Writing, Editing & Mediating s2868202
Isaac Victor Silbernberg Parkweg 101a, 9725EE, Groningen
drs. Tia Nutters dr. J.P.M (Hans) Jansen
Placement Report of Work at the UVC
Table of Contents
Introduction... 2
Evaluation...4
Conclusions... 10
Works Cited... 12
Supplements... 13
Introduction:
My work placement was at our very own University Translation and Correction Service (UVC; Universitaire Vertaal- en Correctiedienst), where I served as a junior
translator and editor. The UVC is a part of the University of Groningen’s Language Centre, but it, unlike most other elements of the Language Centre, focuses on working with texts, be it to translate a text into one of a plethora of languages, edit a text or even write a quality text from scratch. It is involved in the development and maintenance of Uniterms, a university terminology database. It also serves as a mediator between clients and a host of talented, experienced translators and editors. The UVC maintains a native speaker principle and two rounds of translation and editing. This means that a text is always edited or translated in two rounds and that one round will always be performed by a native speaker of the relevant language. I found this placement while searching for work, remembering something important that was brought up during my career at the University: ‘When looking for a placement, remember what is available to you. Do not just react to what is apparent, but contact the people you have met in the course of your university career as well, about whether they might have work for you.’
Following this advice, I contacted the person that gave it in the first place — Tia Nutters, senior translator and editor at the UVC, and lecturer for Writing, Editing & Mediating 2: Modern English Language. A lot of the work provided during the course was sourced from her own working practice, and therefore I thought that the UVC would serve as the perfect follow-up to what I had been doing so far. To expand on this, editing was naturally going to be a large part of the job, but translation was something relatively new to me and I thought it would serve to expand my skills in working with text. It is the mediation of a text between two languages, after all.
There was, of course, also the very obvious necessity to gain work experience and undergo real working practice. Working at the UVC seemed like a way to gain work
experience and get to know what the actual professional practice of translation and editing looked like while maintaining a familiar presence. There were also the practical concerns of place and transit. Being part of the University of Groningen made it rather attractive from this perspective as well, as being in Groningen makes the commute simple. In a lot of ways, this placement seemed ideal. After an exchange of emails inquiring about the possibility of a work placement and a proper job application, I was hired.
At the UVC, I would serve as a fellow translator and editor, if a junior one. I would be involved with every aspect of the work at the UVC. My specific duties would involve:
performing translation tasks, predominantly from Dutch into English
performing editing tasks, predominantly in English
supporting project management (booking and distribution of tasks) during busy moments
differentiating the editing services provided by the UVC
performing market research with regard to the above
rearranging the editing page on the UVC website
I found that the task of differentiating the UVC editing services by doing market research that served as a creative application of the skills I’ve gained during my university career, such as performing research and text editing. The inclusion of project management was somewhat unexpected, but in a way exciting. While I am always aware that there is a bookkeeping entity involved in a lot of work, to actually be involved in that work myself felt very holistic.
This, too, is a realistic part of the job, even if it’s not entirely what I’ve been studying to do.
Evaluation:
When I first arrived at the UVC, I had several questions. What does it mean to be a translator? What does translating and editing work entail in the practical reality of working a job? What should I be focusing on for the development of my own career? Where should I look for comparison in my marketing research? The first week was spent acclimatising to the position and getting familiar with the tools and practices. With regards to translation and editing of texts that could be easily done without a CAT tool, I found that there was an immediate connection to the practices of the courses I had followed up until then. It was still ultimately about working with track changes in Word and critically regarding a text, with editing being even more familiar than translating but the processes themselves being similar enough. Ultimately, it was about knowing how to write a text in the target language.
I discovered very quickly that this was a lot more difficult when it came to Dutch. It was only natural that after years of English education, my Dutch would have deteriorated, but I was still frustrated by it. This was something I had hoped to remedy by focusing on translation of texts into Dutch, or editing Dutch texts. My first translation during the work placement was into Dutch, but beyond this I found that the practice did not involve a lot of translation work into Dutch, nor a lot of editing of Dutch texts. This is only natural, as Dutch is the native tongue of the Netherlands, and translation work into Dutch would not be as common in a Dutch-dominated institution.
