Troublesome Terps

This is a recorded live audio conversation on Twitter Spaces (https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1YqKDqdArbLGV?s=20). On 26 April, 2022, Alex D, Aleksander Szojda-Pallado and Urszula Rapacka explored if life after interpreting is possible. This job is often very personal. So what can we do after or in addition to interpreting? We believe we actually have a lot of skills beyond “just interpreting” that we can apply in various contexts.

In this last episode of the Troublesome Terps, we look back at six years of podcasting, great guests and topics, and generally lots of trouble. We also have a very open chat about mental health and depression. In the future, we want to make the podcast available to our community. If you have a topic you would like to discuss with anyone, just let us know and we'll be happy to provide our platform to share it with the community! Thank you for having been part of our journey and all your support and we are beyond excited for what's in store for the Troublesome Terps podcast! Sarah, Alex D, Alex G and Jonathan

Even in the second year of the pandemic, the Troublesome Terps didn't show any signs of slowing down and started the year with an ELF on the shelf, took you to the UK and then on an actual trip around the world, talked about AI and interpreting, why interpreter networks are a thing, joined a book club (and wrote a little something ;-) ) and closed the year with the first ever language podcastival. Phew!

Podcasts are everywhere, so what to listen to? To help you along here, the Troublesome Terps reached out to some of our favorite language related podcast-superstars and invited them to join our first ever live #podcastival. The goal was to celebrate the language industry at large in all its beautiful diversity with all its shades and wrinkles and shine a spotlight on these fabulous contributions - if we missed your favorite language podcast, do let us know and enjoy our #podcastival! Special Guests: Ada Volkmer, Carrie Gillon, Cate Hamilton, Corinne McKay, Eve Lindemuth Bodeux, Florian Faes, Gretchen McCulloch, Lauren Gawne, Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo, Megan Figueroa, Michaela Haller, Michael Stevens, Tamara Muroiwa, Tucker Johnson, and Veronika Demichelis.

With Sarah and Alex G away on assignment, Jonathan and Alex D sit down with renowned interpreting scholars Elisabet Tiselius and Michaela Albl-Mikasa to discuss the Routledge Handbook of Conference Interpreting. The two guests take us behind the scenes of putting together a scientific publication, from A to Z. Special Guests: Elisabet Tiselius and Michaela Albl-Mikasa.

Who we say we are and who we actually are, are not always necessarily the same thing. Even interpreters who think of themselves as completely invisible and impartial will sometimes be forced to make some tough calls. Joining the Troublesome Terps to talk about this, her research and much, much more is Ebru Diriker. Don't miss this episode to have some of your assumptions challenged! Special Guest: Ebru Diriker.

All four (!) troublemakers check in briefly to wish you all a wonderful summer and provide a sneak peek at what the autumn/fall will bring.

Interpreters seldom come alone - especially, if they are part of an interpreting network all their own! Join Alex and Alex as they interview three members of three very different networks to discover, what the pros and cons of being part of a network are, how you can start one yourself and what the different "models" are. A truly inspiring episode about solidarity, common interests and mutual support! Special Guests: Louise Jarvis, Monika Ott, and Sybelle van Hal-Bock.

With machine translation having become almost an everyday staple in the language industry, the discussion continues to shift towards artificial intelligence and how it may impact the future of interpreting and interpreter training. To discuss this topic from two perspectives, Henry Líu and Professor Graham Turner join the Troublesome Terps to tackle this crucial and controversial topic head on. Listen in and let us know what YOU think about our future and our possible co-existence with the C3POs of this world in the comments of on social media! Special Guests: Graham Turner and Henry Liu.

Joined by the lovely Cate Hamilton, Sarah and Alex G. go on to explore a fascinating world of language learning, Norwegian children's songs, baby scientists and why #MultilingualIsNormal. A brilliant episode for every language lover and interpreter or translator out there, who each surely have some linguistic anecdotes themselves! Special Guest: Cate Hamilton.

Two Troublesome Terps embark on a trip around the world in (more or less) 60 minutes for our 60th episode! From Australia to Germany, Egypt to Japan, from the USA to Vietnam and many more, we are taking you on a whirlwind tour across different interpreting markets with the help of some friends. A very special clip show style episode you won't want to miss!

