Meet Beatrice, winner of the Studio Tre Prize @ the University of Bologna!

Beatrice, why did you choose this course of study?

I love travelling and immersing myself in the culture of other countries, and I believe that only by learning the language can you hope to understand them more deeply.

What was the subject of your master’s degree thesis?

My thesis was titled Learning by observing. Example-based learning in simultaneous interpretation: insights for teaching and self-study. I wanted to explore the role that the observation of experts plays in learning simultaneous interpretation.

Following an overview of the scientific literature on educational psychology and cognitive science dealing with example-based learning strategies, I illustrated the main principles in the teaching of simultaneous interpretation, from the pure apprenticeship of the earliest days to modern studies, exemplified by the Setton and Dawrant model (2016).

I then reviewed the models of example-based learning previously put forward by interpretation teachers, looking at their advantages and disadvantages. These models were divided into three macro-categories: demonstration by the teacher, observation of conferences, and working with multimedia material, including corpora, which provides access to work by professionals.

Finally, I listed the most suitable example-based activities to complement classroom teaching and self-study sessions in each phase of the learning process. It is, therefore, a kind of inventory with theoretical insights and practical ideas for teaching and self-study, aimed at expanding the toolkit available to educators and students.

Aside from languages, what are your passions?

I can’t think of a passion that isn’t directly linked with languages in some way! I love travelling and reading; in the last few years I’ve particularly enjoyed books by Sally Rooney, an Irish author. I always read in the original language because I like thinking about how I would have translated certain passages which seem quite complex to read… An occupational hazard, perhaps!

I also love TV series; especially Friends, which helped me to understand the differences between British and American English, and to learn the slang. It isn’t as easy to find good series in German, as production is still quite limited in Germany, but I did enjoy watching Dark on Netflix.

Tell us how the Studio Tre prize has helped you, or will help you, to achieve your goals.

I used the Studio Tre prize to join the AITI, the Italian Association of Translators and Interpreters, which is my first step towards turning my greatest passion into my livelihood. AITI also guarantees its members continuous professional development through courses, seminars, workshops, webinars, and I’ve already had the opportunity to take part in a very interesting seminar on certified translation.

Is there a quote from one of the books you have read that particularly resonates with you?

Yes, from Call Me by Your Name, by André Aciman“[…] if there is pain, nurse it, and if there is a flame, don’t snuff it out, don’t be brutal with it. […] We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster than we should that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty and have less to offer each time we start with someone new. But to feel nothing as not to feel anything – what a waste!”. I think that sums up very well the approach I try to take to life: accepting whatever life has to offer us without fear – both happier days and painful experiences. Everything has a reason and everything has something to teach us 🙂