During the course of my placement it made me consider and reconsider the
importance of improving my Dutch in the short term. Most of the work was into English and most of the editing was of texts written in English. There was a greater call for a mastery of Dutch-into-English than the other way around. There was also the matter of my duties, so to speak. I was there to perform translation and editing tasks for the benefit of the UVC.
Although I was given the freedom to translate works of literature into Dutch of my own accord, ultimately I did set the priority for myself to focus on what work was available before I
spent time on personal projects like this. There was plenty of work, ultimately. This is all to say that I ended up focusing mostly on work in English or into English. Only in the final week did I have much time to focus on improving my Dutch, as the workload was very light then. I intend to focus on improving my Dutch more in a slower-paced, long-term fashion.
Translation work seems to predominantly involve translation into English, and my understanding of the Dutch language and vocabulary is still fine, even if my writing skills have waned.
Acclimatising went smoothly for the most part. The goal was to get me familiar with the work processes within the first month, as after that Tia, my main supervisor, would only be available in a limited capacity due to her work as a lecturer. The supervision involved:
receiving feedback on my editing and translation tasks from any of the three translators at the UVC
learning how to work with the CAT-tools used at the UVC
learning how project management works
guidance with the redefinition of the editing services.
Overall, it was a holistic approach. Most pressing were the second and fourth points, as the former was very necessary for most of the work I performed at the UVC and the latter was mostly an issue of contact. Contact would not be as easy or fluid after the first month, so any extensive communication would have to be in the first month. Another point was that all my tasks would be scheduled in discussion, which would be something of a problem without a supervisory presence.
This all went very smoothly. After the first month I had grown completely familiar with Trados, the CAT-tool used at the UVC, and had received plenty of guidance on my project of defining the editing services of the UVC. I had received feedback on where I should look for comparisons and what exactly is expected of me. I would describe the first point as not as pressing a matter, simply because the nature of the work meant that responsibility on that front was already spread out and continued consistently until the end of my placement. This
feedback is an integral part of the translation and editing loop at the UVC, as you perform a translation or edit and this is then checked. This feedback is relayed back to you and then you scrutinise it and see whether you agree with all suggested changes. There is a constant process of learning present.
I would say that the third point was simply an issue that ended up being somewhat scattered. As I was to only help with project management during certain busy days and guidance tended to be somewhat sporadic, I did not get quite as familiar. Guidance with the project management software, Synergy, would happen on certain Fridays. This would not necessarily be the complete explanation, as there was no time for that and I did not need to know everything immediately. The problem was mostly one of practice, as oftentimes there would not necessarily be any follow-up work in the following week, and no practice means that certain things will get forgotten. Familiarity was never quite achieved, which is a shame, as I have learned through my work at the UVC that this is an important part of the job, not just at the UVC but for freelance translators as well. It might go without saying, but money, time and staff management are important. Bookkeeping is important, and it is worth doing well. I have giving feedback to the UVC about how I think a more structured approach to this area would be beneficial in the future, which they received eagerly.
I would say that my placement project, the defining of the UVC’s editing services, went very well. Starting in the second week, I focused on narrowing down my market research to what was relevant. In consultation with Tia, I came to the conclusion that I should focus on academic translation and editing services and agencies, which are similar to the UVC in function. I should also check editor blogs. This narrowed my search down considerably, as there are only a few universities providing such services within the Netherlands, and even fewer agencies. I researched the following language services:
UVA Talen
Taalcentrum VU
Academic Language Centre Leiden
Radboud In’to Languages
TU Delft Language
Universtaal
Thinkdippy
The first five services are part of University language centre, whereas the last three are businesses. TU Delft has no editing or translation department of their own, but outsources their editing to the UVA Talen service. I also looked at various editor blogs. Based on all this information, I found that most of these agencies tended to be somewhat opaque with their services, most likely to protect themselves from scrutiny by competitors. That being said, I found that they did tend to separate the services into layers. These layers tended to
correspond to a spectrum of editing that I had been taught about in my courses at University.