The age old question, that has alluded our partners for centuries. Jonathan and Alex G. sit down with Kilian Seeber to find answers. Maybe. Special Guest: Kilian Seeber.

In this episode, the Troublesome Terps welcome Kirsty Heimerl-Moggan and Paul Appleyard to discuss the challenges faced in the UK language market - current, previous and upcoming. From Brexit and linguist supply and demand, to Covid and RSI, to how the PSI sector and professional bodies such as the ITI have responded to the changing environment, this episode is full of information, surprises and a bit of cheek! Special Guests: Kirsty Heimerl-Moggan and Paul Appleyard.

Jonathan and the Alexes kick off 2021 by talking about a topic we have covered before: English as a lingua franca. In light of the global political shifts, Brexit and changing global travel (or lack thereof), is English still the undisputed "Global Language"? And what even IS English?

After a most definitely troublesome 2020 for the entire world, we thought we put a different spin on our annual Year In Review show and turn it into a celebration of the most favorite episodes and guests, all as voted by you, the fans! And the award goes to...???

This episode's topic seems to be of a particular relevance right now at a time, when interpreters around the world are diversifying more than ever. Elena Davitti joins the Troublesome Terps and details her research on interlingual respeaking, how there is now the option to shape a whole new language serivice and why and how interpreters and language professionals at large can get started in this new field. Special Guest: Elena Davitti.

You think you've had a nerve-wracking assignment? Think again and listen in as our guest Antonio Posada talks us through some select experience from his time working in proper conflict zones in and around Colombia. From meetings with guerilla fighters, to going on relief missions in warn torn villages and literally being under fire on the job, you won't believe your ears. Special Guest: Antonio Posada.

The Troublesome Terps are going live again, 2020-style: on YouTube! Together with a dedicated live audience and a lot of previously collected input from our listeners, we discuss the trials and tribulations of starting out as an interpreter, what's different in 2020 compared to when we kicked things off and what some challenges, but also some opportunities for new #terps are.

Inspired by Jonathan's very own survey on bullying, both Alexes and Jonathan discuss the issue of bullying within in the interpreting space, with the help of our very own short survey on bullying filled out byaudience members, sharing very personal experiences. From sexism, to classism in interpreting, spreading lies and outright hostile behavior we talk about how to spot bullying, what to do about it and what we hope for the interpreting industry as a whole.

In our 51st episode, which harkens back to our very first episode ever, "Dictionaries on Legs", the Troublesome Terps are meeting Lakshman Rathnam, CEO of wordly to talk to him about all things "machine interpreting". From speech-to-text and back again, to robots taking over the interpreting space (or not?), come and join us on this interesting discussion - and witness the man who wrote the book on Machine Interpreting go "toe to toe" with Silicon Valley. Special Guest: Lakshman Rathnam.

Sometimes some good ol' shop talk is in order, and who better to talk shop with than Julia Poger, business and negotiation maven and trainer for the Cambridge Conference Interpretation Course (CCIC) and the Know Your Worth Workshop. From pricing models, to negotiation tactics and other valuable strategy take aways. Join the conversation and let us know your best business tipps! Special Guest: Julia Poger.

This is the recording of a live session that aired on 21 May 2020. Alex D invited voice and dialect coach Rebecca Gausnell to chat about voice, body and mind during an all-encompassing pandemic. Tune in! Special Guest: Rebecca Gausnell.

Are interpreters enthusiastic about linguistics? If not, they should be! With Alex G away on assignment, Sarah, Jonathan & Alex D are joined by linguist and podcaster extraordinaire Lauren Gawne. Lauren teaches linguistics in Australia and co-hosts the Lingthusiasm podcast with Gretchen McCulloch. Special Guest: Lauren Gawne.

Special times call for special episodes. So, together with ATA board members and US-based interpreters extraordinaire Elena Langdon and Melinda Gonzalez-Hibner, the Troublesome Foursome embarked on a live online episode recording. Almost three dozen people joined the episode recording on Zoom and contributed their know-how and their experiences in a digital smorgasboard of #terplove, covering a host of topics ranging from the differences between the US and the EU market, to the controversial AB5 law in California and of course the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on the interpreting community. Special Guests: Elena Langdon and Melinda Gonzalez-Hibner.

