| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5 6] > | Poll: Have you ever spent a significant amount of time (>2 months) working or studying in another country? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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| Yes, and I loved it! | Nov 7, 2008 |
Over two years in England, one year in Israel, almost three years in Venezuela and another year in Paraguay.
I am back to Spain now, and I do not think that my partner would follow me if I moved again, so, time to travel just on holidays!
Idoia
| | | | Laureana Pavon 
Uruguay
Local time: 21:11
Member (2007)
English to Spanish
+ ...
MODERATOR | No formal linguistic studies in English-speaking countries but... | Nov 7, 2008 |
I grew up in Canada (English was my very first language), and later moved to South America where I completed all my formal studies (linguistic and others).
For ten years now I have been spending at least one month a year in the UK, and this gives me the chance to keep up with the language but specially with the culture.
I guess I'm lucky that my brother and his wife are happy to have me, as I am sure that my linguistic skills wouldn't be quite what they are if I did not travel to the... See more I grew up in Canada (English was my very first language), and later moved to South America where I completed all my formal studies (linguistic and others).
For ten years now I have been spending at least one month a year in the UK, and this gives me the chance to keep up with the language but specially with the culture.
I guess I'm lucky that my brother and his wife are happy to have me, as I am sure that my linguistic skills wouldn't be quite what they are if I did not travel to the UK so much.
Cheers!
Laureana ▲ Collapse
| | | | Andrea Riffo
Chile
Local time: 20:11
English to Spanish
+ ...
| Don't assume so much | Nov 7, 2008 |
Cetacea wrote:
Irene Schlotter, Dipl.-Übers. wrote:
Hi, I am a bit surprised about this poll because in my point of view everybody working in our industry should have spent time abroad in order to gather first-hand experience in the respective country.
That was my first reaction, too, and I'm glad to see I'm not the only one.
I know that some colleagues might have a different opinion but in my point of view having gathered experience in the country/ies of your working language/s is absolutely essential.
There is just no substitute for that kind of experience. Language is a living thing, so you need to live/have lived with it.
I answered "no", because I have neither studied nor worked abroad and that was the specific question. But I have visited countries where my source language is spoken for longish periods (more than 8 weeks each) as a tourist/backpacker, so I have gathered first-hand experience with the live language, its culture and its native speakers.
I'm pretty sure there are a few more "no" respondents who are in a similar situation.
Greetings
Andrea
[Edited at 2008-11-07 17:28]
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I think my 8-year full-time employment as a bilingual secretary/administrative assistant to the (American) Credit & Marketing Manager of an American bank here in Chile -where English was the official language- were equivalent to several post-graduate courses anywhere in the United States.
Speaking and writing English eight hours a day, attending meetings, preparing committee minutes, translating Chilean regulations into English and bank policies and procedures into Spanish... I sinc... See more I think my 8-year full-time employment as a bilingual secretary/administrative assistant to the (American) Credit & Marketing Manager of an American bank here in Chile -where English was the official language- were equivalent to several post-graduate courses anywhere in the United States.
Speaking and writing English eight hours a day, attending meetings, preparing committee minutes, translating Chilean regulations into English and bank policies and procedures into Spanish... I sincerely wish every translator could have such a wonderful hands-on experience! That's what made me professionally bilingual. I don't think it would have been half as good to me if I had spent one or two years working for the same bank in New York, for example.
I would like to state that I owe a lot to a wonderful man, my boss, who later married my best friend. He is a perfectionist and knows how to get the best out of his subordinates
Have a great weekend, guys!
[Edited at 2008-11-08 09:33] ▲ Collapse
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| been around a lot, never stopped long enough anywhere but... | Nov 7, 2008 |
...one day I came to Barcelona and stayed. Initially, I had had the idea of moving around a bit, but then I met the guy who'd end up being my husband, and before I (we) knew, I was pregnant! So we both stayed (he was also thinking of moving back home at the time, I don't think I was included in his luggage though!).
That was many years ago.... Since then, we go to Scotland two or three times a year, generally for two or three weeks at a time. We haven't yet had the chance to travel "for p... See more ...one day I came to Barcelona and stayed. Initially, I had had the idea of moving around a bit, but then I met the guy who'd end up being my husband, and before I (we) knew, I was pregnant! So we both stayed (he was also thinking of moving back home at the time, I don't think I was included in his luggage though!).
That was many years ago.... Since then, we go to Scotland two or three times a year, generally for two or three weeks at a time. We haven't yet had the chance to travel "for pleasure", but as the children get a little older, I hope we will. I miss my travelling days!
PD: I too enjoy having a wee glimpse into everyone else's life through these polls. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Samantha Payn
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:11
Member (2008)
Russian to English
+ ...
Five months in Rostov on Don Jan to May 1992 - I was one of only five English speakers in the city which was fine with me as I wanted immersion in the Russian language. I taught English at Rostov university and did the same thing moonlighting at private evening classes.
Two and a half years in Moscow from October 1998 working in the insurance industry. I chose to rent a flat in a Russian middle-class area rather than stay in the expats compound because I wanted maximum exposure to the lang... See more Five months in Rostov on Don Jan to May 1992 - I was one of only five English speakers in the city which was fine with me as I wanted immersion in the Russian language. I taught English at Rostov university and did the same thing moonlighting at private evening classes.
