Alexander is a trained conference interpreter, working in the EU bubble. On this podcast, he speaks in a purely private capacity and does not represent the views of his employer.
Alexander Drechsel has hosted 67 Episodes.
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31: The 2018 Live Event
20 December 2018 | 1 hr 8 mins
hosts-only, live
It finally happened. The three Troublesome Terps got together for their very first live event at The Roebuck pub in London!
With almost 40 guests, we discussed two topics. First, we covered the topic of "Lies We Tell Clients". These "untruths" cover many different aspects, whether it's changing your quote for the umpteenth time or whether it's telling the client that "of course" you already have a team in waiting, although all your "usual suspects" are already booked. We talk about what to do and where to draw the line.
Afterwards, we started with our second topic for the day, the ever current "Don't be a Diva". As with most things in life, it does take a village. From the actual end client, to organizing interpreters, your booth partners, technicians and other event staffers - it's crucial to treat everyone like you would want to be treated. Sometimes that means taking a step back, sometimes it means having to wait a bit longer. However, we also discussed the fabled "anti-divas", so make sure to check it out!
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30: Alex and Alex do London Met
10 December 2018 | 1 hr 48 mins
hosts-only, live, training
When in Rome - or London as it were - why only settle for one live event when you can have two?
On November 17th, hours before the big podcasting event at The Roebuck, the two Alexes were invited by Danielle D'Hayer, course leader of the MA Conference Interpreting at London Metropolitan University, to join her and a group of students in their language lab for a lively Q&A session. -
29: Aline Casanova in the Feedback Loop
27 November 2018 | 56 mins 6 secs
training
Giving and receiving feedback is a crucial part of not only becoming an interpreter, but also continuously improving yourself, your business habits and your interpreting skills.
Aline Casanova and some brave fellow interpreters joined forces and introduced the world to InterpretimeBank, a platform by and for interpreters. InterpretimeBank is for honing your skills, as well as giving and receiving feedback from a feedback partner. Aline joins the Troublesome Terps to talk about why it is important to keep on trying to improve yourself, what makes good feedback good and how to both, give and receive it. -
28: Ask Us Anything 2018
31 October 2018 | 1 hr 38 mins
hosts-only
Ask and you shall receive - and ask you did! For our very first Ask Us Anything episode, we received a ton of questions that kept you up at night.
From speedy speakers to ABC language combinations, listening to your gut feeling and creating interpreting standards in the Arabic interpreting world - you sent us a wide range of questions that we relished in answering!
Thanks again to everyone who contributed to this episode and let us know what you thought of our answers and if you have any other questions for a potential "Ask Us Anything - Part 2" episode!
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27: Why Bother with Interpreting Research?
20 September 2018 | 1 hr 2 mins
hosts-only, research
Certainly research is important in every discipline or field of work, but surely you have also sometimes wondered: actually, why should I care? Surely, it's not like in depth analysis of the voice-to-ear-span or complex and highly complex communication models help you be a better interpreter "out in the field", right?
Well, luckily Jonathan and the two Alexes are here to help and discuss exactly why you SHOULD care and what research does do for you. Let us know what you think and let's continue the conversation! -
26: Standing up for fun with Matthew Perret
22 August 2018 | 1 hr 7 mins
humour, practice
Have you ever laughed your head off in the booth or have you been gobsmacked by a joke that was thrown your way by a "fun" speaker? Interpreter and professional funnyman Matthew Perret joins the Troublesome Terps to shine a light on what silk purses, Mae West and German structure have to do with putting the fun in fundamentally difficult to interpret jokes. After all, not all jokes are a laughing matter!
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25: We Iron out Your Travel
18 July 2018 | 1 hr 14 mins
hosts-only
Travelling is just as much part of an interpreter's life as speaking another language and dealing with a casual work-related caffeine addiction. Jonathan and the Alexes discuss the pros and cons of plane vs. train, hot chocolate vs. coffee, travel iron vs. water spray and a ton of other absolutely crucial travel aspects that will make your professional life (or just your upcoming summer holiday) so much easier!
So buckle up, join us on this wild ride and let us know how YOU travel! -
24: Get in Touch with Your Feelings (or Emotions)
28 June 2018 | 1 hr 13 mins
mental-health, research
The Troublesome Terps are all in their feelings with guest host Caroline Lehr. Caroline not only has a PhD in emotion psychology, but also a keen interest in the influence of emotions on interpreters and the interplay between them and our performance in the workplace. A heady and insightful episode!
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23: Professional Associations For Interpreters: AIIC & VKD
12 June 2018 | 1 hr 12 mins
business
Why should conference interpreters care about joining an interpreting specific association? What can associations do for the interpreters, but also vice versa: How can conference interpreters contribute to a productive life in associations?
To discuss this very timely and important topic, the Troublesome Terps are joined by Sarah King, Secretary of the German Region of AIIC, and Karin Walker, Chair of the German Association of Conference Interpreters (VKD).
Together, we discuss why it is absolutely worth joining an association, why wer are stronger together and talk about some very interesting projects, that AIIC and VKD have been working on, some of them even representing a collaboration between two of the largest conference interpreting associations.
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22: Real Professions Have Professional Associations! (ATA & ITI)
23 May 2018 | 1 hr 24 mins
Many interpreters and translators are members of one or more professional associations. But why? What do professional associations actually do for the interpreting community and why should interpreters care?
To discuss these and many more interesting points, the Troublesome Terps are joined by Corrine McKay, President of the American Translators Association, and Sarah Griffin-Mason, Chair of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting.
They both provide fascinating insights into the projects professional bodies take on, the work that goes into it, why we should care and why it matters. Don't miss out on the this interesting topic and feel free to join the discussion!
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21: Looking for Trouble with the Vocal Fries
18 April 2018 | 1 hr 36 mins
linguistics
Hungry for more podcast? This month, the Terps are looking for trouble with the tasty Vocal Fries! Together with Vocal Fries hosts Carrie Gillon and Megan Figueroa, Jonathan and the Alexes discuss a wide variety of different topics from linguistic discrimination to gendered language to code switching and what's up with French in Canada or with Spanish in Arizona.
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20: We Mean Business With Judy Jenner & Ewan Menzies
15 March 2018 | 1 hr 10 mins
business
Jonathan and the two Alexes have invited interpreting and translation entrepreneur Judy Jenner, co-author of "The Entrepreneurial Linguist" alongside business development expert and CEO of Castle Strategies Ewan Menzies to talk shop. In this episode we really get down to business!
Both Judy and Ewan share their insights into what makes clients tick, and discuss with the Troublesome Terps how to assert your service's worth and be the best entrepreneurial interpreter you can be.