About six months ago I decided
that I want to specialise in legal translation. Having no legal background at
all I quickly concluded that a short training course was the way to go. Not
only would this be the perfect way to test the waters, but it would also give
me the opportunity to learn something valuable for my future career; not to
mention, the opportunity to meet other translators and interpreters in working
in my chosen field.
So began the task of seeking out
a course. A Google search returned plenty of results, but only two offers
really caught my eye: the City University range of legal translation courses
and the Lexacom Legal English courses run by David Hutchins. The City
University courses were certainly the less expensive option, but they didn’t
start again until September, so not an appealing option. I investigated the
Lexacom option. David Hutchins’ Lexacom courses were advertised on the ITI
(Institute of Translating and Interpreting) website so I knew they would be high
quality, and David Hutchins’ professional experience was certainly impressive. I
had made my choice.
The day of the Lexacom course
turned out to be yet another of those rain again shine again days we have been
having for weeks now, but that didn’t dampen my enthusiasm. I was the first to arrive
at the venue, St. Giles Hotel, being characteristically cautious about delays
(my mother’s influence), and was met by David Hutchins. His welcoming demeanour
and light (but topical) conversation put me at ease as the other delegates
arrived.
Course
Review
The
Facilities
The course was held at the St.
Giles Hotel conference centre less than two minutes walk from Tottenham Court
Road tube station, a very convenient location. Not so convenient were the
stairs down to the conference centre, but I can’t complain too much about a
little exercise. Inside the conference centre was well presented and
comfortable. We could even adjust the air-conditioning from inside our meeting
room.
The Lunch
By lunchtime I was quite hungry,
so I was looking forward to a proper meal. The original plan was to go to a
Thai restaurant; as it turned out, we were to be guinea pigs for testing out a
new restaurant, the Cote Brasserie on Charlotte Street. I was particularly
pleased about this as, having had a few bad experiences, I am not particularly
enthusiastic about Thai food. The restaurant was a few minutes walk from the
conference centre, and luckily we made our way there in a patch of sunshine. The
course fee included a two course meal. I ordered a marinated artichoke and goat’s
cheese salad to start, slightly spiced char grilled chicken with a bean salad
for main, and a dark chocolate and crème fraîche pot added on at the end. Every
single course was perfectly flavoured and the perfect size.
The
People
Having worked part-time at a
hotel offering conferences for three and a half years, I am used to conferences
entirely populated by middle-aged men. However, professional translation is
populated by a wonderful variety of people. This was reflected by the
translators and interpreters attending the course: they were a range of
nationalities and ages, all with a passion for translation. Everyone was easy
to talk to, interesting and very willing to impart their wisdom to a newcomer
like me. I quickly relaxed from my initial nervous state.
The
Course
I am interested in law and legal
translation, even so there was never a moment in which my mind wandered because
there was always a new fact or link or piece of terminology to note down. The
course was never once dry and the atmosphere was comfortable. We were all
encouraged to contribute and ask questions if we didn’t understand anything.
David explained the legal
concepts clearly, especially when answering a question. He gave examples and
linked concepts to each other, an approach I found helped me to remember terms
more readily. I never felt that anyone’s question was off-topic or unhelpful
because David’s answers always related back to the work we were doing and contributed
interesting new information.
David Hutchins is not only
knowledgeable about legal matter but also appreciates the distinctions
translators need to understand, for example, the different spelling of
judgement/ judgment. The materials for the course were clear and well presented
but I still had plenty of notes to add to them as we progressed through the
day. Although we didn’t quite manage to finish all the material, I got so much
information that it will take a couple of days before I can think through it all
properly.
I will end with a short note on
rates. The course cost around £150. From my previous experience, I know that
for a full day conference, including breaks and lunch this is a fair price. Add
to that the small class size (we were 9) and David Hutchins’ expertise and
high-quality teaching skills, the course is outstanding value.
Conclusions
Highly Recommended: I can’t wait
to put what I’ve learnt into practice.
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