Hello everybody!
Today, our third working week at Zuyd Vertalingen has begun! Our team is busy working on various exciting new projects. Some projects have already been finished and sent to the clients. We love the enormous diversity of the projects, because it allows for everyone to work on a project of their own interest and it challenges us to learn about new subjects as well, which provides for a valuable learning experience. For example, one of the projects we are currently working on is one from the organisation Oxfam. Marja is doing the translation of a manual about project management from English to Dutch and I am translating a glossary, which belongs to the previously mentioned manual, from French to Dutch. The challenge is to keep the terminology as consistent as possible, as two people are working on the same project at the same time. Furthermore, it is also a challenge to translate the specific marketing terminology.
Our other colleagues at Zuyd Vertalingen are Annelies, Luna and Veralieke, whom are working on various different projects, like the translation of the website of Bont voor Dieren, as well as the translation of a number of web pages for Nationaal Programma Onderwijs, and the translation of a number of various recipes. I love working together with my fellow students and running a translation agency together. We get a taste of all duties that come with running this kind of business; starting with client acquisition and customer service, to managing the translation projects, keeping up with our social media and, of course, translating. Our internship coordinator, Joop Bindels, is there to advise and assist us, but he also lets us work independently. This way we can truly experience what it’s like to run a translation agency in every aspect.
On Thursday afternoon, we are headed to Geleen, to visit the Chemelot campus of Brightlands. Here we will join a couple of students for a high tea, during which our only used language will be English. The event is organised for the students there to help them gain better proficiency in speaking a foreign language while socialising. Our job is to keep the conversations going by asking questions and helping with any challenges they face in expressing themselves. We are thrilled with this assignment and look forward to lending a helping hand and meeting new people. And of course, we ourselves get the opportunity to improve our English speaking proficiency as well.
Lastly, a few times per week we are joined by four French speaking Belgian students who take part in an Erasmus programme in Maastricht. The students assist us with the translation of texts into French. Thanks to them, we can offer translation services into more languages. Currently, the Belgian students are working on the translation of a movie script. The film is about the Battle at Fort Eben-Emael and will even be shown in the museum at the site of the fort!
In conclusion, we are never bored at Zuyd Vertalingen. In our lovely office, there is always a good atmosphere and we work well together as a team, with plenty of coffee breaks in between. I have no doubt we can all look forward to a much enjoyable and useful experience ahead of us!
-Inga