SAF Recipients 2005 - Latvia
REPORT | Latvia 2005
by Lilita Jansevska
Attending the EFSLI event I hoped to gain a new experience about interpreter’s job and make contacts with other nation’s interpreters. Gained experience will be shared with other interpreters of Latvia . This seminar was an excellent change of experience.
There were a few surprises
The first one was that the person we correspond with via e-mail was Man not Lady as we thought. We are sorry for talking to you incorrectly.
The second surprise we had was at the AGM opening event to meet the person who met us at the Science Centre Heureka. He was the president of EFSLI and Iveta’s sponsor Mr. Marco Nardi.
We listened with the interest EFSLI Special Attendance Fund’s and country reports.
Thank you for understanding mine (our) nervousness and for the chance to present our report as the last one and for the CD of signs for European countries.
Interesting was the second day at the EFSLI seminar opening. Afterwards we worked at the third work group managed by Anna Komarova. That helped us because she explained everything we couldn’t catch. Here we became acquainted with the colleagues from other countries Denmark , USA , Sweden and Finland . Lot of them work at the educational institutions. That’s why our problems are different. There is a lack of interpreters in Latvia ,
Especially in educational institutions is no possibility to provide interpreter. We get into contact with Pirkko Mikkonen, director of Study Programme, Humanities Polytechnic. She promised to give some tips in preparation of interpreter program.
During the event I purchased book “Sign Language Interpreting in Europe - edited by Maya de Wit – 2004. It will help us in the daily work and negotiations with government.
Very interesting for me was WFD General Secretary Ms.Carol-Lee Aquiline’s presentation about “Co-operating with the Deaf Client". Thought that I do not know and will not understand international sign language but we understood her easily.
I’d liked very much how one of interpreters translated orally Ms. Carol-lee’s speech. That was emotional and high level skilful translation.
We can only agree with the statement of Ms. Carol-lee that interpreters are only because exist deaf people. She gave useful and practical advises to interpreters what should not be done during translation process. That was a view from side to ourselves, does I (we) acting correctly.
For an essential I consider the speech of Mrs. Pia von Essen, sheet “Quality and Quality Assurance in Interpreting". These parameters will help us to analyze the work of interpreter.
The event proceeded 3 days and all 3 days we heard only English language but we felt very good. The atmosphere was friendly and favorable.
Finnish interpreters are lucky that so many of them could attend the seminar because of knowledge of English. For us that was a barrier. We had to acquire those skills (foreign language) obligatory. We have to learn a lot of to catch European level because in Latvia there are only one interpreter has a higher education but without the knowledge of English.
We arrived back and at the September 29, 2004 . We arranged the meeting where we share with the information about the EFSLI Special Attendance Fund and AGM/seminar, during two hours.
About our trip, EFSLI Special Attendance Fund and AGM/seminar also others could learn from a site (only in the Latvian language):
http://www.lns.lv/public/index.php?id=33&ln=lv&news_id=217
If you want to see please find the Latvian words:
Pieredze (chapter: exchange of experience)
Eiropas tulku saiets……. Assembly (meeting) of interpreters of Europe …..
Presently I am working on the projects by attracting financial funds, the possibility for employed interpreters to get the higher education and the training new Sign Language Interpreters.
Latvian Association of the Deaf (LAD) intend on the September 2005 in the one of institution of higher education (probably college) to start the training of interpreters.
My wishes / advises to EFSLI and foundation in the future
Also in the future continue support interpreters from the new EU member countries.
To get the possibility support 2 representatives from one country, because for example for us helped that that we were two and felt safety (alone I wouldn’t come).
Also that if you do not know English could not be a barrier because only participating in such event we could value the knowledge of foreign language. Thank you for the given possibility because our English was so bad.
Thank you!
Thank you for the three nice days at the EFSLI event!
Thank you for the chance to meet other colleagues!
Thank you for the good organization of the EFSLI event!
Kind regards to Maya de Wit!
Kind regards to the president of EFSLI Mr. Marco Nardi
Good luck at work!
Best wishes,
Lilita Jansevska