Arabic - French - Spanish - English
ABOUT
Founded in 2014, Yalla! Translate provides high-quality language services, tailored to each client's needs and specifications, and specialising in translation from Arabic, French and Spanish.
Jennifer Blundell
Arabic, French and Spanish to English
Translation, editing, proofreading and précis-writing
Qualified and experienced.
Cultural awareness.
Preferred working field: medical/applied health professions.
Born and raised in rainy Lancashire in the north-west of England, I grew up on fertile soil and with a love of languages. I chose to study modern languages at the University of Durham, where I continued with French and Spanish and, on a whim, took up beginner's Arabic – which turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made! My year abroad was the start of several years of adventure and travel: I worked as a receptionist for a business centre in Barcelona, fielding questions from clients and lost tourists alike; I studied Arabic in Damascus over the winter, leaving just before the first waves of civil war rippled across the country; and I interned in the valuation department of an international commercial property company in Paris, where I spent my lunch breaks strolling along the Champs-Elysées and marvelling at how lucky I was.
After graduating in 2012 (BA Modern Languages, First Class Honours), I couldn’t resist the lure of living abroad again and promptly moved to Changsha, China, for a year, where I worked as an English-language teacher and learned how to ask for all sorts of delicious dishes in Mandarin. I returned to the UK in 2013 to study for an MA in Applied Translation Studies at the University of Leeds, during which I received training in specialised translation (in fields such as medical/scientific, journalistic and administrative texts) and in the use of a number of CAT tools, including SDL Trados Studio 2011 and memoQ 2015 (which I now use in my work).
During my time at Leeds University, I travelled to Geneva to translate for the city’s annual model United Nations conference and to Vienna to work as a translation trainee in an actual United Nations office for a month. After graduating, I started a three-month traineeship in the English and Irish Translation Unit of the European Parliament in Luxembourg, which was subsequently extended to six months and which included two three-week placements in the English Editing Unit. After half a year’s intense revision as part of one of the world’s most prestigious translation teams, I was more prepared than ever to tackle translation projects of every size and style.
I now translate on a freelance basis for agencies and direct clients. I also supply précis-writing services on a contractual basis to international organisations.
My preferred working area is medical and health, in particular allied therapies/therapeutic medicine. I have a network of medical professional contacts whom I can consult concerning problem terminology and concepts, and I have access to a growing, self-made glossary of medical terminology and a list of resources for finding unknown terminology.
I also have a working interest in culinary fields and cooking and in Oriental/Middle Eastern dance.
Yalla... let's translate!
Education
MA Applied Translation Studies (Distinction), University of Leeds (2013–2014)
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Arabic/French/Spanish-to-English translation.
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CAT tools, theory and evaluation of machine translation, translation theory.
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Highly successful project manager during assessed team project using SDL Trados 2011.
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MAATS Programme Student Representative for European Languages.
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Centre for Translation Studies Professionalisation Talks reporter.
BA Modern Languages (First Class, Honours), University of Durham (2008–2012)
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French, Spanish, Modern Standard Arabic, specialised translation, linguistics.
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Awarded distinctions for spoken Arabic and French in final examinations.
Arabic Language course, Damascus University (September 2010 – February 2011)
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Modern Standard Arabic, Syrian dialect.
Ormskirk School Sixth Form, Ormskirk, UK (2006–2008)
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A-levels and Advanced Extension Awards in French, Spanish and Biology.
Work Experience
Freelance Translator, Editor and Proofreader (ongoing)
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Providing language services on a freelance basis to agencies and direct clients.
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Examples of recent translation and editing projects: international legal texts (42 000 words), medical reports and journal articles (8000 words), academic research papers and abstracts (8500 words), cook book excerpts (5000 words), commercial websites, including legal text (11 000 words), architectural study (3000 words), electrical product descriptions (2000 words), audio files of interviews for an international sporting event (5 hours), marriage and death certificates, environmental news articles (2000 words), comparative literature journal articles (18 000 words).
Freelance Précis-Writer at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna (ongoing)
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Regular contracts as part of précis-writing team during Board of Governors meetings and the General Conference. Producing official summary records for publication. Specialising in translation from Arabic.
Trainee in the English and Irish Editing Unit of the European Parliament, Luxembourg (October 2014 – March 2015)
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Translated French and Spanish texts into English, using European Parliament style and terminology, with revision and feedback from mentors.
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Used SDL Trados 2014 and a range of EU databases.
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Included a secondment to the English Editing Unit for training in editing original English-language documents. Self-revised some texts and negotiated linguistic changes with authors.
Trainee in the English Translation Section of the United Nations Office at Vienna (April 2014)
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Translated French, Spanish and Arabic texts into English using UN style and terminology.
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Translated documents on drug and crime control and space affairs and in administrative and legal fields.
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Work done on contractual basis at standard UN rates.
Translator at Geneva Model United Nations Conference 2014 (December 2013 – March 2014)
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French-to-English translation and English proofreading of key documents in preparation for conference.
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In-house translator during five-day conference in March.
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Helped model delegates to draft documents in English.
ESL Teacher at Ming De Middle School, Changsha, China (September 2012 – June 2013)
Intern in Valuation Department at Cushman & Wakefield, Paris (May–July 2011)
Receptionist at World Trade Centre Barcelona (June–September 2010)
Further training/Continued Professional Development (CPD)
SDL Trados Studio 2011 Advanced certification.
Workshop on ‘Food-related translation’, Yorkshire Translators and Interpreters, 23 November 2013, 2.5 hours of CPD.
Course on ‘Key Terminology and Concepts in Common Law: Contract and Civil Liability’, David Hutchins (Lexacom English Law Courses), 15 March 2014, 6 hours of CPD.