Liam Long: “Making mistakes is useful!”

The aptitude test assessed by Liam Long, the leading European Commission interpreter, is an established academic tradition and the first serious test for the newly enrolled Master students of the Caspian Higher School of Interpreting and Translation. Liam Long’s key task was to identify the first-year Master students’ knowledge, highlight the issues that require special attention and chart their course for the future.
The aptitude test was held on the 19th and the 20th of October. During the test, the Master students provided consecutive interpretation without notes and answered the questions revealing their background knowledge. Apart from English, some students demonstrated their French-language proficiency.
An important item of the programme of Liam Long’s visit was the introductory class on conference-interpreting for the first-year Master students. During the class, our guest repeated the pieces of advice already given during the first months of the programme by the trainers of the Caspian Higher School of Interpreting and Translation and paid special attention to indispensable interpreters’ techniques. He told them how to assess an interpretation, how to structure the text while listening, what should be the focus of attention and what can be omitted while delivering an interpretation. Liam Long separately emphasized the importance of feedback during the classes. He believes that, “making mistakes during the classes is useful, because such an experience gives an opportunity to learn something new”, moreover “even a good interpretation can always be improved”.
The aptitude test and classes with Liam Long marked a new stage in the training of the beginning interpreters. Now they can take a fresh look at their job and think about conquering of new heights.

Photo: Courtesy of http://student.asu.edu.ru/