DG SCIC Expert Liam Long Visits the Caspian Higher School of Interpreting and Translation

In early June, the Caspian Higher School of Interpreting and Translation welcomed Liam Long, an interpreter of the Directorate-General for Interpretation of the European Commission. The DG SCIC expert is a frequent guest at Astrakhan State University. Our School always looks forward to his visits and his master classes and consultations on interpretation for trainers and MA students of the Caspian School.

Topics of speeches Mr. Long prepares for interpretation classes are always a special intrigue. This time, all the speeches were united with a single leitmotif and highlighted the problem of possible overpopulation of our planet in foreseeable future. So, will the predictions of scientists come true? That we have yet to find out, but thanks to these memorable topics our MA students not only had an opportunity to practise consecutive and simultaneous interpretation, but also received valuable food for thought.

In addition, Liam Long attended the final exam of our 2nd-year MA students within the framework of his visit to ASU. The comprehensive exam included tasks on consecutive and simultaneous interpretation, as well as a presentation of the results of the students’ terminology projects and an interview on the theoretical and methodological principles of work with terminology.

Along with the trainers of the Caspian Higher School of Interpreting and Translation and the interpreter of the European Commission, other invited experts such as Nina Dzhanalieva, the Head of the International Department of the Ministry of International and Foreign Economic Relations of Astrakhan Region were also able to assess the knowledge and skills of our MA students.

At the end of the exam, the graduating MA students not only were informed of their final grades, but also received the experts’ detailed feedback on their interpretation.

Of course, this work does not end there: now MA students are on their way to finish their work on Master’s theses, and there is a graduation ceremony ahead, which will be held at Astrakhan State University at the beginning of July. The students will become certified specialists in the field of conference interpretation, and after that they finally will start building their professional career as interpreters.

Photo: ASU TV Media Centre