16 May A Threat to Our Profession
A few decades ago, “language access” was not really a phrase. Litigants who did not speak English were frequently left in the dark as to their own judicial proceedings, and this carried severe consequences. The evolution of court interpreting as a profession has relied on...
21 Mar On the Topic of Monotasking
Posted at 01:00h
in Athena Matilsky, Interpreters, Odds & Ends, Personal Growth, Professional Development, Recent Posts, Tools of the trade
8 Comments
This post is on the topic of monotasking. That’s right, you read it correctly. Monotasking. What’s that, you ask? Well, it’s the opposite of multitasking. In other words, instead of doing a ton of things at once, you do one. Thing. At. A. Time. I...
31 Jan When Your Brain Splits in Two
Did you know humans can’t actually multi-task? We are capable of lightning concentration if we try, and we can quickly shift focus if we practice. But we can’t actually do two things at once. When we interpret simultaneously, for example, we listen. Then we process....
03 Dec Repetition is Key
Posted at 01:00h
in Athena Matilsky, Interpreters, Interpreting, Professional Development, Professional Practices, Recent Posts
17 Comments
I am not a baker. The world of yeasts and doughs, of icing, flour and exact measurements eludes me. Hand me some garlic and kale, and I’ll make you discover a love you never knew you had for green vegetables. But baking is a different...
08 Oct The Trouble With Memory…
Posted at 11:30h
in Athena Matilsky, Court Interpreting, Interpreting, Past Posts, Recent Posts
5 Comments
The article below was originally posted in 2017. Memory is an interpreter’s best friend; here’s to “remembering” a useful contribution. Enjoy. or How to Forget About Interpreting and Just Listen You know how the saying goes: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself....
17 Sep The Lovely Land of Language Interference
Posted at 01:00h
in Athena Matilsky, Idioms, Interpreting, Language, Recent Posts, Translation
13 Comments
Have you ever taken a dash of one language with a sprinkle of another, mixed them together and simmered to taste? Of course you have! You’re bilingual. You’re bound to have stirred your languages together at one point or another. There’s actually a fancy name...