Together with ATA president-elect Madalena Zampaulo, the Troublesome Terps embark on a perillous journey into the world wide web and the various types of online presence an interpreter or translator can have: From LinkedIn profiles, to Twitter, blogs and especially your own website(s), Madalena talks do's and don'ts, gives valuable tips and shares experiences with the Terps. Take a listen and let us know what you think and if you have any tips regarding websites and online presence! Special Guest: Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo.

This episode is focussing on terp tech, why interpreters should care and how they can get proficient in using it. Josh Goldsmith - UN and EU accredited tech enthusiast (and longtime collaborator to one Alexander Drechsel) - is joining us to discuss these exact questions and talk about fascinating insights, from SimConsec on an iPad, to a new technology-focused Master's degree for interpreters and translators. Special Guest: Josh Goldsmith.

In this episode, the TTs - including new host Sarah Hickey - are joined by special guest, BSL interpreter and professional interpreting supervisor Hannah Watson. Relevant es ever, we discuss vicarious trauma for interpreters of all walks - whom it can affect (spoiler: everyone!), how you can see it coming and what to do about it, which is exactly where Hannah comes in and shares her experience as a professional supervisor and how supervision can help interpreters deal with bottled up emotions, stress at work or just "that annoying speaker". Truly helpful tips for everyone! Special Guest: Hannah Watson.

In our last episode of the year, we have a big unveil for our listeners. With that out of the way, we look back at the year, especially at our live event at the Geneva conference and the episodes we've recorded in 2019. We discuss imposter syndrome and the Dunning-Kruger effect, the ins and outs of consecutive interpreting, interpreter PR and many other topics.

Two podcasts come together for this special episode (and our biggest #manel yet). Listen in as Renato Beninatto and Michael Stevens join the three troublemakers. Renato and Michael host Globally Speaking, a podcast about localisation and many other topics from the language industry. We discuss Remote Interpreting, Machine Interpreting, supply and demand in interpreting, and, lastly how to navigate the brave new world. Special Guests: Michael Stevens and Renato Beninatto.

Just in time for the big 100th anniversary since conference interpreters were first truly needed after the League of Nations had been founded in the wake of 1919's signing of the Treaty of Versailles, the University of Geneva hosted a big, international extravaganza commemorating and celebrating the past, present and future of conference interpreting. The Troublesome Terps were honored to be invited to host the closing town hall discussion of the conference on "The Future of Interpreting". Come with us and take a gander through some of the past and a lot of the possible future(s) of our profession and let us know what you think! Note: This episode is in English and French. A big shoutout to Christopher Sainsbury who was kind enough to allow us to use his interpreting from German into English. Special Guests: Barry S. Olsen and Sarah Hickey.

With Jonathan travelling to far-away lands, the two Alexanders get their tablet nerd on and chat with Andrew Belisle. He tells us how he got into interpreting, and we dive really deep into the how's and why's of consecutive interpreting. Plus, we discuss tablet interpreting. Special Guest: Andrew Belisle.

While Alex G is on assignment, Jonathan and Alex D sit down with renowned interpreter trainer and book author Andy Gillies to discuss his career in the profession, the ins and outs of how to train interpreters, and the books he has translated and written. Special Guest: Andrew Gillies.

Interpreting for the large political institutions of this world is quite separate from working on the freelance market. This is why in this episode, the Troublesome Terps take an extra close look at how working for the European Union really is. From the requirements, the scheduling, the different topics (and the lack of invoicing!), this is an episode stuffed to the brim with know how, insights and nuggets covering everything you ever wanted to know about being an interpreter at the EU.

Everybody can English - or: a story of ELFs and BSE! English is generally recognized as the number one language around the world, both in the world of business as well as for general communication purposes. Naturally, this begs the question, what impact does it have on the interpreting space? What is the underlying research? Two thirds of the Troublesome Terps talk about this exact topic to Vienna based researcher and EU-accredited freelance conference interpreter Karin Reithofer-Winter - an interesting discussion worth keeping on! So let us know how English spoken by non-native speakers has impacted and/or influenced your interpreting career! Special Guest: Karin Reithofer-Winter.

