Local zoos, museums, art galleries, science centers, or aquariums are great places to take your children, as it allows them to burn energy and learn new things. As a linguist, it is also an amazing opportunity for professional development and personal growth.
For instance, in October 2013, our company provided interpretation services for an International Rabies conference. It dealt with many species of bats from different parts of the world and their interaction with other animals and humans. Visiting the local zoo allows a linguist to visualize the different bat species, study their anatomy, learn their scientific names, and study their life patterns. In 2012 and in 2014, our company also provided translations on white nose syndrome, a disease that has killed millions of bats throughout North America. At the Toronto Zoo, there is an explanation and description of this rare bat disease, as well as mapped out areas of the regions where this disease has spread.
Every year, our interpreters provide services for agricultural conferences. At these meetings, there are scientific components, and some of the topics can include reproductive patterns, diseases, infections, food safety, amongst other topics. The experimental farm in Ottawa, as well as local agricultural farms and museums, give comprehensive overviews of some of these topics.
In 2008, our interpreters did a conference on meteorological satellite positioning. A visit to the Kennedy Space Center or a local planetarium can provide fascinating information in this field and will prepare linguists for their next project. Our company also did a conference on geological repositories for nuclear waste. Museums and attractions with exhibits on Earth’s composition are excellent sources of information.
These are only a few examples of some of the fields that our interpreters can be exposed to at any given time. It is only a matter of time before interpreters are given an assignment in an unfamiliar field. Visiting local attractions can only be beneficial to their preparation and it will make the most of their stay when visiting new parts of the world. Just be sure to have a fully charged notebook or smart phone to take lots of notes!