How to improve my skills? Initiator des Themas: Saša Horvat Šimonka
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I am a non-linguistic graduate (I hold MSc in International Relations) and although I am working as a translator for many years now and I do believe I am good at what I do, I think I could still improve my English language skills. I was planning to do another BSc in English language and literature but obviously it is mission impossible at the moment (not to mention Translation studies!) since non of the faculties offer this courses for older students. Since I have a 1,5 year old at home it is al... See more I am a non-linguistic graduate (I hold MSc in International Relations) and although I am working as a translator for many years now and I do believe I am good at what I do, I think I could still improve my English language skills. I was planning to do another BSc in English language and literature but obviously it is mission impossible at the moment (not to mention Translation studies!) since non of the faculties offer this courses for older students. Since I have a 1,5 year old at home it is also impossible to move out of my home country for a while to work in "native environment".
The basic question therefore is: how to improve something you are good at but could still be better? ▲ Collapse
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Peter Linton (X) 
Local time: 02:06
Schwedisch > Englisch
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One suggestion: spend time and effort on building up a detailed glossary, particularly in your special fields. Include phrases, abbreviations, slang etc. Load it into Trados MultiTerm (which you have). A comprehensive glossary can substantially improve your productivity.
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| Individual study or short-term specific courses | Sep 30, 2011 |
Considering your constraints, I would say that an option could be individual study.
Even if you think that you have good enough English language skills, don't be ashamed to go back to the basics and review grammar, learn vocabulary, listen to native speakers, practice conversation, etc. I'm aware that this can be difficult with a baby at home, but if you decide to dedicate 1 hour/day to this activity, the results will show shortly.
Another option would be to attend some speci... See more Considering your constraints, I would say that an option could be individual study.
Even if you think that you have good enough English language skills, don't be ashamed to go back to the basics and review grammar, learn vocabulary, listen to native speakers, practice conversation, etc. I'm aware that this can be difficult with a baby at home, but if you decide to dedicate 1 hour/day to this activity, the results will show shortly.
Another option would be to attend some specific language courses (ex. British Council or any school or institute that provides such short-term courses to anyone who is willing to learn).
I think your initiative is commendable and I hope you won't mind if I point out an obvious grammar mistake you've made in your message:
"I am working as a translator for many years now" (see present perfect).
Best of luck!
Mihaela ▲ Collapse
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Saša Horvat Šimonka
Slowenien
Local time: 03:06
Mitglied (2010)
Englisch > Slowenisch
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THEMENSTARTER
I think your initiative is commendable and I hope you won't mind if I point out an obvious grammar mistake you've made in your message:
"I am working as a translator for many years now" (see present perfect).
That's why I always translate only into my native language
But to be honest I changed part of this sentence before posting the message and didn't read it again
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| Immerse yourself in the language | Sep 30, 2011 |
If your main objective is to improve your knowledge of English, it is essential that you keep in touch with the language on a daily basis. For me, the best solution is to combine reading quality newspapers (Guardian, Independent, Telegraph - whathever suits your taste) with listening to podcasts. BBC offers a huge number of radio programmes available for free via BBC iplayer. The number of genres is really impressive and covers a wide variety of topics (current events, culture, music, politics, ... See more If your main objective is to improve your knowledge of English, it is essential that you keep in touch with the language on a daily basis. For me, the best solution is to combine reading quality newspapers (Guardian, Independent, Telegraph - whathever suits your taste) with listening to podcasts. BBC offers a huge number of radio programmes available for free via BBC iplayer. The number of genres is really impressive and covers a wide variety of topics (current events, culture, music, politics, dramas), so you are almost certain to find something of particular interest to you. In this way, you can keep an eye on the little one and improve your language skills at the same time.
Good luck ▲ Collapse
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