–A talk with Keisho Center students
「バイリンガルなキャリアを構築する日本語学習者」
二週間前、ワシントン日本語継承センターのクラスにて、これまでの経験と通訳のお仕事についてお話をさせていただきました。継承センターは、ワシントンDC近辺に住む、当面日本に帰国予定のない子供たちに日本語と日本文化を教えるところで、毎週土曜日に授業を行っています。私もハワイで毎週土曜日に補習校に通っていたので、次世代の生徒たちとお話しできて嬉しかったです。また、通訳の仕事がほぼすべてキャンセルとなった今、通訳の魅力（各地への出張、様々な人との出会い、多岐にわたる分野についての勉強）を語ることで、私もあらためてポジティブな気持ちになることができました。
Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to speak with students who are taking Japanese language classes at the Washington Japanese Heritage Center (Keisho Center). Upon the kind invitation of one of the teachers, Ms. Mina Seat, I spoke about my upbringing and my career in interpretation.
Keisho Center and Saturday School
Keisho Center holds classes on Saturday mornings, and many of the students have Japanese family members. I had heard about the school when I worked at the Embassy of Japan, and was excited to meet the students. Because of the pandemic, the class was held online in an intimate setting, with three instructors for about a dozen seventh to ninth grade students.
I found this opportunity especially meaningful because I, too, attended Japanese language school (hoshuko) on Saturdays when I was growing up in Hawaii. The Hawaii Japanese School taught Japanese language and math, but we studied science and social studies separately through correspondence courses. Back then, the internet wasn’t available yet, so we had to send and receive monthly packets of assignments via international mail. But what hasn’t changed today is that studying Japanese is a lot of work for the students, on top of the regular curriculum at local American schools. It is heartening to see students and teachers (and parents) at Keisho Center who are passionate about retaining the language and culture of their heritage.
Discussing my experience attending Japanese school on Saturdays. I visited its website (which didn’t exist back then) for the first time for this presentation, and was filled with nostalgia.
On Interpreting
In terms of interpreting, I discussed the many differences between interpretation and translation; the three types of interpretation (consecutive, simultaneous, and whispering); and how I study for assignments. I also discussed how the coronavirus pandemic has affected me and the field as a whole, and how the future of interpreting might be a combination of in-person and virtual meetings, with growing support from AI.
Ms. Seat suggested that I show the students some of the symbols I use in note taking. With the caveat that everyone has their own symbols, I showed a few that I use, did a brief quiz on what they might mean, and explained a page from one of my recent notes (which I rewrote twice because my original handwriting was too embarrassing to show!). I have not received formal education in interpreting (which often includes note taking classes), and must confess that most of the time, I just furiously scribble abbreviations and shortened words. Still, symbols are a topic I’m very interested in, and I hope to develop a more elegant system in the future.
I asked the students what they thought some of the symbols meant.
Inspired by the Students
Speaking to the younger generation is always so inspiring. One of the students asked why I became an interpreter, and I shared how I wanted to connect my two countries through language. Another asked if I like interpreting more than translating, and I gushed about how fun it is to travel and meet new people. Answering these questions helped me remember why I decided to go into this field–which I’d forgotten a bit in the past few months, when all jobs were canceled, and travel and in-person meetings were gone. It also helped me have a more positive outlook on changes resulting from the coronavirus, such as the growth of virtual interpretation.
Other students asked about the technical aspects of interpreting, such as how to handle mistakes, whether we need to memorize everything, and how I work for myself and manage expenses (their knowledge of business is impressive!). I was especially touched by the comment of one student, who said that this talk inspired him to revisit interpretation and translation as a potential career.
I am really grateful for this opportunity, which I found especially meaningful when the field of interpretation is facing a big challenge. I hope I will have the chance to meet the students a few years from now, and hear how they might be using their Japanese language skills in their careers.