The lecture, “Interpreting as a profession” provided me with a lot of useful information about what it is like to work as an interpreter. I’ve been interested in interpreting since I became a junior high school student. Before attending this lecture, I had researched interpreting on my own, but it was difficult to find accurate and detailed information. However, this lecture was very helpful because it answered many of the questions I had. Assistant Professor Takeda talked about the various details of interpreting “as a profession”. She purposed that, “interpretation and translation are not the same as acquiring high-level language skills.” She explained that, “interpreters also need a solid understanding of their native language and an understanding of the different types of situations that they may interpret in.” One question I asked her was, “Do you think interpreters are still needed in modern Japanese society”? I believe that Japan needs more people who can communicate and work with foreign people. However, her answer was that, “While those people are also very important, there is a difference between people who interpret as a profession and people who use foreign languages to find work.” Professional interpreters go through rigorous training so that they can interpret for any type of meeting or political event. Because of this, many companies hire professional interpreters for their own events even if they have employees who can fluently speak foreign languages. After listening to Assistant Professor Takeda’s lecture, I realized the difference between interpreting as a profession and having a basic proficiency in English. Although I know it will be very difficult, I hope that someday I can become a professional interpreter.

by Yuri O