This spectrum was a scale of depth in terms of editing, with copy-editing/proofreading at the very top, being the most shallow form of editing, and academic/substantive edits being the lowest and most in-depth form. Editing services tended to be separated into three, corresponding to depth. Often these were referred to as ‘proofreads’, ‘language edits’ and
‘academic edits’. I also noticed that speed was often considered important. Comparing my findings with the services offered by the UVC, I found that they often corresponded. In fact, it would be fair to see that there were three layers of depth: proofread, language edit and a deeper layer. Proofreads and language edits were common at the UVC, in the sense that proofreads tended to be part of the editing process and were a service that was sometimes utilised. Language edits represented the vast majority of editing work done, however what came to the fore is that there was most certainly a deeper layer as well. This layer was not defined yet and was not presented as a service, but definitely was one. It corresponded with the ‘academic/substantive’ layer of editing. As such, based loosely on the editing framework presented by Thinkdippy and the definitions Tia Nutters herself provided (Appendix A), I made the following matrix to define the UVC Services:
Proofread Language edit Substantive edit
Spelling Spelling Spelling Vocabulary Vocabulary Vocabulary Punctuation Punctuation Punctuation
Grammar Grammar Grammar
Consistency Consistency Consistency Register Register Cohesion Cohesion Authenticity Authenticity Fit for purpose Fit for purpose
Content Structure Accuracy Argumentation
This matrix is formatted based on depth. ‘Proofread’ functions as the ‘shallowest’ form of editing and substantive as the ‘deepest’ form. This can be seen in how it moves from terms that are self-explanatory to more complicated ideas such as ‘fit for purpose’ (whether a text is appropriate for its intended audience and function) and ‘argumentation’. This matrix would be incorporated into the final editing page for the website, which can be found under
Appendix B. The development of this matrix spanned the first month.
As mentioned before, speed was also often considered important to the definition of editing work. To further define the editing services, I chose to investigate what the editing speeds of the UVC were concretely. The UVC had maintained assumptions on their own speed based on general research. These were theoretical averages for the purposes of cost calculation and scheduling. These were a 1000 words per hour for the first round of
correction and 2000 for the second round. This second round would correspond to
‘proofread’ speeds whereas the first would correspond to ‘language edits’. Based on numbers taken from Synergy, I was able to build a table in Excel of all the speeds of the editors at the UVC for both the first and second round of editing. This sheet can be found under Appendix C.
These calculations excluded all tasks smaller than 2000 words and any speeds above 4000 words an hour. The reason for this was because the tasks smaller than 2000 could be a variety of forms and types, from pamphlets to academic outlines to press releases. This has a concrete effect on the resulting speed. Tasks larger than 2000 words are more consistent and therefore the speeds would be more consistent. Speeds above 4000 words per hour were outliers and therefore should not be counted. I also excluded the translator pair of Peter & Lis as they tended to do both rounds as one block. As this was noted down as one block of time in the bookkeeping, it isn’t accurate and wasn’t counted.
From these calculations, I concluded that the average speed of ‘language edits’ is 1259 word per hour, whereas the ‘proofread’ speed is 2555 words per hour. These averages are above the theoretical ones which were maintained.
In collaboration with Tia Nutters, I turned these calculations into a report to the director of the Language Centre. This report can be found under Appendix D and goes into greater detail on these calculations and the considerations made during the whole process.
In this report I recommend the creation and provision of a ‘substantive editing’ service within the UVC, as a separate, more expensive option on top of what’s already there. Furthermore, these numbers show that the UVC is more valuable than expected. These calculations can
be incorporated into future cost calculations. The director and my supervisor were both very pleased.
There was also the editing page on the website to consider. The editing page was very out of date, having a link to an outdated conditions page, not covering our current editing services and presenting services that had stopped being relevant. Furthermore, it could all be brought in a manner that was more customer friendly and findable through a simple google search. I also found that the entire website needed work done, as these were simply symptoms of a larger problem with the website. It had, for the most part, not been updated for at least five years, so all this stands to reason. I asked my colleagues what they thought of the website as a whole, which kickstarted the effort to modernise the entirety of it.
