The Students of the Caspian Higher School of Interpreting and Translation Volunteering in Handball Tournament

December 7-10, MA Students of the Caspian Higher School of Interpreting and Translation could try themselves as interpreters at the International Women’s Handball Tournament to commemorate V.I. Sizov. Despite the Tournament had a friendly nature, passions during the games were strong. The game was a continuous struggling for each team. The teams from Romania, France, South Korea and Denmark participated in the Tournament, as well as our renowned handball players from the Astrakhan national handball team ‘Astrakhanochka’. Moreover, they won the Tournament according to the final result!
Several interpreters were assigned to each team. The 1st year MA students took an active part in the organization of voluntary work: Julia Nikitina and Dmitriy Krutilov helped other volunteers to understand their workplace responsibilities. By the way, volunteer interpreters had to perform a wide variety of responsible duties. They got the teams from the airport to the hotel, provided language support to local media, accompanied athletes to matches and even helped them to buy some souvenirs and sandwiches.
The interpreters’ main task at the Tournament was to be always alert, to keep in touch and be ready to help at any time. First, many students had some difficulties in communicating with foreign guests because of lack of experience and shyness. However, all of them recognized that unique opportunity to practice interpreting skills working with representatives from different countries. Moreover, each student bore a personal responsibility for their handball team, for its communication with Russian representatives, and this made them feel more confident and let them took up this challenge.
Several days later, the volunteers got used to their teams so much that they wholeheartedly worried about their results. When the Tournament was over, each handball team was pleased with the interpreters’ work. Many students were presented with symbolic gifts. The students of the Caspian Higher School of Interpreting and Translation will remember this experience for a long time and it will be another important step in mastering difficult but extremely interesting profession of interpreter.