| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: Do you have a certificate of proficiency in your source language(s)? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
|
|---|
Deirdre Brophy (X) 
France
English to Irish
+ ...
| Language institutes | Nov 23, 2014 |
I suppose this is referring to the Council of Europe levels. I took the French version (DALF) a couple of years ago at a language school as an entry requirement for a French university. I doubt it is the most relevant ticket to translation work, it would seem to be more useful in looking for employment. Here is a link with some information about the DALF: http://www.ciep.fr/dalf.
| | | | | Yes … but, then again, no (longer). | Nov 24, 2014 |
I read the poll question as referring to any certificate or diploma attesting to one’s proficiency in any language which is now a source language. As an Englishman who ‘did time’ at a couple of England’s top-ranking ‘grammar’ schools around 50 years ago, I assume the question refers (among other routes) to qualies like ‘O’ and ‘A’-levels in French, Latin, German and whatever other languages we had stuffed down out throats in those days.
On that basis: yes... See more I read the poll question as referring to any certificate or diploma attesting to one’s proficiency in any language which is now a source language. As an Englishman who ‘did time’ at a couple of England’s top-ranking ‘grammar’ schools around 50 years ago, I assume the question refers (among other routes) to qualies like ‘O’ and ‘A’-levels in French, Latin, German and whatever other languages we had stuffed down out throats in those days.
On that basis: yes, I obtained certificates of proficiency in French (one of my present-day source languages) and Latin.
For over 50 years I took pains to keep those and all my other academic and professional diplomas (all in engineering, not languages) safe from harm, despite moving often from one country (or continent) to another. They survived a major earthquake in Guatemala in 1976 and an even bigger one in Chile in 2010 (7.5 and 8.8 on the Richter scale, respectively), and minor floods in Belgium, 1983.
Then ... one day in 2011, soon after our divorce, my ex-wife burnt them. The flames also consumed many other treasured possessions like family photos, personal correspondence, dozens of antique books, … (list too long and too sad to relate). In that act of revenge she also razed an entire building (including what had been her own home) to the ground...
As things stand today, the only language qualification I can show is one attesting to the fact that I am a native speaker of British English: my birth certificate (accompanied by genealogical records showing my antecedents lived on the Herts/Essex border country in the 17th century, laying the foundations for my own sense of ‘self’). But if I have to show paperwork, I cannot even satisfy the authorities in Chile that I can read and write to primary-school level - in any language, let alone the Spanish they are looking for. I am automatically disqualified from winning any contract from any state authority in my (current) home country.
Moral of the story: if you’ve got certificates or diplomas, make sure they’re safe. And keep certified copies in an ‘even safer’ place. You never can tell what may happen tomorrow, next week, next year …
[Edited at 2014-11-24 00:52 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Certificate of proficiency | Nov 24, 2014 |
I do hold a Certificate of Proficiency in Oral English granted by the Chilean-North American Culture Institute (language institute), where I attended 10 levels of English language, while finishing high school and starting my studies at a Chilean university, so as to obtain a degree as a Professional Bilingual Secretary.
I consider that my studies at that Institute were the cornerstone which allowed me to develop my bilingual career during 25 years, working in different companies a... See more I do hold a Certificate of Proficiency in Oral English granted by the Chilean-North American Culture Institute (language institute), where I attended 10 levels of English language, while finishing high school and starting my studies at a Chilean university, so as to obtain a degree as a Professional Bilingual Secretary.
I consider that my studies at that Institute were the cornerstone which allowed me to develop my bilingual career during 25 years, working in different companies and in many industry areas. This field experience finally led me to decide that I was in conditions to start my career as a freelance translator, almost 10 years ago. ▲ Collapse
| | | |
I have no formal training in English. In college the placement test exempted me from English Composition, so I went straight into English lit.
But I've digested more than 40 style manuals and wrote a 200-page style manual for the Pan American Health Organization.
My advanced degrees are in linguistics, which doesn't say anything about my command of English.
| | | | | Pages in topic: < [1 2] | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Poll: Do you have a certificate of proficiency in your source language(s)? | Trados Studio 2022 Freelance | The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.
Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop
and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
More info » |
| | TM-Town | Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business
Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
