More about me

Biography

I’m a seasoned, dedicated and professional linguist, and have spent the majority of my life working with and learning languages. Being brought up just outside Edinburgh, Scotland, I was raised bilingually in English and Scots, starting a life-long passion for language. I then started learning German and French at school, and later continued my language studies into university. I am an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, from where I gained a Certificate in Translation, and I graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a Master of Arts (Hons) in French and German, researching disability and disabled perspectives in 20^th century Germany.

Awards and experiences

I’ve been lucky enough to win awards for my language skills, such as the SCP Student of the Year in Modern Languages at Edinburgh College, as well as four prizes from the German Consulate in Edinburgh for ‘outstanding achievements in learning German’. In addition to studying languages at the University of Edinburgh, I studied German at the Open University part-time while still in high school, and I spent the summer of 2019 studying the German language, culture and history at the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin (Humboldt University Berlin) thanks to a grant from the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (German Academic Exchange Service). I’ve also had the great fortune to travel around and experience various areas of France, Belgium and Germany.

Continuing education

I’m always looking to improve upon my existing languages, as well as learn new ones; in addition to keeping my current languages up-to-date, I study Scottish Gaelic in the evenings. I believe that having a grounding in multiple unique languages enables a linguist to better understand not only their learned languages, but also their native tongue(s). In addition to language studies, I completed a translation course at Middlesex University in 2023, looking at the theory and practice of translation.

Previous experience

I have previous experience of working in IT during my summer holidays at school. There I was able to use my language skills to create multilingual marketing videos for clients. This path also gave me a good foundation in working in the IT sector, basic coding skills, website design and management, handling of private information, and many more skills which translate well into the translation sector, especially into localisation of apps and websites.

A little about my style of working

A good translation is often not a word-for-word translation—which is what is offered by many machine translation tools like Google Translate—but a text that balances staying true to the original text with reading fluently to native speakers; I understand the importance and nuances of language and culture, and know how to produce creative solutions in order to get this balance right.

Finally, I know that clear and concise communication is key, whether it be for a small NGO or a large, multinational company, and I aim for accuracy in every single piece of work, collaborating closely with clients to ensure that the text is interpreted exactly as intended.

I’m usually able to offer a quick turnaround time for most tasks, and I always tell my clients as soon as possible if I foresee a delay to this schedule. I often have a flexible work schedule, so if you have any express deadlines or deadlines outside of the usual 9-5, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I hope to work with you soon! If you have any other questions, or are ready to work together, contact me by email or phone to discuss your specific needs.