While the Troublesome Terps have covered gender in interpreting before already (see here (https://www.troubleterps.com/10) or here (https://www.troubleterps.com/11)), it is a topic that will never not be relevant. For this reason, Sarah Hickey - conference interpreter and professional researcher at Nimdzi Insights (http://nimdzi.com/) - is joining us this episode to discuss the ‘feminisation’ of conference interpreting from female interpreters' perspectives. An interesting, well researched and entertaining look into the gender dynamics of the profession! Special Guest: Sarah Hickey.

Sometimes it feels like language professionals forget that they are just that - professionals with a business "attached" to them. While being a wordsmith or having "a way with words" is perfectly fine, the economic elements must not be forgotten. Enter Florian Faes, co-founder and managing director of slator.com, the language industries biggest (and only?) business focused one-stop-news-shop. The Troublesome Terps grill him on the origins of the website, business trends is seeing across the globe and why we should care in the first place. Special Guest: Florian Faes.

In this "back to the roots" episode of the Troublesome Terps, Jonathan and the Alexes take a look in their crystal ball and have a discussion about what the future of the interpreting market could look like, that might be considered controversial. Ever thought about additional services interpreters could offer or where your responsibilities as interpreter start and stop? Then this is the episode for you! Let us know what you think down in the comments or on Twitter, we really want to hear from you!

Interpreting and translation are two sides to the same coin - or so they say. Joining us on this exciting crossover episode, are the two hosts of the "Speaking of Translation" podcast Corinne McKay and Eve Lindemuth Bodeux to talk about just that! What are total interpreting and translation stereotypes and - gasp - might there be a grain of truth? How do translators stay focused on a 200 page document? How do interpreters deal with double bookings? What are the boons and banes of working from or into your second language? Join us for this banter-filled episode with tons of insights into "the other side" (whichever one that may be for you!) and find out about these - and many more - controversial topics! Special Guests: Corinne McKay and Eve Lindemuth Bodeux.

2018 was truly another blockbuster year for the Troublesome Terps. Not only was our first - and certainly not last - live event in London a bona-fide hit (thanks to all the supporters and attendees!), as always we covered a wide range of different and super-interesting topics this year. Humor in interpreting and our very best travel tips and tricks provided some levity, discussions on feelings/emotions in interpreting and why interpreting research matters, provided some serious food for thought. Our very first AMA (As Me Anything) was also a great experience thanks to the fantastic questions we received beforehand. Of course, we wouldn't want to forget the professional associations double-episode or our first ever cross-over event with The Vocal Fries. So, thanks again for an incredible year and here's to an equally amazing 2019! As always, if you have any suggestions, feedback or anything else you would like to let us know, leave it in the comments or send us a tweet, Facebook message or email.

It finally happened. The three Troublesome Terps got together for their very first live event at The Roebuck pub in London! With almost 40 guests, we discussed two topics. First, we covered the topic of "Lies We Tell Clients". These "untruths" cover many different aspects, whether it's changing your quote for the umpteenth time or whether it's telling the client that "of course" you already have a team in waiting, although all your "usual suspects" are already booked. We talk about what to do and where to draw the line. Afterwards, we started with our second topic for the day, the ever current "Don't be a Diva". As with most things in life, it does take a village. From the actual end client, to organizing interpreters, your booth partners, technicians and other event staffers - it's crucial to treat everyone like you would want to be treated. Sometimes that means taking a step back, sometimes it means having to wait a bit longer. However, we also discussed the fabled "anti-divas", so make sure to check it out!

When in Rome - or London as it were - why only settle for one live event when you can have two? On November 17th, hours before the big podcasting event at The Roebuck, the two Alexes were invited by Danielle D'Hayer, course leader of the MA Conference Interpreting at London Metropolitan University, to join her and a group of students in their language lab for a lively Q&A session. The students contributed many questions ahead of time and even "on the fly" on the day and had an interesting discussion. Questions include (among others): most difficult speakers, how to prepare for an assignment, how to deal with stressful situations or how to best chose a new language you want to learn. Thanks again to Danielle D’Hayer and London Met alumnus Hugo Menendez who helped put this event together.

