Italian friend roused my curiosity about Italian. My idea had always been to become a dentist, but there I was learning Italian and specialising in education in English, Catalan and Spanish at university in Barcelona. At times, the challenges have made the ride a white-knuckle one, but nothing has stopped me. Languages are not an exact science as they evolve and adapt with the times. I find it absolutely fascinating! That is why every project is both a new challenge involving research and a fantastic reward when clients get back to you with their comments and choose you again. I have taken part in interpreting services, varied translations including books, recordings for artificial intelligence and the creation of educational materials. As a perfectionist, these little things keep me motivated to continue improving and learning. Besides languages, travelling is my other great passion (I am pictured outside the Taj Mahal). The ability to communicate with people from around the globe, using any of the languages I speak, inspires me to keep learning about new cultures. What about you? How many languages do you speak? Inglaterra converteuse no segundo fogar. Non podía imaxinar que as linguas terían un papel importante na miña vida. Antes de ir á universidade, unha boa amiga italiana espertou a miña curiosidade polo italiano. A miña idea sempre fora converterme en dentista pero alí estaba eu, aprendendo italiano e despois especializándome en educación en inglés, catalán e español na universidade de Barcelona. Nalgún momento, os desafíos fixeron que o viaxe non fora sinxelo, pero nada me detivo. As linguas non son unha ciencia exacta xa que evolucionan cos tempos e adáptanse ás novas épocas. Paréceme absolutamente fascinante! É por iso que cada encargo é un novo reto que implica investigación, pero tamén seguir mellorando e aprendendo. Ademais das linguas, viaxar é a miña outra gran paixón (aquí retratada no Taj Mahal). A capacidade de comunicarme con persoas de todo o mundo utilizando calquera das linguas que falo inspíranme a seguir aprendendo sobre novas culturas. E ti? Cantas linguas falas? é unha fantástica recompensa cando os clientes deixan os seus comentarios e volven a escollerte. Participei en servizos de interpretación, gravacións de intelixencia artificial, traducións variadas, incluídos libros e creación de materiais educativos. Como perfeccionista, estas pequenas cousas motívanme para Cantas linguas falas? Fixéronme esa pregunta moitas veces. As miñas primeiras palabras foron en galego. Cando tiña catro anos, a miña familia mudouse preto de Barcelona, polo que o catalán e o español convertéronse en dous novos idiomas na casa e na escola ata o momento en que deixei Cataluña para volver ao Reino Unido. Por que digo volver ao Reino Unido? Aos 9 anos fun a Londres por primeira vez a visitar algúns familiares. Quedei desconcertada cando non puiden comunicarme correctamente cos meus curmáns despois de estudar inglés durante case un ano. Decidín nese intre aprender o idioma, lendo libros e vendo a televisión en inglés. A lingua xa non sería unha barreira. Desde entón viaxei con frecuencia a Londres e

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