The COVID-19 pandemic has till now been giving every activity unforgiving blows to take them down to the ground. To the amazement of many, there are only two options to choose from. The dilemma lies in either quitting by surrendering to the pandemic or to sigh in relief then come back to the battlefield with the little strength gained. It is very unfortunate for only the fittest activities to survive from the killer disease. So, how are the interpreters and translators affected by the coronavirus pandemic?
Impact of Covid-19 on Translators and Interpreters
Most language translators and interpreters perform their duty by being actively involved in their interaction with groups of people in various meetings where the speaker encounters the limitation of the language barrier, mostly where he/she is new to and he/she doesn’t speak the people’s language or in a place where illiteracy is a factor. Unfortunately, now the translation and interpretation of languages is greatly affected by the Coronavirus fast spread since social gatherings are banned, and travelling to some areas is also cut off in most of the nations in the world. The translators and interpreters have been left in the streets scavenging for the scarce job opportunities that are available. “So then are there any survivors of this stumbling block?” I presume you have already started to ask yourself this question.
Nevertheless, there are language translators and interpreters who have frequently stood firm without deflecting despite the strong wind of the pandemic which seems to sweep everything with instability. How are they doing it yet others aren’t? The truth is that they have implemented some critical tactics to help them manoeuvre amid the pestilence. They have identified the various ways to receive and give blows to the COVID-19. As a language translator and interpreter, you need to take heed of the following to avoid the set obstacles by the disease. You have to:
Alternative survival Means During the COVID-19
Apart from their professional career in interpretation and translation, they need to venture into other sources of income. Some of them may consider opening new businesses to offer them employment while others may prefer farming which is often lowly regarded by most people although it can help in this period. However, the rule of the jungle is to survive on any means possible.
Adapting the work from home policy
Since it is almost not possible to host any social gathering, the translator and interpreter have to now start working from home. He/ she needs to install an internet network to allow him/her to be connected with his/her clients. The advancement of the technology is acting as the bridge over the pandemic hence connecting them to the few opportunities available. People are now carrying out gatherings remotely without physical appearances in meetings. The meetings are then done through video conferencing where the translators and interpreters are included in the conferences to carry out their work as usual if the communication requires them.
Cutting down on expenditure
The translator like any other human being in the whole world during this COVID-19 period needs to be able to perfectly manage his/her daily budget, failure to do this may lead to bankruptcy. He/she must avoid all the unnecessary expenses in his/her basket list. The only thing worth satisfying now is the primary wants only, the rest should be considered after the COVID-19 is long gone.
Venturing into Social Media Channels
To try avoiding the congestion of people in public places during this pandemic period, people are shifting to carrying out most of their activities in online platforms. As a professional translator and interpreter, you may consider creating a social media account either on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. where you can advertise your capabilities. For instance, you may try recording yourself doing a language interpretation then post it to get people’s views. This, in turn, will help you as a translator to gain not only popularity but also may attract clients too. I positively assume that in this era even the oldest granny now has a smartphone that she uses to be on social media platforms.
A translator and interpreter taking heed of the above will smoothly cope up with COVID-19.