Giving and receiving feedback is a crucial part of not only becoming an interpreter, but also continuously improving yourself, your business habits and your interpreting skills. Aline Casanova and some brave fellow interpreters joined forces and introduced the world to InterpretimeBank, a platform by and for interpreters. InterpretimeBank is for honing your skills, as well as giving and receiving feedback from a feedback partner. Aline joins the Troublesome Terps to talk about why it is important to keep on trying to improve yourself, what makes good feedback good and how to both, give and receive it. Special Guest: Aline Casanova.

Ask and you shall receive - and ask you did! For our very first Ask Us Anything episode, we received a ton of questions that kept you up at night. From speedy speakers to ABC language combinations, listening to your gut feeling and creating interpreting standards in the Arabic interpreting world - you sent us a wide range of questions that we relished in answering! Thanks again to everyone who contributed to this episode and let us know what you thought of our answers and if you have any other questions for a potential "Ask Us Anything - Part 2" episode!

Certainly research is important in every discipline or field of work, but surely you have also sometimes wondered: actually, why should I care? Surely, it's not like in depth analysis of the voice-to-ear-span or complex and highly complex communication models help you be a better interpreter "out in the field", right? Well, luckily Jonathan and the two Alexes are here to help and discuss exactly why you SHOULD care and what research does do for you. Let us know what you think and let's continue the conversation!

Have you ever laughed your head off in the booth or have you been gobsmacked by a joke that was thrown your way by a "fun" speaker? Interpreter and professional funnyman Matthew Perret joins the Troublesome Terps to shine a light on what silk purses, Mae West and German structure have to do with putting the fun in fundamentally difficult to interpret jokes. After all, not all jokes are a laughing matter! Special Guest: Matthew Perret.

Travelling is just as much part of an interpreter's life as speaking another language and dealing with a casual work-related caffeine addiction. Jonathan and the Alexes discuss the pros and cons of plane vs. train, hot chocolate vs. coffee, travel iron vs. water spray and a ton of other absolutely crucial travel aspects that will make your professional life (or just your upcoming summer holiday) so much easier! So buckle up, join us on this wild ride and let us know how YOU travel!

The Troublesome Terps are all in their feelings with guest host Caroline Lehr. Caroline not only has a PhD in emotion psychology, but also a keen interest in the influence of emotions on interpreters and the interplay between them and our performance in the workplace. A heady and insightful episode! Special Guest: Caroline Lehr.

Why should conference interpreters care about joining an interpreting specific association? What can associations do for the interpreters, but also vice versa: How can conference interpreters contribute to a productive life in associations? To discuss this very timely and important topic, the Troublesome Terps are joined by Sarah King, Secretary of the German Region of AIIC, and Karin Walker, Chair of the German Association of Conference Interpreters (VKD). Together, we discuss why it is absolutely worth joining an association, why wer are stronger together and talk about some very interesting projects, that AIIC and VKD have been working on, some of them even representing a collaboration between two of the largest conference interpreting associations. Special Guests: Karin Walker and Sarah King.

Many interpreters and translators are members of one or more professional associations. But why? What do professional associations actually do for the interpreting community and why should interpreters care? To discuss these and many more interesting points, the Troublesome Terps are joined by Corrine McKay, President of the American Translators Association and Sarah Griffin-Mason, Chair of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting. They both provide fascinating insights into the projects professional bodies take on, the work that goes into it, why we should care and why it matters. Don't miss out on the this interesting topic and feel free to join the discussion! Special Guests: Corinne McKay and Sarah Griffin-Mason.

Hungry for more podcast? This month, the Terps are looking for trouble with the tasty Vocal Fries! Together with Vocal Fries hosts Carrie Gillon and Megan Figueroa, Jonathan and the Alexes discuss a wide variety of different topics from linguistic discrimination to gendered language to code switching and what's up with French in Canada or with Spanish in Arizona. Special Guests: Carrie Gillon and Megan Figueroa.

Jonathan and the two Alexes have invited interpreting and translation entrepreneur Judy Jenner, co-author of "The Entrepreneurial Linguist" alongside business development expert and CEO of Castle Strategies Ewan Menzies to talk shop. In this episode we really get down to business! Both Judy and Ewan share their insights into what makes clients tick, and discuss with the Troublesome Terps how to assert your service's worth and be the best entrepreneurial interpreter you can be. Special Guests: Ewan Menzies and Judy Jenner.