Working languages:
English to Spanish
Spanish to English

Emily Ann McKelvey
Canalizo con el fin de embellecer

Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina
Local time: 13:37 -03 (GMT-3)

Native in: English (Variant: US) Native in English, Spanish (Variant: Argentine) Native in Spanish
  • Send message through ProZ.com
Feedback from
clients and colleagues

on Willingness to Work Again info
8 positive reviews
(6 unidentified)

1 rating (5.00 avg. rating)

 Your feedback
Account type Freelance translator and/or interpreter, Identity Verified Verified site user
Data security Created by Evelio Clavel-Rosales This person has a SecurePRO™ card. Because this person is not a ProZ.com Plus subscriber, to view his or her SecurePRO™ card you must be a ProZ.com Business member or Plus subscriber.
Affiliations This person is not affiliated with any business or Blue Board record at ProZ.com.
Services Interpreting, Translation
Expertise
Specializes in:
SlangSocial Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc.
Medical: Health CareBusiness/Commerce (general)
Human ResourcesInsurance
Poetry & LiteratureLaw: Contract(s)
ManagementFinance (general)

Volunteer / Pro-bono work Open to considering volunteer work for registered non-profit organizations
KudoZ activity (PRO) Questions answered: 1
Payment methods accepted Send a payment via ProZ*Pay
Translation education Master's degree - McDonough Escuela de Interpretación
Experience Years of experience: 8. Registered at ProZ.com: Aug 2020.
ProZ.com Certified PRO certificate(s) N/A
Credentials English to Spanish (McDonough Escuela de Interpretación, verified)
Spanish to English (McDonough Escuela de Interpretación, verified)
Memberships N/A
Software CafeTran Espresso, memoQ, MemSource Cloud, Microsoft Word, Trados Studio

CV/Resume English (PDF)
Events and training
Powwows attended
Professional practices Emily Ann McKelvey endorses ProZ.com's Professional Guidelines.
Professional objectives
  • Meet new translation company clients
  • Meet new end/direct clients
  • Work for non-profits or pro-bono clients
  • Screen new clients (risk management)
  • Network with other language professionals
  • Get help with terminology and resources
  • Learn more about translation / improve my skills
  • Learn more about interpreting / improve my skills
  • Get help on technical issues / improve my technical skills
  • Learn more about additional services I can provide my clients
  • Learn more about the business side of freelancing
  • Find a mentor
  • Stay up to date on what is happening in the language industry
  • Improve my productivity
Bio

I was born and raised in North Carolina, USA and have lived almost my entire adult life in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since childhood, I have been especially fascinated by language in all of its manifestations. I have a native level in both English and Spanish (written and spoken) and provide translation and interpreting services in both language directions. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Spanish Language and Literature, a 4-year Postgraduate Diploma in Simultaneous Conference Interpretation, lots of specialized training (medical, financial, IT, governmental, etc.), and 7 years of experience in the field.


Interpretation and translation are two very different skills, and it is common to find professionals who practice one and wouldn't dream of practicing the other (for lack of aptitude or interest). I am one of those few who genuinely enjoy both, and as a freelancer I seek to maintain a flow of both interpretation and translation jobs (keeps things interesting).



While I am highly skilled in interpreting the nuances and terminology used in technical, scientific, and academic-oriented speech and contexts, I believe that quality human interpretation is especially crucial when serving some of the most marginalized populations of English and Spanish speakers, such as people from rural areas or informal urban settlements who received little or no formal language education, elderly people, neurodivergent people, and people with disabilities that affect their speech and cognition. Cross-cultural understanding and sensitivity to a diverse range of communities and worldviews is key to being able to bridge linguistic, cultural, and socioeconomic barriers with professionalism, empathy, and accuracy.  

My expertise is in Argentine Spanish, but don’t worry, I also know how to code-switch and tone down the Argentine dialect for non-Argentine audiences. However, it's always a special treat to interpret for Argentine audiences, as I feel I can truly shine when I get to incorporate local slang (when appropriate, of course, always staying on par with the formality level of the speaker). I have lots of experience interpreting for people from all over Latin America, so I have a wealth of understanding of the (vastly) different terms used across dialects.


When interpreting into Spanish, I am comfortable using both gender inclusive language and traditional gendered language, and will make this decision as per the client's specific request, or if not specified, based on my own contextual understanding of audience and speaker sensibilities. 


In addition to my career as a freelance interpreter/translator, I am also a prolific songwriter with a successful music career, well-known in the Buenos Aires independent music scene. Did you know that over 90% of interpreters are also musicians? I find simultaneous interpretation to be thrilling and satisfactory in a way very similar to harmonizing along to a song I've never heard before. The ear is working, the brain is working, the mouth and vocal chords are working, but there's also something else...it's quite mysterious. Something inside me just "knows" where the melody is going and I can harmonize without missing a note...I feel the same sort of cerebral bliss when performing simultaneous interpretation. My brain gets going with its subconscious turbo-analyses and synthesis of the speaker's unique speech patterns and vocal expression, I start to feel deeply connected to the speaker and somehow all the words are coming out just right in the other language...it feels amazing, almost magical, almost machine-like, but fundamentally human.




Profile last updated
Jun 12



More translators and interpreters: English to Spanish - Spanish to English   More language pairs