For my part, I updated the editing page with advice from the UVC staff. The finalised version can be found under Appendix B
Conclusions:
I think I achieved much in my time at the UVC. I was able to define the UVC’s editing services very thoroughly, from what is done to how fast it is done. Based on this information, I was able to even recommend an expansion on the services provided: The Substantive Editing service. I updated the editing page of the UVC website and went a step beyond, pointing out flaws with the website as a whole, as it did not feel complete to just focus on the one page, even if it wasn’t strictly my responsibility. In a final report by my supervisor
(Appendix D), it shows that on behalf of the whole UVC, she was very pleased with my work, and that my contribution was beyond what they asked of me. I gained ample feedback and was able to improve my writing skills, but also my planning skills and my networking skills.
I think I was soundly able to achieve my goals. I was able to extensively experience the practical realities of the job of translator and editor. I learned just how much work needs to be translated into English as opposed to other languages, as well as how the bulk of work
tends to be translation and not editing. I gained familiarity and skill in using the CAT-tools and gained increasing proficiency and familiarity with the process of translation. I learned the intricacies and differences between translation and editing, which might seem like an odd distinction to make, but ultimately both focus on the creation of a well-written text.
Translation truly is the mediation of a text between two languages. I think something I gained since the start of my placement is a sense of creativity and freedom when translating — the ability to not stick too close to the letter of the text, but the spirit of the text.
I also gained a great enthusiasm for the profession itself. The job gave me
perspective. By the end, I wanted to continue in this line of work. I would like to become a freelance translator if possible, or at least keep on the track I’m currently on. It also gave me the confidence to try and branch out. Before my University career, I tried to be a teacher, but was not very good at teaching teenagers, even if my grasp of theory was sound. I have come to realise that perhaps my problem stemmed from teaching the wrong audience. I think it would be good to try and teach English to adults in some capacity. By the end, I completed 102 tasks for the UVC, with 42 consisting of editing tasks and 60 consisting of translation tasks. The specifics can be found in Appendix F & G, which list all the tasks I completed.
Works Cited
“Academisch Talencentrum.” Home - Universiteit Leiden, https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/talencentrum.
“Home English.” Taalcentrum, https://www.taalcentrum-vu.nl/en/editing/.
Nederlands:, proeflezen/redigeren, et al. “Univertaal - Vertaalbureau Voor Onderwijs, Wetenschap, Studie En Beroep.” Univertaal, Vertaalbureau Voor Onderwijs, Wetenschap En Beroep, https://univertaal.nl/.
“Radboud In'to Languages.” Radboud In'to Languages, https://www.ru.nl/radboudintolanguages/.
“Taalcursussen, Vertalingen En Redactie.” UvA Talen, https://www.uvatalen.nl/.
“Think Dippy Different.” Think Dippy, https://www.thinkdippy.com/.
Supplements Appendix A:
Appendix B:
Editing
The UVC of the University of Groningen Language Centre can help you improve your text. Quality is of the utmost importance, which is why our editing work is done in two rounds by two different editors. At least one round will be performed by a native speaker. We edit any text type, from academic articles to webpages or manuals, and work with texts in English and Dutch.
Three different services
We provide three distinct editing services distinguished by their depth and level of involvement:
The proofread intends to be a last check of a final draft before it goes to print. It looks at the surface of the text and checks for any mistakes (typos, double words, etc.) that need to be taken out.
The language edit goes further, gauging appropriateness,
authenticity and whether it is fit for purpose. At this level the text is altered and improved.
The final level is the substantive edit, in which the editor will not only look at form but also at content. In addition to performing a language edit, the editor will think along with you and tighten up the argument, make suggestions on structure and content, and whether your story or argument rings natural as well as true.
Proofread Language edit Substantive edit
Spelling Spelling Spelling Vocabulary Vocabulary Vocabulary Punctuation Punctuation Punctuation
Grammar Grammar Grammar
Consistency Consistency Consistency
Register Register Cohesion Cohesion Authenticity Authenticity Fit for purpose Fit for purpose
Content Structure Accuracy Argumentation Better Together
We use the Track Changes feature in Word while editing your document as well as the comment feature to clarify, highlight or make suggestions. Track Changes allows you to see every change made to the document. This gives you control over the final product, as you can accept or reject any of the changes made as you see fit. We seek to improve your text, but
ultimately only you can be the final arbiter.