Two and a half years in Moscow from October 1998 working in the insurance industry. I chose to rent a flat in a Russian middle-class area rather than stay in the expats compound because I wanted maximum exposure to the language.
I, too, feel that immersion in the language and culture is essential to promote comprehension and fluency.
I now use a mixture of resources to keep up to speed - including personal contact and online methods.
Samantha
PS yes, I seem to have a habit of heading to Russia when everyone else was heading away! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | It was a requirement of my degree | Nov 7, 2008 |
I spent nine months in Paris studying at Sciences Po and three months working in Florence.
| | | | | Yes, Very Significant | Nov 7, 2008 |
In the mid-sixties I went to England where I obtained my "O" and "A" levels and completed Part I of a B. Sc (Econ) degree course. I sepnt four exhilariting years at the height of the roar of the "roaring sixties"- Beatlesmania and Rolling Stones craze.
During those four years I came to know an RAF officer who wanted to learn some Arabic in preparation for his posting to an Arab country. He introduced me to other officers and I taught them Arabic while learnig from them English idio... See more In the mid-sixties I went to England where I obtained my "O" and "A" levels and completed Part I of a B. Sc (Econ) degree course. I sepnt four exhilariting years at the height of the roar of the "roaring sixties"- Beatlesmania and Rolling Stones craze.
During those four years I came to know an RAF officer who wanted to learn some Arabic in preparation for his posting to an Arab country. He introduced me to other officers and I taught them Arabic while learnig from them English idiomatic expressions and slang. At thaqt raw age I was an idealist and refused to charge them any money. In return they used to bring me cigarettes (I had begun my heavey smoking period) and a bottle of something (I got hocked to cherry, port and vodka - luckily only during week-ends).
I owe a great debt to those officer for having gained som much in depth knowledge of the English language as spoken by educated English gentlemen and from my week-ends at pubs I gained further insigght into the English slang as spoken by ordinary Englishmen.
Teaching Arabic to Englishmen was very educational. Speaking English came naturally to me to the extent that my dreams, even today, are often in English rather than Arabic. Sometimes I feel I'm a native speaker of Engllish as much as I'm a native speaker of Arabic. ▲ Collapse
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| It would be a shame for a translator, don't you think? | Nov 7, 2008 |
I have also spent time abroad, living and working in the US (1 year)
I've been travelling all around the world since I was 17 y/o (over 3 years in total)
I think when you decide to dedicate your professional life working in languages it is a real shame not to feel the languages you work with.
There's only one way to do so: travelling and living abroad, for books have their limits too.
| | | | Astrid Vallero (X)
Italy
Local time: 02:11
Italian to English
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| YES, Germany and the UK | Nov 7, 2008 |
left Italy when I was 20, spent a year in Goettingen to learn German and then moved in the UK 10 years ago. Did a linguistics degree at Reading and started to work. still here now...
| | | | | I came, I saw, I got married | Nov 7, 2008 |
Yes, I have spent and am still spending a lot of time in another country (though by now 'here' is 'home' and what used to be 'home' could be considered 'another country'): I am originally from Germany, and have been living in Sweden since 2005 after having spent two semesters here as an exchange student in 2003/2004. During that time I fell in love with a Swedish neighbour, whom I am now married to. A dream come true. Now I get to... See more Yes, I have spent and am still spending a lot of time in another country (though by now 'here' is 'home' and what used to be 'home' could be considered 'another country'): I am originally from Germany, and have been living in Sweden since 2005 after having spent two semesters here as an exchange student in 2003/2004. During that time I fell in love with a Swedish neighbour, whom I am now married to. A dream come true. Now I get to speak (and write) foreign languages every day, just as I'd hoped I would! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ludmilla3
Local time: 10:11
English to Russian
| Russia, China and Australia | Nov 7, 2008 |
I lived, studied and worked in Russia for the most part of my life. I lived in China for three years where I studied at a high school. The last nine years I live in Australia. My home language is Russian but now my language is English.
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lillkakan
Local time: 02:11
English to Swedish
ariffo wrote:
I'm pretty sure there are a few more "no" respondents who are in a similar situation.
Greetings
Andrea
[Edited at 2008-11-07 17:28]
Well I'm glad I'm not the only one. I've been around the world a good deal, but never actually lived for a longer period in another country. At least not for two whole months or more.
And while I also think that it's important to the profession to have spent time in another country, with a foreign language and a different culture, I don't think professionals like us should be so prone to jump to conclusions about others' competence based on narrow facts, out of context, which is what these polls often give us. Circumstances are more complex than just a few options in a poll.
In this case for example, there are countries with more than one spoken language. Do you need to go abroad to experience the foreign language in that case?
| | | | Theo Bernards (X)
France
Local time: 02:11
English to Dutch
+ ...
| Dutchman abroad | Nov 7, 2008 |
As a Dutchman I emigrated to Ireland for work and study (not to mention my beautiful wife) for well over five years only to find The Netherlands wasn't as pleasant anymore when I came back. Nowadays we live in France and while I see no direct opportunities to integrate the French language in my translating activities, we both are very happy living in a country where we can be closer to our inner self.
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I spent 15 month working there from Jan 2005 to April 2006 .. it was really fun
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