I had been studying at the Training Center for Interpreters of 聽UWED for two years prior to my arrival to Japan. Now I go on my studies of the field in the capacity of an exchange student at the University of聽 Tsukuba. I鈥檓 so excited to be able to do the same subject in two different countries for I have an excellent opportunity for a double edged enrichment. Firstly I鈥檇 like to say a few words about the University I find myself in at this point. This is one of the leading Universities in Japan. It is famous for its schools of science, information technology, engineering and medicine. It has a big number of various schools and colleges offering interesting programs to their students. Social life of students is conveniently taking place in all kinds of clubs and facilities available on the campus. This University is also famous for its extracurricular programs. Actually, I found interpreting courses in the body of these programs. 聽UWED and Tsukuba University have a lot of differences.聽Interpretation is not an exception too. Thus, for instance, assessment policy and the methods of teaching vary greatly. In contrast to the TCI, interpretation classes at Tsukuba University are extracurricular. It means that the classes do not comprise an integral unity with the regular course of study; rather, students may join the courses on their wish and the results are not being assessed. While describing TCI UWED, one must mention the fact that it is not easy to join the Center: students must prove their excellent command of their A and B languages. They also must demonstrate diligence, quick reaction and flexibility as well as ability and desire to continuously upgrade their knowledge and skills 鈥 features essential for every interpreter. 聽Secondly in contradistinction to the TCI, the interpretation center at the Japanese University does not hold student conferences at which they practice interpreting. However, students have plenty of opportunities to partake in various conferences and workshops organized by the University, where they are able to meet professional interpreters, see them at work and sometimes have a chance to communicate with them.I was trained to interpret from English into Russian and also practiced retour interpreting (interpreting from my mother tongue into the second language) at the TCI. In Japan I faced a new challenge of working in two foreign languages 鈥 English and Japanese. It is quiet an interesting experience indeed. It isn鈥檛 easy, but – very useful. It makes you pull yourself together and use all interpretation techniques you gained in the course of your training. This is where the knowledge and skills that I got at TCI came in really handy. Moreover, I came to appreciate the full value of so called tools of interpreters, such as reformulation, anticipation, simplification, generalization, the usage of pat phrases etc.As for the similarities, my interpretation courses both in Uzbekistan and聽 Japan follow the same general approach: an interpreter鈥檚 job is not to give a verbatim translation 聽from one language into another. Rather, an interpreter should be able to listen to the speaker in an analytical way, i.e. be quick in the uptake,聽 get the main idea of the message and carefully, not loosing its logic and principal details, deliver it to the audience in a style similar to the style of the source speech.In conclusion I鈥檇 like to say that I like to study interpreting in spite of 聽the place I find myself in. I鈥檓 sure interpretation provides an opportunity to view the world from different perspectives. You elaborate the ability to express yourself in a more logical way, you become frugal in the usage of words while reflecting ideas, you develop your novel talents and are able to combine two excellent aptitudes:聽 of 聽a rhetorician and聽 an interpreter. I shouldn鈥檛 forget to mention one more feature of interpreting 鈥 聽the pleasure of doing this job in spite of its challenges. 聽No doubt, it has something to do with the art of acting. Isn鈥檛 it wonderful! I wish good luck to all students of 聽TCI UWED, my course mates at Tsukuba University and to everyone who is going to be a part of this interesting world of interpreting.
Madina Hamidova
Tsukubsa University
Guest student