Delivery time and costs
The UVC is available the whole year round and will always aim to deliver the highest possible quality in the shortest possible time. In other words, we set the deadline together with you.
We can guarantee delivery of jobs up to 7000 words within two weeks. The delivery time of longer jobs and rush jobs will be set in consultation.
Our hourly rate for internal customers is € 81 per hour, and € 89 plus VAT for external customers. How many words we can edit per hour depends on two factors: 1) the complexity and quality of the original text; and 2)
whether you require a proofread, language edit or substantive edit.
Please contact the UVC for more information.
Appendix C:
Appendix D:
UVC
Isaac Silbernberg & Tia Nutters november 2019
Gemiddelde snelheden bij correctieopdrachten Motivatie
Wij willen onze correctiediensten herzien en hernoemen: wij willen onderscheid maken tussen proofreads, language edits en substantive edits.
Om erachter te komen hoe deze beoogde diensten zich spiegelen aan wat wij op dit moment doen, willen wij weten hoe snel wij gemiddeld eerste en tweede rondes van correctieopdrachten uitvoeren.
Aannames vooraf
De gemiddelde snelheid van de eerste ronde bij UVC-correctieopdrachten ligt op ong. 1200 woorden per uur; wij vermoeden dat dit de snelheid is die tot een
language edit leidt. De gemiddelde snelheid van de tweede ronde ligt op ong. 2500 woorden per uur; dit is de snelheid die wij bij een proofread vinden horen.
Bij het uitbesteden van correctieopdrachten rekenen wij overigens met een snelheid van 1000 woorden per uur.
Corpus en methode -Synergy
-correctieopdrachten, 1ste en 2de ronde over de periode van 28 november 2017 tot en met 24 oktober 2019
-correctieopdrachten, 1ste en 2de ronde over alleen 2019, tot en met 24 oktober.
-aantallen woorden
-uitgesloten hierbij zijn opdrachten met de volgende omvang:
Opdrachten kleiner dan 2000 woorden.
Opdrachten groter dan 4000 woorden per uur.
1 Duitse editing opdracht
-vanwege de volgende redenen: Teksten onder de 2000 woorden kosten relatief meer tijd en zijn te divers om een goed onderscheid te kunnen maken tussen language edits en substantive edits.
De snelheden boven de 4000 woorden per uur zijn zo ver boven het gemiddelde en vaak zo uitzonderlijk in de eerste ronde dat dit duidt op een uitloper. Voor de tweede ronde gaat het vaak om proofreads die dusdanig snel zijn dat ze waarschijnlijk zijn veroorzaakt door een uitermate goede eerste ronde waardoor het proces van proeflezen wordt versneld of ingekort.
Peter & Lis – Doen samen zowel een eerste als een tweede ronde die dan als één blok wordt gerekend in Synergy, dus de precieze snelheid kan niet geconcludeerd worden. Zijn niet meegerekend in het gemiddelde.
Resultaten Eerste ronde -gemiddelde
-1259
-minimale snelheid -689
-maximale snelheid -2106
Tweede ronde -gemiddelde
-2555 -minimale snelheid
-1121
-maximale snelheid -4000(+) Eerste ronde 2019 -gemiddelde
-1268
-minimale snelheid -689
-maximale snelheid -1495
Tweede ronde 2019 -gemiddelde
-2966 -minimale snelheid
-1309
-maximale snelheid -3948(+)
Conclusies
De theoretische snelheid voor language edits die wordt aangenomen ligt op 1000 woorden per uur. Hierbij gaat het altijd om de eerste ronde van correctie. Voor de UVC ligt de langzaamste snelheid op 689 woorden per uur. De snelste tijd is 2106 woorden per uur en het gemiddelde komt uit op 1268. Dit betekent dat de snelheid van de UVC over het algemeen sneller is dan wordt aangenomen. De snelste tijd is zo’n twee keer het theoretische gemiddelde. De langzaamste tijd is veel langzamer maar dit is ook wel uitzonderlijk en duidt waarschijnlijk op meer benodigd werk. Over de periode van 2019, waarbij er een nieuwe bezitting is, ligt het gemiddelde ietwat
hoger, namelijk op 1278 woorden per uur, maar dit is niet opmerkelijk hoger. De piek is wat lager, namelijk 1495. Dat gezegd hebbende is het werk over het algemeen ietwat sneller.
