1. Thank you for this interview, Gözde! You are currently doing your internship at ISTRAD. How does it feel to be doing your internship here?
Thank you! I am quite happy and proud to be a part of ISTRAD as it’s also the institution where I do my Master’s. Thanks to this opportunity, I not only learn the theoretical information but I also have the chance to gain firsthand experience in a professional workplace that is very involved and successful in the sector.
2. We know that you come from Turkey. What was the reason that made you decide to come to Spain? What surprised or impressed you most about Seville? Please tell us a bit about your experience.
I came to Spain for the first time for my Erasmus as I was quite interested in Spanish culture and wanted to discover it more. Once I was here, I fell in love with the culture, the warmth of people and the lifestyle. That’s the reason I wanted to come back. What impressed me most in Seville was how well preserved the historic fabric of the city was and the beauty of it. Also, I was fascinated by the local’s way of dressing –as a fashion lover 😊-. It was surprising yet quite pleasant to see women with high heels in chic dresses and men with suits just walking their dogs or pushing a stroller while taking a promenade.
3. We want to know more about your education: what university studies did you take? What were your favourite subjects at university? And what were your least favourite ones?
I studied translation and interpretation in Turkish, English and French at Bilkent University. My favourite subject was, not so surprisingly, audiovisual translation. My least favourite subject was economical translation. Let’s say it was not my cup of tea. 😊
4. Going into the field of translation, you are doing our Master’s degree in Audiovisual Translation. Why did you choose audiovisual translation? What has been your favourite module of the Master’s degree so far?
As I mentioned before, audiovisual translation class was my favourite during my undergraduate degree as it was the perfect combination of the two subjects I love: translation and media. That’s why I wanted to dive deeper and be more knowledgeable about it. To be honest, I don’t have a favourite when it comes to audiovisual modules. In my opinion, they are all interesting, fascinating, special and helpful in their own way.
5. Do you plan to work in a specific field of audiovisual translation (subtitling, dubbing…)? Do you like any other field of translation apart from audiovisual translation?
I don’t plan to limit myself to a specific field of audiovisual translation just yet as I enjoy taking roles in every field. Yet I would like to have more experience in dubbing as I think it requires more creativity in the name of localization time to time and it challenges the translator. I also love literature translation –children’s literature to be specific-. In my opinion, this subject also requires creativity and language agility so that the translation feels natural to children.
6. Have you ever translated an audiovisual project? Which one did you like the most?
I had the opportunity to work on various audiovisual projects with ISTRAD. I liked working on almost all of the projects yet I must say that I prefer entertainment projects like cartoons, reality shows and other tv programmes rather than technical videos. 😊
7. Do you have any anecdotes while translating or during your internship you would like to tell us?
During my internship, I truly enjoyed how we, as a team, manage to find a way to work on projects so harmoniously. Being part of a group that works together and supports each other through great communication to find a solution peacefully when a problem arises will be an experience I’ll never forget.
8. What are your professional goals and how do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
I would love to be a well-known name in the audiovisual industry who has experience in various projects in different media forms and different audiovisual translation fields. I would also like to have experience with projects not only in my mother language, Turkish, but also with my B and C languages.
Thank you so much for being here with us, Gözde! We wish you all the best.
Thank you so much! The pleasure is mine!
Eliana Vaz