Last year I took part in the ITI Spanish Network’s mentoring
scheme. This article gives a brief overview of why I took part, how it works
and what I learned. I hope it will be of use to anyone else considering
mentoring (as a mentor or a mentee).
Why I decided to become a mentee
I have been aware of the ITI Spanish Network’s mentoring
scheme for some time but only recently decided to give it a go. I felt it was
the right time in my career because I was (and still am) quite confident in my skills,
both linguistic and in terms of subject knowledge, having finished a part-time
LLM in International Law in 2017, yet I rarely receive enough – if any –
feedback from my clients, despite asking for it.
I don’t know what reviewers have said or whether documents
are reviewed at all, so I was keen to get feedback from a more experienced
translator on my accuracy, stylistic choices and comprehension. There is always
room for improvement and I felt I was at a dead end in terms of what to work on
next. I needed to know whether my hesitant confidence was justified and what I
could do to further improve. To my mind, constant improvement is the only way
to succeed and success for me is contributing effectively to transnational
communication and cooperation while earning a decent living.
Initial Stages
Having applied to be a mentee and paid my fee, I was paired
with a more experienced Spanish to English translator working in a similar
field to me, Coralie Pearson. We began with a Skype call to make sure that we
were a good fit and discuss what I most wanted to work on, what type of texts I
usually work with and what I would find challenging. Coralie was open and
enthusiastic about the process and I was sure from the outset that we would
work well together.
Progress
The difficulty of the texts Coralie gave me to work on
varied. Some were highly formal, some more creative, but they all gave me the
opportunity to put my skills to the test and get feedback on my choices. The
mechanics of the exchange were fairly straightforward. Coralie would send me
one text a month (for six months) and I would send back my translation and
comments. She would then provide written feedback on specific translation
points and on my work more generally. We had a catch-up via Skype at the mid-way
point to check that we were both happy with how things were going and that I
was finding the process useful (we were and I was).
What I learned
Most importantly, this process renewed my confidence that I
am a highly competent translator. One of my particular strengths is writing
clear, natural English so the translation sounds as though it were originally
written in English. This is a skill I have worked hard to hone in the past, so
I am glad that this effort has paid off.
Even so, there is always room for improvement. I know that I
need to work on better translating the fine nuances of the source text and
interpreting the specific meaning of complex phrases. These are both areas I
will focus on in the coming months. While my translations are very rarely
incorrect, they could be better. And better is always the aim.
I would like to thank Coralie Pearson for agreeing to be my
mentor and for her invaluable support and guidance throughout this process. I
would recommend the mentoring scheme to anyone. It is only by working together
that we can really improve.
For more information about the Spanish Network’s mentoring
scheme click here.