Voor de proofread-tijden ligt de langzaamste tijd op 1121, zo rond de language edit- tijd, maar de snelste tijd is een enorme 4000 woorden per uur. Het gemiddelde komt uit op 2555 per uur, wat hoger is dan het theoretische proofread gemiddelde van 2000 woorden per uur. Hier is de UVC dus sneller dan aangenomen. Er moet wel gezegd worden dat er in de proofread cijfers veel meer verschil zitten dan in de language edit cijfers. De tijd heeft enorm veel te maken met de kwaliteit van het geleverde werk in de eerste ronde. Voor 2019 geld dat het gemiddelde en de
minimale snelheid beiden hoger liggen dan de algehele periode. Het gemiddelde ligt op 2966 woorden per uur en de minimale snelheid is 1309. De maximale snelheid is ietwat lager maar niet aanmerkelijk zo, liggende op 3948. Opnieuw waren er
snelheden boven de 4000 woorden per uur maar dezen zijn niet meegerekend bij het gemiddelde.
Opmerkingen
Proofreads gaan wij niet actief aanbieden als een van onze diensten. Het idee is om substantive editing aan te bieden als nieuwe dienst naast onze gebruikelijke
language edit. Desgewenst kunnen wij proofreads uitvoeren.
Interessant zou zijn op eenzelfde wijze onderzoek te doen naar hoeveel tijd het kost om vertalingen te proeflezen.
Appendix E:
Verslag eindestagegesprek 27 november 2019, 12:30-13:30
Stagegever: Universitaire Vertaal- en Correctiedienst (UVC) van het Talencentrum van de RUG
Stageperiode: dinsdag 1 oktober 2019 tot en met vrijdag 29 november 2019 (4 dagen per week)
Stagiair: Isaac Silbernberg
Stagebegeleider: Tia Nutters (verslag) Motivatie
In plaats van het invullen van een stage-evaluatieformulier hebben Isaac en ik ervoor
gekozen een gesprek te voeren aan het eind van Isaacs stage bij de UVC. Isaac is de eerste UVC-stagiair die studiepunten voor zijn stage krijgt; vandaar dat het ons handig leek om elkaar te evalueren, i.p.v. de stagegever vooral de student.
Vertalen
Isaacs heeft op dagelijkse basis meegewerkt aan vertaalopdrachten van de UVC (hij heeft zelf een overzicht van hoeveel precies), niet alleen als vertaler maar ook als revisor. De meeste opdrachten betroffen de vertaalrichting NL-EN, enkele EN-NL. Dit laatste is niet vreemd, aangezien meer dan 90% van de UVC-vertalingen opdrachten naar het Engels zijn.
Isaac heeft zijn vertaalvaardigheden voor de combinatie NL-EN goed kunnen ontwikkelen.
Vertalen EN-NL blijft een ontwikkelpunt. Dit is niet gek als je bedenkt dat Isaac de afgelopen jaren bijna uitsluitend met zijn vaardigheden Engels is bezig geweest.
Bij alle vertaalopdrachten is de CAT-tool Trados Studio (2017) gebruikt. Als vertaler heeft Isaac de vertalingen in deze tool gemaakt; als revisor heeft hij met behulp van bijgehouden wijzigingen in Trados feedback gegeven op de vertaling.
Als vertaler heeft Isaac samengewerkt met de inhouse-vertalers van de UVC; als revisor heeft Isaac samenwerkt met de inhouse-vertalers én met ervaren UVC-freelancers.
Editen
Isaac had van tevoren verwacht dat er meer editingopdrachten bij de UVC zouden worden uitgevoerd dan dat het geval is. Op basis van de in WEM2 uitgevoerde editingopdrachten (allemaal oude UVC-opdrachten) is dat ook geen vreemde verwachting.
Toch heeft Isaac een aantal tweede rondes van editingopdrachten (EN) van wetenschappelijke artikelen kunnen doen, plus eerste rondes van kortere correctieopdrachten, in beide gevallen samen met een ervaren (inhouse- of outhouse-)editor.
Projectbeheer
Isaac is ingewerkt op het projectbeheer (of projectmanagement) bij de UVC, maar niet zo uitgebreid en grondig als op de andere taken (vertalen en editen). Vaak zat er een week tussen de dagen waarop Isaac met projectbeheer aan de slag ging, waardoor hij het gevoel had steeds weer opnieuw te beginnen.
Dit is te wijten aan de UVC: wij hebben van tevoren besloten in te zetten op de sterke punten van Isaac: zijn vaardigheden Engels.
Isaac geeft de UVC als advies dat het goed is om in het begin van een stage een langere aaneengesloten periode te besteden aan inwerken op projectbeheer, om aan het einde van de rit de cirkel rond te kunnen maken. Projectbeheer (i.e. een administratie bijhouden plus
het kunnen inschatten wie de opdracht het best kan uitvoeren in hoeveel tijd) is toch een integraal onderdeel van veel taaldienstaanbieders, freelance of niet.
Specifieke stageopdracht: herzien van editingdiensten
Isaac is voor de UVC van grote waarde met deze opdracht en met de uitvoering die hij eraan gegeven heeft. Hij is verder gegaan dan het herzien van onze editingdiensten: hij heeft daarnaast onderzocht hoe deze zich verhouden tot wat de UVC de afgelopen jaren aan correctiewerk heeft uitgevoerd. Daarnaast heeft hij een opzet gemaakt voor een FAQ op dit vlak, iets wat we zeker op onze website gaan opnemen.
Isaac heeft ook een nieuwe webpagina voor de editingdiensten van de UVC geschreven. Dit was voor hem aanleiding op de andere UVC-webpagina’s ook eens te bekijken en deze, samen met inhouse-vertaler Emi Howard, ook eens onder de loep te nemen. Inmiddels hebben ze samen de pagina’s herschreven en zullen deze binnenkort worden gepubliceerd.
Dit alles geeft aan dat Isaac als geen ander in staat om verder te kijken dan zijn neus lang is; hij reflecteert op alles wat hij doet en denkt na over zijn activiteiten in een bredere context.
Wat ging goed Heel veel.
Isaac geeft met name aan dat hij onze werkprocessen goed heeft kunnen doorgronden, en dat hij zich onderdeel heeft gevoeld van het team. Voor hem was in deze de eerste
inwerkmaand van essentieel belang. Hierdoor heeft hij zich vrij kunnen voelen om alles te vragen en op een fijne manier feedback te geven en te ontvangen.
Verder geeft Isaac aan dat hij tijdens zijn stage goed prioriteiten heeft leren stellen, en dat hij de ruimte heeft gekregen om te reflecteren op zijn eigen kunnen.
Alle UVC-collega’s beamen dat Isaac erg vriendelijk en beleefd is, hard werkt en graag wil leren.
Wat kan beter
Er zijn een aantal praktische zaken in het stageproces die de UVC beter kan voorbereiden:
het tijdig beschikbaar maken van de accounts (RUG en administratiesysteem Synergy), toegang verlenen tot bepaalde mappen op de Y:-schijf, creëren van de mogelijkheid om zelf te printen en een RUG-pasje aan te vragen.
Ook geeft Isaac aan dat het handig is om een stagiair meteen, aan het begin van de stage, te vertellen dat het aanleggen van een portfolio handig is voor het stageverslag.
Daarnaast geeft Isaac aan dat het voor een stagiair in het kader van projectbeheer handig is om de lijst met freelancers door te nemen om zich een beeld van deze mensen en hun kunnen te kunnen vormen, bijv. door hun bedrijfswebsites te bekijken.
Last but not least
Als Isaac besluit om te gaan freelancen, dan zou de UVC hem graag toevoegen aan zijn database. Zijn vertaal- en redactiewerk in het Engels is grondig, doordacht en van een hoog niveau.
Appendix F:
Appendix G:
